The Gambia
Qualified candidates will have an expressed interest in working in agriculture and one or more of the following criteria:
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any field
OR
• 5 years' professional work experience
Preferred candidates should have experience, interest, and/or passion in one or more of the following:
-Gardening
-Tree nurseries and tree growing
-Beekeeping
-Environmental Education
-Subsistence farming
-Poultry Management
-Agroforestry
-Working with youth on agricultural activities
and/or
A Bachelor of Science degree or associate degree in Agronomy, Horticulture, or other related fields.
Part-time of full-time farm experience.
All Volunteers live in remote, rural communities, and will need to be flexible in housing expectations. You will live in simple, private quarters on the property of a host family for your entire service. Houses are situated on or near a family compound with other neighboring houses. You will have a private pit latrine and will likely need to fetch water from the village water source, up to 300 yards away. While your family compound may not have electricity available, Peace Corps The Gambia provides an allowance for Volunteers to purchase a solar system to charge electronics (laptops, phones, tablets, etc.). Usually, this solar electricity can also power a standing fan for much of the day and night. You may need to walk or bike up to 3 miles to access public transportation and up to 6 miles to a larger town for shopping.
Communication between staff and Volunteers, as well as among Volunteers, is mainly by phone and text. You will receive a simple cell phone for local texting and calling on arrival if you do not bring your own. The Gambia is a small country. Contact between staff and Volunteers is high and this is appreciated by the Volunteer community. There are a few internet cafes in some of the larger towns, but access is slow, patchy, and depends on intermittent electricity. There is internet access at the Peace Corps office near the capital, the Peace Corps Training Center in Massembeh, and the PC office in the eastern part of the country.
Many vegetarians have managed to maintain a healthy diet here. However, as the supply and range of vegetables in the country is limited, this can present challenges and requires some flexibility. It is difficult for Volunteers to maintain a vegan diet throughout their service.
Please see The Gambia Living Conditions section of the website for information about:
-Communication
-Housing and site location
-Living Allowance and money management
-Food and diet
-Transportation
-Social activities
-Professionalism, dress, and behavior
Even with newfound democracy that emanated from the 2016 election, The Gambia still has some restrictive laws in law books that target certain sexual acts. Volunteers will need to be mindful of cultural norms and country-specific laws and use their best judgment to determine how to approach topics in their communities and throughout the country. Staff and currently serving Volunteers will address this topic during Pre-Service Training and identify support mechanisms available for incoming trainees and Volunteers throughout service.
The influence of colonialism and other countries in The Gambia shapes perceptions Gambians may have of outsiders. Americans may be assumed to be wealthy. Black/African Americans may blend in and initially be seen as Gambians; people may assume that they know local languages and culture. Asian Americans may be confused as Chinese citizens working in The Gambia. Peace Corps staff are aware of many of the challenges faced by Volunteers and strive to find meaningful ways to support Volunteers in navigating the complexity of living and working in The Gambia. Additional information is available in The Gambia sections of our website.
None
While the official language of The Gambia is English, Volunteers are expected to learn the predominant local language of the village to which they will be assigned. Instruction in a local language will be provided during Pre-Service Training and additional language support will be available at your work site if needed. Most of the people Volunteers will work with may not speak English, so it is extremely important to understand and be able to communicate in the local language. Languages taught at Pre-Service Training are Pularr, Mandinka, Wollof, Jola, and Serrahulleh.
Agriculture
Yes
The Gambia can accommodate couples within the agriculture and health sectors. Your partner must qualify and apply for one of the following programs:
-The Gambia Community Food Security and Nutrition Facilitator: Pilot
-The Gambia Community Health Facilitator: Pilot
Couples will live and serve together in a common site that might be in either a larger community or in a village where one partner would focus work in a neighboring village. In the past, this arrangement has worked well especially when the going gets tough. Couples can motivate each other and supplement each other’s work in their respective communities and have been model Volunteers.
Peace Corps makes assignment decisions in accordance with host‑country laws and safety considerations. Some countries have laws regulating certain personal conduct between adults. In such locations, the agency cannot place couples whose presence conflicts with local legal requirements or create safety risks.
Peace Corps The Gambia has legal restrictions in place that prevent the agency from placing certain couples in-country. As a result, only couples who meet the legal and safety criteria established by The Gambia may be considered for placement.
None, however, the agriculture sector volunteers work mainly with community members who do not speak any English. Therefore, volunteers must have a strong desire to learn the local language of the community to which they are assigned.
The Gambia
15
Yes
PCV
No
As an Agriculture Volunteer, you will be trained on best practices for smallholder agriculture to improve household food security and nutrition and adapt to a changing and uncertain environmental context. As the impacts of environmental degradation and unsustainable natural resource management practices become more evident, the social, economic, and environmental contexts that smallholder farmers operate within will continue to change. This will add to the challenges of smallholder farming, particularly for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged communities.
As an Agriculture Volunteer, you will be trained to support food security and livelihood improvement while increasing community resilience and adaptation to global change through your activities. These activities will:
• Promote the adoption of improved, appropriate, and adaptive agricultural practices and technologies that increase productivity, including practices that:
• Improve soil health and promote circularity of on-farm organic waste
• Reflect indigenous knowledge of nature-based solutions and
• Preserve and enhance forests, biodiversity, and ecosystem services.
• Build and strengthen household resilience by integrating and diversifying existing and new agriculture-related income-generating opportunities
• Improve household nutrition, particularly that of the most vulnerable household members
No
Shorter term service
As the preeminent international service organization of the United States, the Peace Corps sends Americans with a passion for service abroad to work with communities and create lasting change. Volunteers develop sustainable solutions to address challenges in Education, Health, Economic Development, Agriculture, Environment and Youth Development. Through their Peace Corps experiences, Volunteers gain a unique cultural understanding and a lifelong commitment to service that positions them to succeed in today's global economy. Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 240,000 Americans of all ages have served in 142 countries worldwide.
