Over 40 stakeholders were recently trained on community forest initiatives at a two-day capacity building on tree nursery production and management held at the Trans-Gambia Lodge in Pakalinding village, Jarra West District of the Lower River Region.

The training was organised by Green Trust, a community based organisation (CBO) in Pakalinding villages. It was funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through its Global Environment Fund (GEF). In his closing remarks, Ebrima Kinteh, coordinator of the Green Trust, explained that his organisation was established by few youths in Pakalinding village and was registered as a community based organisation since 2006.

According to him, the aim of his organisation is to fight against deforestation in the country adding that they work closely with the communities, schools and individuals. The training, he said is part of a UNDP-GEF funded project in Jarra West and Central Districts while emphasising that through capacitating the communities, the aim of the project is to promote and improve the quality of our forest for sustainability.

According to him, the event is amongst series of environmental activities embarked upon by his organisation in the Lower River Region. Kinteh thanked UNDP and other organisations for supporting his organisation's activities while calling on to others to emulate the UNDP.