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

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

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.

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...................

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

Daisy and Aiden's Garden Party

29th June we held a garden party, initiated by Daisy who made sure that it happened and helped with all the planning of it. Aiden was a fantastic help on the day, and did a great job along with Ruby who made invitations for her schoolfriends, and some of Daisy's friends also helped out when needed on the craft stall in the afternoon. We were very proud of them all, they raised the fantastic sum of £286.30!! The weather was great,  and it was very well attended, very many thanks to everyone who supported them and helped to raise this money which will go towards supporting Si-kunda Village School.

Updates

Our Projects page for 2013 has just been updated, please check it out for our latest news.

We will be producing another newsletter for our supporters in July, which will also be available for anyone wishing to read it. Let me know if you are not already on our distribution list and would like to receive a copy.

Fran's grandson Aiden and my grandaughter Daisy are going to have a small garden party 29th June, they want to raise funds for Si-Kunda Village School.  They will have a stall of African crafts, a tombola, lucky dips, and refreshments. This will be held at 3 Moorlands Road in Wing, LU7 0RD, 2pm - 4pm.

Sue