In the Central River Region of The Gambia, women in the community of Njau Sawalo have resumed cultivating, spinning and weaving cotton to create income-generating products. According to AllAfrica, this initiative, led by Women Initiative Gambia via Reforest Future, seeks to restore traditional skills and sustain cultural practices that were previously dependent on purchased fibre. The project has been active for three years, training thirty women in the cotton value chain, which includes planting, spinning, weaving and marketing.
Participants report that cotton was previously hard to find and costly, forcing them to travel to weekly markets for use in ceremonies. Foddy Ceesay, a community member, noted that the shift to self-cultivation has allowed women to save money and generate additional funds by selling finished goods. AllAfrica reports that more than fifty women have benefited from the project, with forty cultivating 1.5 acres at the central farm. The women produce items such as wrappers, shirts, tablecloths, bags and book covers, which are sold to tourists visiting the Reforest Future centre. Finished products are priced between 500 Dalasi and 2,500 Dalasi, depending on the item.
The local effort aligns with The Gambia's Industrial and Diversification Policy 2025–2035, which identifies cotton as a sector for support through a planned innovation hub in Farafenni. Dr Lamin Dibba, head of research at the National Agricultural Research Institute, stated that such initiatives have renewed hope for the sector. He explained that cotton production had remained dormant for years due to limited processing expertise and a shortage of facilities to convert the crop into profitable finished goods. NARI is now working to identify suitable seed varieties and growing regions that account for climate change.
Historical data cited in the report indicates that The Gambia had 3,429 registered cotton farmers in the 2001/02 season, but production declined sharply to approximately 200 tonnes of seed cotton by the mid-2000s. A 2024 estimate suggests production recovered slightly to 532 tonnes. Despite this progress, challenges remain, including a lack of modern farming equipment and structured local marketing systems. Isatou Ceesay, the project founder, described cotton as the logo of African identity and emphasized the need to preserve knowledge for future generations. The group intends to set up women-managed cotton plots across multiple districts in Central River Region North, aiming to expand the revival nationwide.