| Description | This collection consists mainly of material used for the publication, 'The Gambia Experiment 1946-1950 and other papers' by Veronica Berry. Papers include correspondence, progress reports, clinical data, exercise books containing surveys of village compounds, maps, committee minutes, notes, memoranda and other raw data. Other material which was not used in the publication includes Colonial Medical Research Committee papers, maps of The Gambia, photographs taken during fieldwork, raw data compiled for the survey, material from the Yoro Beri Kunde study by Joyce Griffiths, administrative material of the Nutrition Field Working Party and the Fajara Field Research Station. Other material is from other related projects in The Gambia. |
| AdminHistory | The main objective of the Gambia Experiment was to increase the amount of land under food crops and land under groundnuts for sale. This was to be achieved by mechanisation. Another objective was to identify true leaders of the village in question and to give them responsibility. Medical, nutritional and sociological surveys were carried out in tandem and there was additionally an educational angle. John O'Halloran was in charge of the teaching process, which was primarily to create an understanding of fair trade between the villagers and groundnut traders. It was hoped that the scheme would be introduced to the rest of the country over the next few years.
Drs Berry and Bunting spent ten days in July 1946 in The Gambia on a preliminary reconnaissance and made suggestions as to the nature of the Field Working Party. Work began in January 1947 in Genieri but the lack of staff and expertise would prove detrimental to the Experiment's progress. Furthermore, the original plan for a ten year project was cut to three by the British Treasury. William Berry, initially the group's leader, became dissatisfied with the process and changes in direction and resigned along with the dietician Elsey Richardson. Margaret Haswell the agronomist, was then appointed as leader. By March 1950, Haswell was the only original member still in The Gambia and the Experiment was soon disbanded. The Applied Nutrition Unit was set up soon after in 1952 and work continued at the Fajara Field Research Station and agricultural work was passed to the Agricultural Department. |