The SMILE Program is now in its third year of operation and is one of the biggest success stories of the NATC.
SMILE is an irrigation technology sales service. Through the sale of appropriate irrigation system, NATC is able to generate income itself as well as help lift rural farmers out of poverty.
Most of The Gambia is not privy to a running water tap system. Therefore, the fetching and hauling of water is a daily chore for the majority of Gambians. This makes it very difficult to water gardens during the dry season (10 months of the year) when you cannot depend on rains for irrigation. This means that most farmers can only manage a very small garden or must hire workers for assistance.
SMILE technology is specially designed to ease the workload of the farmer and indirectly raise the output of the farmer's crops. Through pumps, tube wells, drip irrigation systems and hoses, the gardens automatically become more efficient as the burden of watering is placed upon the SMILE equipment. With this technology, farmers are able to manage a larger plot of land with less effort and the consistent watering means that gardens will not go dry.
Along with the purchasing of the system, SMILE representatives are all skilled horticuralists. SMILE technology users are brought to NATC for short term training courses on marketing and horticulture so that they can gain maximum efficiency out of their system.
For those who are unable to afford the SMILE equipment, NATC offers a credit and loan option so that those most in need may benefit.
SMILE is an irrigation technology sales service. Through the sale of appropriate irrigation system, NATC is able to generate income itself as well as help lift rural farmers out of poverty.
Most of The Gambia is not privy to a running water tap system. Therefore, the fetching and hauling of water is a daily chore for the majority of Gambians. This makes it very difficult to water gardens during the dry season (10 months of the year) when you cannot depend on rains for irrigation. This means that most farmers can only manage a very small garden or must hire workers for assistance.
SMILE technology is specially designed to ease the workload of the farmer and indirectly raise the output of the farmer's crops. Through pumps, tube wells, drip irrigation systems and hoses, the gardens automatically become more efficient as the burden of watering is placed upon the SMILE equipment. With this technology, farmers are able to manage a larger plot of land with less effort and the consistent watering means that gardens will not go dry.
Along with the purchasing of the system, SMILE representatives are all skilled horticuralists. SMILE technology users are brought to NATC for short term training courses on marketing and horticulture so that they can gain maximum efficiency out of their system.
For those who are unable to afford the SMILE equipment, NATC offers a credit and loan option so that those most in need may benefit.
