By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT
The Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (TANGO) launched its sustainability index for the year covering 2022 at their conference hall today 30th October 2023. The scoring chart highlights that from 1 to 3 are ranked as “sustainability enhanced”, 3 to 5 are ranked as “sustainability evolving” and from 5 to 7 are ranked as sustainability impeded. The latest report highlights that the Gambia’s sustainability index is currently ranked at 4.7. This means that the Gambia’s Civil Society Organisations are currently ranked as “sustainability evolving”.
In the past, The Gambia’s Sustainability Index was ranked 4.9 in 2020 and 2019, 5.1 in 2018, and 5.5 in 2015 and 2012. This means that The Gambia has progressed from sustainability impeded to sustainability evolving from 2012 to date.
TANGO Executive Director Mrs Ndey Sering Bakurin told delegates present that the report “assesses the strength and viability of the civil society organization (CSO) sector in 73 countries, including The Gambia”. She added that “the Civil Society Organization Sustainability Index (CSOSI) assesses the capacity of the civil society sector to serve as both a short-term partner in implementing development solutions and a long-term actor in ensuring that development outcomes are sustained”.
“The CSOSI report describes advances and setbacks in seven dimensions affecting the sustainability of the civil society sector: legal environment, organizational capacity, financial viability, advocacy, service provision, sectoral infrastructure, and public image”.
TANGO Chairperson Mrs Yadicon Njie-Eribro highlighted that the “report is a powerful tool for us to assess the strengths and weaknesses of CSOs in the country by allowing us to identify areas where support and intervention are most needed. It also enables us to learn from each other’s experiences and best practices, fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing among our diverse communities”.
She added that “Civil society organizations face numerous challenges in an increasingly interconnected world, including shrinking civic space, funding constraints, and increasing hostility toward their work. Our collective responsibility is to address these challenges head-on and create an enabling environment for civil society to thrive”.
After the two speakers concluded the opening ceremony, the CSOSI Report for the Gambia 2022 was officially launched. After the report was launched Madi Jobarteh who was one of the local consultants for the report delivered a presentation on the Report.
