A delegation from theInstitute of Travel and Tourism of The Gambia (ITTOG) and of the Gender Platform of Gambia, local partners ofethnic in the project”No Woman Left Behind” visited Catalonia this November with the aim of presenting the results of the cooperation project that has been taking place in the African country since January 2021.
The president of ITTOG, Dr. Adama Bah , the president of the Gender Platform, Tabu Sarr , and the student Fatou Haydara, participating in the training project, accompanied by the project director, Jordi Tolrà, and the president of Aethnic and co-director of the project, Jesus Martin, have held meetings with theCatalan Cooperation Agency (ACCD) of the Generalitat, body that co-finances the project and with the Catalan Cooperation Fund, coordinator of the solidarity councils of Catalonia.
On November 10, at the Generalitat, the Director of the ACCD, Carmen Gual, accompanied by the Area technician, Gerard Graells, she was particularly interested in the situation of Gambian women, the factors that hinder their empowerment as people and as women and the results of the project carried out this year in the territory, which has allowed the active participation of up to 30 women vulnerable Gambians. Tabu Sarr explained the program of sessions and activities that his platform has carried out with the participants in the project, emphasizing everything that should allow them to enjoy their rights and an independent life. The student Fatou Hydara spoke first-hand about the effects of human trafficking, of which she has been a victim, and the difficulties in resuming a normal life after the trauma caused by this situation. She expressed her satisfaction and gratitude for the learnings made in the framework of the ” No Woman Left Behind ” project and her desire to become an independent professional in the hospitality sector, with her own restaurant project. The President of the ITTOG and local leader of the project, Dr. Adama Bah, with long experience in leading training and training programs for vulnerable people in The Gambia, and a pioneer in promoting responsible and sustainable tourism in Africa, detailed the phases of the program implemented by his institution, which consists of training theory and practice, sessions on sustainable tourism, cooking classes and outdoor promotion activities.
On the 10th itself, at the Catalan Cooperation Fund , a platform that brings together solidarity councils in Catalonia, the delegation was received by Joan Ribas , head of the Cooperation Area with Africa. In the dialogue held, the possibilities of cooperation between the Fund, Aethnic and the No Woman Left Behind project for 2022 and subsequent years were explored.
As part of the international conference held the following day, November 11, the Gambian delegation also maintained contacts with Montse Santolino, director of The Faith, coordinator of the Catalan NGOs, and with the teachers and researchers of theSchool of Tourism CETT-UB Campus, and the UAB who participated in the meeting, as well as with managers of Catalan tourism companies.
The visit is part of the development education (EDP) activities that the NWLB project contemplates, and which aim to draw the attention of Catalan society to the need and importance of taking advantage of the stoppage of tourism in Africa (second source of income in Gambia before covid) to transform it under the principles of TRS (responsible and sustainable tourism) internationally agreed and by the SDGs of the United Nations Agenda 2030.
