Gambia's Rapid Population

Gambia's Rapid Population

1. Why so many young people?

   • Religion
     • Majority of people are Muslim and until recently contraception was duscouraged
   • Status of women
     • Women have very little say in the amount of children they want
   • Economic need
     • Many people live a subsistence lifestyle
       • This is when the farmer farms to produce food for them and their family only
         • Therefore these families need more children to help with agricultural production

2. Impacts

   • clear link between population growth and poverty
   • Poor infrastructure
   • Poor sanitation
     • Hole in the ground
     • In schools one toilet serves 200 children
   • Water
   • Poor diets
   • Wages
     • An average wage is £30 a month may have to support 22 people
   • Education facilites
     • Minimum of 45 pupils in a class
       • 3000 pupils per school
   • Land degradation
     • Land is over-farmed
       • Deforestation causes soil erosion

3. Responses to try and slow growth

   • Direct (birth control) population control
     • Contraception
       • Raising awareness
         • TV adverts & radio programmes
     • Social marketing
       • WHO subsidises the sale of contraception in local shops
   • Indirect (non-birth control) population control
     • Maternal and child health
       • More clinics
       • Free vaccinations
       • Improving health of expecting mothers
       • Spacing out births
       • Counselling for women
     • Managing resources
       • Managing rate of deforestation
       • Education to teach Gambians about value of woodlands
     • Education
       • Improve literacy skills
       • Targeting girls education
       • Free school meals

4. How population control is contributing to the sustainability of the Gambia

   • The Tostan Community Empowerment Programme is a non-governmental organisation which is trying to empower African communities
     • Ending child forced marriages
     • Enhancing economic opportunities by providing villagers with basic maths and business skills
     • Empowering women and girls
     • Working with locals to sustain the enviroment
     • Treating malaria
     • Promoting education for girls
     • Teaching about health e.g. washing hands and cleanliness around water sources