Agriculture Workers Association (AWA) under the Ministry of Agriculture held its annual congress at Cape Point in Bakau.
The event witnessed the election of new executive to steer the affairs of the association for the next five years. At the end of the congress seventeen new executives were elected led by Foday Jadama as the newly elected president of AWA, while Lamin Bajo was elected as new Secretary General of the association.
At the congress, Sheikh Tijan Sosseh, outgoing president of the AWA briefly gave a rundown of the successes and challenges that the association has undergone during their term in office. He used the platform to advise incoming executive to be committed and work towards the development of the association.
He also thanked Lamin Bajo, Director of Communications at the Ministry for his commitment, dedication to the association. Declaring the forum open, Dr. Saikou Sanyang, director general at the Department of Agriculture, said it is very important for agriculture workers to come together as an association and discuss pertinent issues of interest to the welfare of all agricultural workers in the country.
Welfare boost
The association, he added, was meant to assist members to solve their day-to-day home management issues through its Credit Union. DG Sanyang also reminded members to see the association as their own, noting that they should take ownership of it at all times. The association, he added, has survived 20 years since its establishment in 2000, aimed at improving the earning and living conditions of the agriculture staff to boost their welfare.
In his brief analysis of the association, Lamin Bajo – Director of Communications at Agriculture Workers Association (AWA), who is also the newly elected Secretary General of AWA, acknowledged that the association at some point faced challenges.
However, he said that with commitment and dedication they were able to weather the storm and position the association to ensure that those problems were addressed to achieve “remarkable successes.”
On some of the successes, Bajo revealed that they ensured salary increment of staff at various levels, raising of the Association income from D17, 715 to over D200,000.00, establishment of a Credit Union 15 years ago, improving the Credit Union savings from D16, 000.00 to over D300, 000.00.
“We also trained 300 agricultural workers on HIV AIDS prevention and care, contributing towards the relief of the flood victims of CRR and the locust invasion of 2004. We also extended condolence support to 30 of our deceased staff, who were members of the association, supporting the treatment of seriously ill (sick) staff of and supporting members who were involved in fire disaster and so on.”
Foday Jadama, current president of AWA, urged members of the association to unite and work towards the success of the association.
 under the Ministry of Agriculture held its annual congress at Cape Point in Bakau.){kind=link}