Enrolments, updates, etc.,

We have just enroled four more of our students at the GTTI, The Gambian Technical Training Institute - Sainy, Sanna, Lamin B Jammeh and Yankuba. They will be joining Seedy Dembo Jammeh who is about to start his second year of training as an electrician. We wish them all congratulations on being being accepted at the GTTI, and look forward to seeing them again on our next visit at the end of November.

Fatou has done exceptionally well in her exams and is now in Grade 12, she has ambitions to be a journalist. She is a very determined young lady and works hard, we wish her well.

We now have our next two trips to The Gambia booked, 28th Nov - 12th Dec 2011, and also 2nd Feb - 24th Feb 2012.

There is a lot of work done by Sankung in making sure all our students (we have 34 currently) are enroled in their appropriate schools and grades, uniforms made, text books purchased, any transport arrangements made, school fees paid, etc etc. But once they are all settled in their new school year, then plans are going to be made to have a roof put on the compound we have built in Busumbala this Autumn. We look forward to getting this progressed with the hope of Sankung and family being able to move in next Spring, along with any students needing accomodation.

New school uniforms are being made for the Si-Kunda Nursery School children, and I am pleased to say that three of the ladies who have had training at the Skills Centre are helping to make them.

Bonus Ball Game no.5!

This week we have just started our fifth game of the Bonus Ball, and our first winner this time is Eileen Stone, congratulations Eileen!!

This is proving to be a successful and enjoyable way of raising funds for our charity's projects and at the same time a new winner each week receives a cheque for £25.00

Long may it continue!!

Most of you have been with us since the very first game.

Many thanks to all of you who take part!

Olwen

Sadly our lovely mum-in-law Olwen has passed away. She has always been so supportive of us and this charity, and also sponsored one of our students, Ousmann. We shall ensure that he completes his education in her memory as that is what she would have wished. Also, the bonus ball number winner this week is No.42 which is her number. So we will leave her winnings in the charity to go towards the Si-Kunda Nursery School fund.

Sue and Marje.

Newsletter no.16.

Our Newsletter no. 16 has just been issued, so those of you on our mailing list should receive one any day now.

If anyone else would like a copy, or you believe you should have received one and haven't, please email me - sjonesfriendsofsikunda.org or telephone 01296 688039.

We will be pleased to send one on to you!

It includes amongst other news, reports on Si-Kunda Nursery School, Toniataba School and the Si-Kunda Community Centre & Workshop.

Sue

BonusBall update

We have just started our 4th version of the BonusBall....having given out over £1,000 in prize money so far, it is working very well whilst also raising funds for our projects.

If anyone else would like to join in, please send an email to mjones@friendsofsikunda.org for details!

Bee Keeping

BeeCause Charity have provided Beekeeping training for some of our people from Si-Kunda. They all enjoyed it very much and are now very keen to put into practice all they have learned. They have 'catcher' boxes in the village now and at least one box has bees already in it! We met Jenny, Mick and Peter from BeeCause while in Gambia in March, they are so enthusiastic and willing to help get an enterprise going in Si-Kunda, which is great news for us. This is something we have wanted to do for some time now, so at last it looks like it is now happening! So we are very grateful to all of them at BeeCause for providing so much help and encouragement. I will give updates on the blog as this progresses.
In the picture are both Ansumana's who will be the first beekeepers, along with Sankung and Abdoulie who attended the training.

April updates

Well after a wonderful month in The Gambia the updates are now on our 'Projects' page for 2011.

We have had a very good few weeks since our return as we have had presentations to do which include The Red Cross at Irchester who support us so well. We have received some very generous donations, one of which from the Rotary Club of Bletchley who have supported us for many years now, we had a very enjoyable lunch and gave a presentation which was received well.

We had a very successful sale at BarclayCard in Northampton organised by Dave; which Marje, Anne and I also attended. It was extremely well supported and a very enjoyable day for us.

The BonusBall is continuing to run which also helps a lot with raising funds for our projects.

BeeKeeping training is starting today, we have two men from the village attending in a small town called Lamin, and they will bring their skills back to the village to start a new enterprise. So this is great news!

We installed windows into one classroom last week in Toniataba school to increase the ventilation and provide enough light. We intend to do two further classrooms very soon.

Marje is going to have a garden fete on 21st May if any of you live near enough to Rushden, Northants to attend, you wil be very welcome, please put the date in your diary!

We want to update some more of the website and provide some video clips, plus further fundraising ideas, so we will be busy in the coming months with all of that and more presentations and sales to do.

More updates soon, many thanks for all your support .............Sue