Rural Finance and Community Initiatives Project
The Rural Finance and Community Initiatives Project(RFCIP) is one of the agricultural projects under the purview of the Department of State for Agriculture (DOSA) which evolved from discussions between IFAD and the Government of The Gambia as far back as 1992.
General presentation
In 1997 the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) prepared a Country Strategy and Opportunities Paper (COSOP) to chart a path for the continuation of IFAD’s collaboration with the Gambia. The COSOP also proposed that a phased project approach be used to combine the two identified investment areas, with sufficient flexibility to adapt project content to changing/emerging circumstances.
In this framework, the Rural Finance and Community Initiatives Project (RFCIP), a six-year project, is co-financed by IFAD, Government of the Gambia (GoTG) and project beneficiaries. The total project cost is estimated at $11 million. The Project is being implemented by a Project Support Unit (PSU), and its partners (line departments, government agencies and NGOs), under the overall umbrella of the Department of State for Agriculture (DOSA).
Apart from the Rural Finance Development Component whose coverage is nationwide, the Project operates in two administrative divisions; Lower River Division (LRD) and Central River Division (CRD) north and south.
The rationale for the RFCIP is that by providing an effective national rural micro-finance system, and promoting improvements in food production and income generation, coupled with measures to address the infrastructural weaknesses which constrained production that household food security can be greatly improved. To this end, the strategy is therefore to use credit as the “driving engine” to effect positive changes in rural livelihoods, with the overall goal of improving household food security (HFS) of rural farming families in The Gambia.
The overall goal of the project is to improve food security and incomes of households in rural areas and the objectives are : (1) Streamlining and expansion of rural financial services; (2) Increasing access to nutritionally diverse food and promoting the means of enhancing rural incomes (3) Strengthening and development of farmer groups to undertake self-help activities.
The RFCIP intervenes in the following key areas amongst others:
- Construction and Rehabilitation of Village Savings and Credit Association Banks (VISACA) Countrywide;
- Provision of rural financial services including credit to the farmers and Kafo members through Non-Bank Financial Institutions and Non-Governmental Organization nationwide;
- Provision and fencing of vegetable gardens; and Construction of wells, market stalls, cereal banks, storage facilities, Day Care Centre, Upland Conservation sites, Livestock Holding Grounds, Loading Ramps, Community Radios etc.;
- Capacity building, training of VISACA Cashiers and Community members, farmers, Village Auxiliaries and Animation Team Members in LRD and CRD (North and South);
- Participatory Monitoring & Evaluation (P.M.E) data collection at Kafo Level/Communities;
- Voucher Based System (V.B.S) for the remuneration of technical service providers for the services rendered to the farmers
Duration/Period
6 years + 1 Year extn. (August 1999 - December 2006)
Amount of Loan
USD 11 million
Address
Mr Basiru JOBE
Project Coordinator
Box 739, Banjul, The Gambia
Tel : +220 44 97 343/44 97 355/44 94 921
Fax : +220 44 97 353
E-Mail : ruralfin@gamtel.gm; ruralfin1@gamtel.gm