Thursday 8 December 2016

We have recently returned from The Gambia and stayed in Si-Kunda, we had a busy and enjoyable time as always. There are quite a few updates to share so we will be updating the Projects page on the website very soon. Also the next newsletter will be distributed in January.

Si-Kunda School has re-opened and is progressing well. This picture is of some of the children enjoying their lunch!

There is much to do, but we have had a good start. Many thanks to all of you who responded to our request for help to support the school, its great to see it doing so well.

If anyone knows of where we can source outside play equipment (either free or at a reasonable cost) we would be pleased to hear from you.

Have a great Christmas, and a Happy New Year!!

Friday 19 August 2016

Our Newsletter no.26 is now ready to be sent out, if anyone would like a copy who doesnt already receive one regularly, please email or ring me, details on the website.

I am a bit late with it this time, so my apologies for that! But hopefully everyone will enjoy reading our updates and news.

Our last two projects are now completed, all the current students are waiting to enrol in the next school year. Sankung is keeping busy ensuring all the papers are done, new uniforms made, shoes and bags are purchased, and chasing up the school reports which should be due very soon.

Tuesday 24 May 2016

Fonkoi Kunda School..... we have recently installed Solar panels, this will be used to not only provide light but also to enable the school to create some income (by charging mobile phones to local commuities) which is being used to provide supplements to the school midday meal of rice for all the children in the school.
Badumeh Kuta School.... we are currently building a school boundary wall for this school, photographs to follow

Sunday 27 December 2015

Happy Christmas to all our supporters and many thanks for all your help this year! We returned from Gambia mid December, so I will be posting updates and photographs over the next week or two, and also in January I will be writing up our next newsletter,
With very best wishes for the New Year,
from Sue and the rest of the charity committee

Sunday 22 February 2015

We have had another great trip to The Gambia, returning yesterday. A lot has been happening, and we included visits to Toniataba, Fonkoi Kunda, Badumeh Kuti and Sikunda Schools. We had two meetings with the Commissioner of the Lower River Division, spent time in the Sikunda village hall, sewing room and library, a brief visit to Soma Hospital and met up with many of our sponsored students which was one of the main focus of this trip, and found time on the last day to be interviewed on Gambia West Coast Radio along with two of our high achieving students Fatou Jammeh and Lamin Njie. We would liked to have had the time to do more, and include a school in Soma where we sent supplies last year and the local Red Cross, but that will have to be next time now. However, the main tasks we set out to do were achieved and each time we go we review what we are doing, what needs to be done, and each time somehow things always fall into place. We have learnt and experienced so much over the years, and every time I go there is something new. If anything, this trip has renewed my enthusiasm, and that is down to the current and past students I met this time who have achieved so much, and without their sponsors they would probably not be who they are now. So a very huge thank you to all of you who contribute to help these students realise their ambitions.
There is inevitably some who don't reach their potential for a variety of reasons, as is the same in any country, but for the ones who do then it makes us very proud of them. And certainly education is not wasted even on those that maybe don't make use of it straight away, they often see the need for it when they have children of their own, so will then encourage their children to learn. So if anyone reading this would like to sponsor or help at all, please contact me or anyone listed on our contacts page, a contribution no matter how small really does make a difference!

This picture is of Omar, he is 10 years old, and is doing extremely well at school, he is now a school monitor (which is like a school prefect in UK). He is given quite a lot of responsibility and takes his role very seriously. He is a fun loving boy whom we have known since he was born, he realises how important his education is to him, and his family are very supportive to ensure he makes full use of it.


Wednesday 4 February 2015

Hi all, there will be a short delay in the distribution of our newsletter this time, it will be completed and sent out end of February (instead of the usual January). This is because we are visiting Gambia this month and it makes sense to delay the newsletter to ensure we have the very latest news and photographs to put into it. So I am sorry for the delay, but it will be done!
Also I intend to get this website updated in March also, so watch this space!


Here are some of the supplies we sent for Soma Medical Centre, October 2014...................


Wednesday 9 October 2013

October 2013 brief update

All our students have started in their new year at school, and our latest shipment arrives in Banjul this week which Sankung (our project manager and co-ordinator) will then collect and distribute to the villages, schools and hospital. All the boxes are labelled and will be delivered accordingly. Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed! Sankung always makes sure that the school and hospital committees are present when the supplies are handed over, and if possible takes photographs as well.
Our July newsletter was distributed a little late this time - August\September, due to some printing problems, but if anyone other than on our distribution list would like to receive one, please let me know and I will forward one on to you.


Sue, 01296 688039, or email sjones@friendsofsikunda.org