Why Gambia?
Pamela and her family lived in The Gambia from 1998-2001, and it is their wonderful memories of the people and the inspiring progress their making in terms of health and education, as well as the stark contrast between the privileges available to women in our care in the UK compared with those available to women in Africa that lead to our decision to spend our elective placement there.
The development of countries such as The Gambia is led by its people, however it is important not to underestimate the opportunities made available via the many donations and charities running there more information of which can be found at http://www.newgambia.gm/Health2.htm
The Charities
GETSuk and GTS [Gambia Education and Teaching Support and Gambia Tourist Support] are UK registered charitys founded by Francis Glynn. The charities came about in 1997 following a family holiday to The Gambia, with the aim of creating employment and training opportunities for Gambian people.
The charity has led to the training and development of tourist guides, a restaurant/bar and staff, tourist accommodation, a new school and teaching staff, the provision of a library, nursery school, sports centre and a teacher training centre and sponsoring children’s education. The charity naturally divided into two to meet its competing sides;
All the children pictured here are sponsored by GETSuk
A) One to maintain, develop, manage and raise the funds for current and future employment opportunities by supporting tourists in The Gambia and increasing membership [Gambia Tourist Support]
B) One to maintain, manage and raise funds for the current and future educational projects including implementation of the prioritised educational curriculum. To build a large supportive membership [Gambia Education and Teaching Support]
We are aiming to raise money to donate to the education project GETSuk. The support of education opportunities is vital for continued development of The Gambia and improvement of its public health.
Pamela came across this charity before it branched into the two and was so impressed with the philosophy of continual development and helping people to help themselves that she and her husband offered them the use of the compound they had brought in Brufut.
Operation save a baby is one of the charities set up by the first lady of the Republic of The Gambia, Madam Zineb Yahya Jammeh nine years ago. In that time it has made major contributions to the health provisions for newborn babies such as the donation of five incubators to the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital (RVTH).
RVTH and its surrounding birthing centres cater for huge numbers of patients on budgets up to 150 times less than acceptable in westernised countries, and as a result are desperately short of among other things, the equipment needed to support newborn full term and premature babies in need of extra healthcare.
This is obviously a cause close to our hearts, due to our collective experience of caring for babies who may have not survived without the help that is readily available in westernised countries and could also be in African countries, such as Gambia with a little help.
‘The baby you save may be your own’
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Oh how i agree with you Pamela. The education is on the up. Many schools are linked with schools in the UK thanks to the work of the VSO’s.
Comment by Trish March 22, 2009 @ 10:04 pm