2024

Fighting FGM is key for gambia and for our foundation

Fatou Gaye, nurse, midwife, mother of a darra: I am a senior midwife and I know the pain our dear women are going through in the labour ward and even after birth. I will not give up the fight against FGM. I always have facts to back my talk, and I also have the Islamic background that I can place on the table. FGM is a human rights humilation, it is an cruel cultural practice, which has nothing to do with Islam. We stand with Gambias girls and women and anyone figthing FGM.

https://gambia-verein.org/gambia/fight-fgm/fight-fgm_engl/

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June

We need a mortuary, and we are seeking for support

Imagine one of your loved ones has passed away – and it’s scorching hot and oppressively humid outside, it’s raining non-stop, mosquitoes are biting and you have to draw fresh water from the neighbor’s well. The nearest cool room for washing the dead is far away and the streets are under water anyway … We want to change that for our neighborhood Kunkujang Keitaya.

Updates

Our fundraising campaign is managed by our German Foundation Ambassador Daniela Saratah Hausdorf Keita, who cooperates with the Gesundheit und Bildung Gambia Charity. On their website, you’ll find all the updates. Check them out and enjoy!

The Problem

In good weather, the nearest but still distant mortuary is around 45 minutes away, but in the rainy season the trip can be many times longer. And that’s precicly the period, when deas rates increase, mostly due to Malaria. The body not only has to be carried on the sodden, sometimes flooded streets to get to the wash house, but also back to the local cemetery. The required burial time can only be achieved with haste and pressure.

The Solution

Therefore, we seek funds to erect a hygiene room for washing the dead. This will alleviate the challenges of burials in difficult climatic conditions.

The hygiene room should be small to enable good cooling. It should have running water and drainage into its own pit. The room should have three tables and be fully tiled. It could be ready within 2 months. Building contracts will be awarded to local companies.  Money is needed for building materials and wages.

The hygiene room will enable both the deceased and their relatives to give a dignified farewell. It will also ease the financial burden, as there will be no need for transportation.

The Target Group

Firstly, the hygiene room will be available to the hospital in Kunkujang Keitaya. Secondly, the room is for people who have died in the immediate vicinity. It serves our neighborhood of around 30,000 people. The hygiene room is explicitly open to all religious communities.

What we need, and why – Construction costs

• Building material: ca. 2.000 Euro, for cement, wood, cardboard, nails, plumbing, electricity, air conditioner, tiles for wall and floor, door, window.
• Wages: ca. 800 Euro, for production of blocks, building, wiring, tiling, roofing.
• Unexpected expenses: ca. 200 Euro, for unexpected tasks or price increases.

Why you should donate

Washing of the dead is the last service of the living for the deceased. The hygiene room saves difficult transportation, hectic washing, time pressure, the risk of infection, financial outlay – in short: a lot of grief. We should make this possible for each other.

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Nurse students very successfully graduated from Hadigala College

One young man and three young woman, who worked before in our clinic, have successfully concluded their studies in nursery at the Hadigala College. The studies were funded 50% by the Gambia state, and 50% through the charity Health and Education Gambia. Alieu Gai finished his studies as the best of his class, and the three ladies each finished with distinction. Our clinic was also awared a special appreciation, and Fatou Gaye even gave a speech. We are so very proud, and send a big thank you to all sponsors.

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Aji Fatou Nyang successfully graduated

Aji was studying for a bachelor’s degree in nursing, for which she received a full funded scholarship. Aji will continue her studies. We are so proud of her!

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May

Fatou Gaye becoming a honorary member of the charity health and education gambia

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Giving Advice for clinic builder in suwareh kunda

Our partnering ngo Health and Education Gambia (Gesundheit und Bildung Gambia e.V.) supports the erection of a clinic in Gambia’s small town of Suwareh Kunda. It was a pleasure for Fatou Gaye and Suwareh’s project manager Baba to sit together, exchanging opinions, construction experience and visions for a good future of the clinic.

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March

Boy of our Quranschool celebrated

Again, one of our boys mastered the Holy Quran and was celebrated in a nice ceremony. He is only 10 years old and such a dedicated boy! We are very proud of him, together with his family. Here are some pictures.

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February

Extension of the boy’s dormitories

Thanks to a generous Spanish ngo, we are able to extend the rooms for our boys in the quran school. This is very helpful to make living in our darra more comfortable for our boys.

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January

Visit from our partnering NGO

Anja Schütz, Chairwoman of Health and Education Gambia, a Germany-Gambia based charity, visit our clinic and darra anytime she is in the Gambia. It is always a pleasure to exchange ideas, talking about successful closed projects, about new amendments to both, the clinic and the darra. Anja and her charity are the biggest sponsor to our darra, and we are more than thankful for their sturdy support.

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volunteering midwife from germany completes her Assignment

Since the beginning in October 2023, young Ruth, a midwife from Germany, has been volunteering with us.

Ruth has never been to Gambia before, so she not only started a new job, but also had to adjust to lots of unknown professional and culture rules, which she managed very well. She easily integrated into our team and after short, became a valued member of our staff.

We have also seen her willingness to learn Gambian approaches to pregnancy, birth and motherhood, which led to her good acceptance by our patients. She also installed some lasting improvements to our clinic.

Ruth even engaged in fundraising in favor of one of the clinic’s staff members, thus enabling her to enroll in a nursery study program.

Ruth, you are welcome back to our clinic anytime you want. We wish you all the best for your life and hope to see you again!

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