Finance

Income

Expenditure 

Post-Gambia trip

Although we had achieved so much in one week, and exceeded the targets of our project, we realised that we could never fulfil the need that existed in The Gambia.

We couldn't complete all the work that we had intended to because of the short period of time we spent there. However we identified the best placed individuals and organisations from those we had worked with, and gave them the resources

to continue our work.

They continue to provide us with progress and financial reports on the work they are continuing to do as part of "Giving 2 Gambia".

Since leaving, the solar panels have been installed due to which electricity now runs through the village of Katchung and its people are now able to use computers, the 10 wells we set out to build have been completed (one being in an orphanage), the trophy for the Gambia school football team has been presented, and the tannoy system has also been installed in Mokumbayo Masjid. As well as this, more mosquito nets have been distributed to hospitals and orphanages in Gambia, the Masjid project is still in progress.

Above is one of the wells built

The trophy presented to the football team

The tannoy system for the Masjid in Mokumbayo 

 .

The Madrasah in Mokumbayo has been half built (if anyone wants to fund the remaining project please contact NLMCC).

Solar Panels installed in School

Electricity available in Katchung because of the solar panels

A computer being used in Katchung via the solar panel energy

A group of young locals with the new goalposts

Work has begun on the development of a second Masjid and finally, the GOVI centre was donated a sum of money to buy the essentials to paint the interior of the building.

Painting for the blind school

The development of the Masjid in progress

The “G2G” team are still exploring other proposals from our contacts on the ground in The Gambia for developments, services and resources to meet the almost endless need that exists in the country.

One of the current projects that the "G2G" team are working on is getting qualified Arabic teachers from South Africa to travel to Gambia to deliver a one week training course in Arabic braille for teachers, so that they can teach this to the blind students.

The Giving 2 Gambia lives on and is still trying to make a difference to many Gambian lives.

If you would like to support our project, then please contact  Haroon at NLMCC

In November 2012 NLMCC organised collection from the local community residents and organisations to helped sister Khatijah ship a 40ft container full of office equipment, clothes and general household items and donation. She was very pleased with the local support and expressed her gratitude quoting ' The help from the community is remarkable, it just keeps getting better and better Alhumdolilah'.   

 

Day 6- Orphanage

Continuing from day 5...

We got back to the hotel at approximately 10:00am. By this time everyone was exhausted... as it was our last day everyone was given rest until 3:00pm. We still had one more orphanage to visit. 

It has to be said, that everyone in our group was exceptional and persevered patiently with all the challenges, obstacles and trails along the way. From our van with improvised wooden seats padded with a thin layer of foam, to sacrificing hotel room luxuries for dusty, weathered roads, scorching heat, humidity and the basic amenities of the villages.  This endeavour was a huge testament to our group’s patience, unflinching will and desire to push beyond their comfort zones.  

Although many of the group decided to take some much needed rest in the hotel, a few guys felt they still had enough in their tanks to visit local attraction sites such as a craft market, crocodile reserve and local heritage museum.

Traditional tribal costume 

National Heritage tree

Historical instruments 

Our very own Crocodile Dundee 

After our brief encounter with the wild we made our way to an orphanage in Tobokoto village that was set up by one of our partner charities Noor- Aid. 
Noor-Aid have been working in Gambia for over 10 years and have achieved great things and successes for many Gambian communities. One story of their success is the orphanage we visited.

We arrived at the orphanage to be greeted by the Head Teacher. We were then given a tour of the premises which wasn't big but appeared to be over-subscribed with orphans.
We donated 450kg of rice, books, pens, crayons, sponsorship for all 46 students and 16 sleeping mattresses for students sleeping on the floor.

The sleeping quarters for the orphans of the village.

The last visit of the trip was to distribute rice in the village of Noor-Aid's head office in Gambia.

As sunset approached and news the aid distribution began to spread things began to get a bit hectic

Noor-Aid Gambia Head office

Getting blessing from a village elder 

Dividing of the rice into smaller bags to be distributed. 

record of those that have been given food

Tannoy used to call out families that have not received aid pack

The project was a success. We had exceeded our fundraising target, got more volunteers than we expected, received more support than we had imagined both back home in the UK and in The Gambia. The project developed a spirit and life of its own.

We had made new friends, and seen a country and people who had very little material means, but in terms of virtue and character were soaring in the skies. Everyone had fallen in love with the smiling coast of Africa, and our brothers and sisters that lived there. The “trip” was a lesson for all of us, and one we promised ourselves that we would never forget.

Day 5- Katchang

By the fifth day of the trip, we had lost almost all concept of time. The days seemed to be merging together due to our waking early before sunrise and staying awake all day until returning late at the hotel each night. This day was no exception. Leaving the hotel at 10am, our journey to Katchang would be our longest journey. 

We made our way to the port where we were scheduled to catch the 11:00am Ferry  for a 1 hour 30 minutes ride to the northern side, then travel for 4 hours to the village of  arriving at 4:30, spend two hours with the locals and distribute the supplies until 6:30, then rush back to get the return ferry for 11:00pm. However as with all epic journeys, things mapped out slightly differently!

The ferry got delayed due to propeller maintenance issues, so we were stuck at the port for three hours. Some of the group members wanted to turn back and go back to the hotel, but we knew we had practically a whole village waiting for us on the other side, and therefore didn't have the heart to turn back. 

The port was really busy with the hussle and bussle more becoming of a market place. Due to the long delay we all jumped out of the vans and started mingling with the locals. 

Boarding the ferry.

When it was finally time to board the ferry, it was like a gold rush!! The officers at the port were aware of our project through the media and let us on, but what was to come was really a sight to see. 

On the ferry.

For most, it would be the first time boarding a ferry; it won’t be an experience they will forget in a very long time. The masses flooded the ferry, trying to get a space because of the long wait between each departure. Vans , carts, and even animals were put on the ferry, at times it resembled Nuh (a.s) ark. Once we got off the hour-long ferry journey, we had another 4 hour car trip to complete.

50 football for children

3 hours into the journey everything was going fine. Until we broke down, the idea of breaking down in the middle of nowhere was daunting... These were testing times as the group grew agitated and restless. 

The engine being cooled down.

Stranded in no man's land

Praying Salah and waiting for the minibus to cool down.

Trying to find alternative transport to Katchang

Br Abdulahi our guide having a stretch

The young people playing football whilst waiting for the minibus to be repaired.

As Katchang was one of the key milestones of the G2G project, we were all looking forward to going there. We reached the village by 7pm, just before sunset and close to Maghrib time. We were received by a crowd at the entrance of the village and were welcomed in with a heart-warming nasheed from the young students of the village.

The students of Katchung welcoming us.

After the welcome, we walked with the villagers from the entrance of the village to the school. This village had 140 compounds with each accommodating 3-4 families, all without electricity.
The only light available was the lamps and torches provided by the villagers and our mobile phones. The village elders spoke a very refined classical Arabic, similar to the Quran so we were provided with a translator.

The translator present.

We were welcomed and then taken inside to pray our salah. We sat down with the village elders and had a meeting to discuss how we could help the village, they were so pleased that we ventured out so far to visit them; at times it became very emotional.

This was one of the highlights of our entire stay in The Gambia. The people were very warm and patient (they waited for us for five hours from 2:00pm until we arrived at 7pm). We had already pledged a contribution of £2000 toward a communal prayer area, and instillation of solar panels for the school worth £1589.47

Handmade bricks for the community Masjid

The solar panels to be installed

But after seeing the dire poverty first hand we then decided to make an additional donation of 140 bags of 25kg and 50kg of rice to each compound. We also sponsored 46 orphans in the village.

Having a chat with the students- the brightness of the room is from the camera flash 

We realised that catching the 11:00pm ferry was not possible. The next ferry was at 8:00am so we decided to stay in the village until 2:00am, sleep in the van whilst travelling to the port and taking the morning ferry. In the mean time we all got “stuck in” to some local food and made some more new friends.

Eating local foods in the dark

Drinking tea, Gambian style

One of the Hifz reciting Quran beautifully 

On arriving at the port at 6:00am a small group of us decided to wait outside and have a look around. We saw a local brother opening up his stall for business, we hadn't eaten since having dinner at the village and didn't know when we would have our next meal, so we decided to chance it. Scrambled egg in a baguette with a mug of coffee was perfect! Fajr time was upon us and so we prayed in the Masjid which was conveniently located directly outside the port.