It's already our last day. Return flight this evening.
Abuko Gammol Nursery School
We have an appointment at our nursery school in Abuko. Our English nursery/primary school, with 4 classes. In addition to the fun we have every time we visit Abuko, where we are surprised by the enthusiasm and fun of the toddlers, our objective is mainly to learn more from Omar Jarju (director) and Pierre (motivated teacher) about the differences between a English and an Arabic school. In the afternoon we will have a meeting with the heads of the other Gammol schools to determine what is needed to ensure the quality of education..
Omar Jarju, Dirk Depoorter and Dirk Fannes for an enthusiastic class of students.
What Omar and Pierre tell us is that there are a number of conditions that must be met in order to deliver quality education. In addition, we get a better view of the different functioning between an English and Arabic school:
The importance of the motivation of teachers and children. In Abuko, discipline is also a priority.
Learning the English language from day 1.
The importance of a decent curriculum, a learning method.
The need for decent classrooms, with separate rooms per age if possible.
Arabic is also important. Abuko is an English school. The approach here is that the children go to an Arabic school for a few days, next to the Abuko school where they are taught only in English.
In an Arabic school, children are taught in both languages, in the worst case scenario, English is a subject like other subjects. To be avoided if we want to give the children maximum opportunities.
To have motivated teachers, they must receive sufficient wages. In Abuko this is not a problem, because parents pay school fees. In poorer regions, where parents have no resources, this is a problem. Being a teacher is a 2nd or 3rd job there, just a matter of making ends meet.
Teachers in an Arab school are not subsidized by the government, but depend on sponsors and (often too) poor parents.
The insights we gain from our conversations give us food for thought:
When we built Falaa and Sanchaba we didn't think much about the differences. The need to give small children, who received little or no education, the opportunity to learn was our main motivation for building the schools.
In addition, we wanted and want to establish a community of Gammol schools, so that the schools can learn from each other, to increase the quality of education. How can we put this into practice, knowing that Abuko is an English Nursery School, and Falaa and Sanchaba are Arabic Nursery & Primary Schools. We are convinced of the approach in Abuko, but we also know that it took years to get to the level they are at today.
So we notice big differences in approach. And therefore we must also find answers to a number of issues:
Should we only focus on Nursery schools (preschoolers), such as in Abuko, where we concentrate on a decent foundation. Or should we also focus on Primary schools, so that we can reach more children and give them a learning opportunity?
We have established that the poorest villages lack the resources to have separate classes for each age, which means that different ages are in a class, which makes it extra difficult for a teacher. Can we do something about that?
Should we limit the number of students and mixed ages per class to increase quality, but as a result we will have to refuse children? Or should we give as many children as possible the opportunity to learn? Perhaps the best students will emerge after all?
Or is the idea to keep children away from the streets?
How can we ensure that teachers are/remain motivated?
How do English and Arabic schools compare, and how can we ensure that the quality of education is equal. What we will certainly not support are the Daras schools, which only teach the Koran.
Could we get subsidies if we only built English schools? And what does this mean in practice?
Ultimately it comes down to where we want to set the bar, what is our ambition/goal? What do we want to achieve for the children and what is the best way to get there?
I think we agree that “Gammol wants to invest in schools that provide children with the best possible education, which can contribute to increasing the children's chances of succeeding later in life”.
If this means that a condition for this is that we only build English schools, then we must do this.
Gammol community for schools
Our last stop before departure is back in Sanyang. We met with Yusupha Jassey (Falaa) and Lamin Bojang (Sanchaba). Omar Jarju does not need to be there, the conversation we had with him and Pierre in Abuko has given us enough food for thought that we want to share with Yusupha and Lamin to get their feedback on this. In addition to Yusupha and Lamin, there are two more elderly people who represent the communities.
Objective to put our heads together and see how we see the next steps. Both to creating the Gammol community and to the approach to education in schools. I also refer to the conversation we had in Sanchaba on March 14 with those involved. They have worked on the preparation. There has been clear consultation between those involved, which has led to an overview of the various aspects that we discussed earlier: financial, organizational and educational. Yusupha has put all this into a PowerPoint, which gives an overview of how they see the approach. An interesting discussion ensues in which we mention the various topics described above. Admittedly, the preparation is worth it.
One of the points that we have been discussing for a while is the differences between an Arabic and an English school. Yusupha and Lamin try to make it clear to us that the combination of English subjects (language, but also arithmetic, general knowledge) where the focus is on understanding and Arabic, where the focus is much more on memory, is a valuable combination. There is a certain logic to it, but we are not completely convinced.
One of the points discussed regarding the educational aspects concerns the need to test students in order to measure their evolution. It is difficult to compare our schools, simply because of the different environments they are in and the different resources they have available, but we still count on the curricula we implement, of which testing is a part , can eventually give us an indication of the evolution of the toddlers/pupils.
Our conversation about this is not over. We actually need someone here who could take care of the follow-up of this (and of the schools). Something to think about.
Our last conversation before leaving for the airport is with Yusupha, who comes to give us feedback about the conversation Babucan had with Lamin Jalang (Alkalo Sanyang) and the elderly in the morning about the Gammol House. The conversation would have taken place calmly, but with an outcome that, at least partly, we did not really like. For example, the elders are said to have decided to file a lawsuit against Babucan about the ownership of the land on which the house stands. And this is based on the donation from so many years ago, but of which there is no evidence. An unbalanced battle, since Alkalo can afford the best lawyers, while Babucan cannot afford this at all. Besides, we don't want this either. The last word has not yet been said on this.
At the same time, the VDC is willing to lend us land on which we can build a new Gammol house. There are 2 locations in Sanyang that we will visit, which belong to the community. One of the areas would certainly suffice. However, our message to Yusupha is that as far as we are concerned there can be no question of a loan. We expect that we will get the land, become the owner, and we are prepared to make an agreement that the land and the building on it will become the property of the Sanyang community, the day we would no longer invest in Gambia. The other option is that we make an agreement with Babucan regarding the use of our current HQ. This also needs to have a follow-up...
Yusupha Jassey shows a piece of land that could be used for the new Gammol house.
We pick up our suitcase at the lodge and drive to the airport in Banjul. The past few days were too short, our trip was too short to delve deeper into a number of matters. Saying goodbye to Lamin and Omar is emotional and weighs heavily on Omar in particular...
After 5 passport checks we board the plane at 8:00 PM and land in Zaventem at 5:00 AM…
Today presented itself as a slightly quieter day. In the end it turned out to be different. We visited projects closer to Sanyang, which made the journeys shorter, but we spent much longer on the projects we visited. And the meeting with the VDC took a turn that no one had anticipated.
Banyaka Village and Banyaka Gidda
The new water installation in Banyaka Village (2 x 4000 L)
First visit is to the two new water installations of 2 x 4,000 liters in Banyaka Village and Banyaka Gidda. To drive there we pass a Christian village, with a school founded by the Salizians of Don Bosco. Impressive school and a completely different format than what we are planning. The road to Banyaka is paved, which indicates that this is a large village. This is confirmed on site: more than 250 compounds (very roughly estimated between 3,000 and 5,000 inhabitants) and expanding even further. The village also borders other villages, making the boundaries difficult to demarcate. In any case, a village in full growth. But too small for Nawec (the national water company) to be present here. There is a medical center, where they also come from other villages, a beautiful covered marketplace, 2 large community gardens, a very nice school (sponsored by a Dutch non-profit organization)… To the classic question about expansions, I ask Kunkujang Mariama ( teacher) the question why they do not ask the villagers for contributions, mainly because I see that there are decent houses by Gambian standards. His answer: what you see are the richer compounds, from the first families who came to live here and therefore also became landowners. These live in the beautiful homes we see. The majority, however, live in barracks and ask themselves every day how they will get one (1) meal on the table for their family that day. It is not possible to ask these families for a contribution. And if they earn anything by growing and selling vegetables that they grow in the community garden themselves, they use this money as a school contribution so that their children can go to school.
After visiting the installation in Banyaka Village, we ask them to walk to the community gardens and then to the school where our second installation is located. A walk of a few kilometers that gives us the opportunity to speak to a few people along the way to gain more insight into the community and life here more generally. More interesting to us than the many “thank you” speeches that will follow later.
For example, Lamin Barrow, who works as a clerk at the US Embassy, talks about how the village came into existence and the compounds were built up. The first five families settled here about 45 - 50 years ago. Only because they were the first did they receive the (free) land and therefore became major landowners. Now this is no longer possible, except in a few very remote places. The first to arrive became the owner and later also alkalo (mayor), as more and more people came to live in that region. Alkalo, a title that is also passed on from father to eldest son.
The land is their wealth. And sometimes also the source of many problems. This is one of the reasons why they put a fence around their property, in addition to protecting it from animals. At best, subsequent generations of the first families divided the lands, at worst they remained in the possession of the eldest son of the next generation. And here you see the problems coming.
Hierarchy in families is often an issue. The eldest son normally inherits everything, but if he dies before the father dies, everything goes to the next son, the new 'eldest'. The original line is broken, allowing the children of the first son to follow what they would normally have inherited from their father. It goes without saying that this can lead to conflicts within subsequent generations. And where the first families were large landowners, this has seriously diluted after a few generations given the number of children. In some cases this has led to lawsuits. The eldest son sells land to get money, at best he supports the entire family, at worst just his family. Moreover, there are no or too few jobs, resulting in the poverty we see.
We pass their first community garden and arrive at the second. Beautiful gardens, lots of women working, it all seems well organised. The first thing I notice in both gardens are the water towers and the solar panels. In the first garden 18 panels, in the second garden 24 panels. Serious installations, much larger than ours. But dirty, full of dust and sand. It is impossible for these installations to deliver their full capacity to pump the water. In addition, the pump itself also seems to be defective, because it pumps up very little water. In the second garden they have a serious shortage of water, despite the fact that there is a concrete water tower, which is much higher and many times larger than the installations we install. I estimate a concrete barrel of 30 to 50,000 liters. But still a shortage of water?! I give them the well-intentioned advice to clean the panels regularly, every day if necessary. To which the laconic answer: we will start tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. Until this reaches the ears of one of the women, who immediately calls in about 20 women who are working in their garden and they immediately get to work. Taking the bull by the horns is more reserved for the women than for some of the men. In any case, if this does not solve the problem, a technician will have to come. Their request for an additional installation here is really not necessary. The problem lies elsewhere. I ask Omar to follow this up, because if this installation worked properly, they could not only serve their garden, but lay pipes to the more remote parts of the village. So sad they let this go.
In the meantime, we continue to the school, where our 2nd installation is located. And Lamin continues to talk about how they try to survive here. How the women take out a loan to buy seeds, maintain their garden like their child, grow, harvest and then sell their vegetables at the market to repay their loan. If there is anything left over after they have repaid the loan, they can use this, for example: pay the school fees. And then they shouldn't have bad luck with the harvest. Reason why they grow a lot of onions. After all, this is an easy vegetable to grow and can be harvested several times a year. As a result, many women do this, which does not benefit the price.
In the garden, Dirk talks to Almamo Touray (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), secretary of the VDC of Banyaka and project leader, in the context of a rice project that they want to start up. Given the major food shortage, this could be something we can do something about. After all, rice is their main source of nutrition. And we have talked before about the fact that we want to provide the children in our schools with at least 1 decent meal a day.
We arrive at the school where our second water installation is located, Banyaka Gidda. Where an extensive delegation is waiting for us. There is even a journalist and cameraman present. So this will again be a ceremony with many expressions of thanks. Our message that this is not necessary for us is useless. Their gratitude and tradition are so much more important. Out of respect, we accept this, every time. There isn't much else to do.
This includes Lamin Camara (VDC Chairman), Sanne Camara (Alkalo), Botto Bojang (Council), Fatou Njie and Nyima Tourray (Chairman Woman's Committee) and Lamin Barrow. The classic messages of ABARAKA (thanks), the importance of water for the children, for their economy, prayers for us, asking for extra help for the gardens, thanks to Allah and the various committees that made this possible? Their faith is really remarkable, at least as far as I'm concerned.
I also learned that there are 17 communities around Banyaka, all of which also need clean water. We also receive a thank you for the fact that we did the entire route on foot, which indicates our interest in the village to find out what their needs are. The demand for extra help continues to grow. In any case, here we find a village that has taken many initiatives itself.
In our message I repeat what we say everywhere: the importance of properly maintaining water installations, the importance of taking initiatives yourself. I wish them congratulations on the initiatives they are taking themselves and also make it clear that we receive many requests and have to distribute our support and also focus on those villages that need support the most. In that sense they are already much further along than many other, poorer, villages.
To conclude, we have the honor of cutting a beautiful ribbon, the official inauguration of the water pumps. Gammol receives a certificate that expresses their gratitude, we receive vegetables as a gift, there are again the final words of thanks by Lamin Barrow and we conclude with the obligatory photos.
Our visit to Banyaka took us some time, but we also learned a lot. Very useful, but in the meantime they are waiting in the next village!
Falaa
Inauguration of new school in Falaa. Student Yusupha Bojang gives a beautiful speech.
Falaa! The village where we built a new school last year, in 2023. We receive an exuberant welcome: when we get out of the car we have to pass through a singing and dancing guard of honor with all the students and teachers. Children are allowed to sing and dance, despite Ramadan. I estimate about 200 students. Heart warming. And we are preparing for the many speeches…
Next up, in order: the Imam Seedy Saidy, head of school committee Yusupha Jassey, representative of the Alkalo Fafansu Jabang, head of school Mohammed Faye, VDC Chairman Jonsaba Sillah, health worker and leader of Nimisat project Sarjo Sarr, director of the region Shukh Omar Jarju, leader of the mother committee Sainabdu Sillah, regional counselor Botto Bojang, and the most important one at the end, a shy 15 year old boy who has prepared a beautiful speech, Yusupha Bojang.
Such a new school is certainly not an everyday event, hence the rather official inauguration with all the ceremonies associated with it. After Dirk cuts the ribbon, we'll get started!
Most important messages from the many speeches:
The duty and responsibility of parents to send their children to school;
Knowledge is essential, even more so in these times than before;
The importance of a good structure and the evolution that is still required for this;
Teachers must have the support of the entire community;
Further resources must come from the community to improve the lives of the children, for they are the future leaders of the country;
Challenge to develop the children intellectually, emotionally and physically (nutrition) level;
The importance of education and English to increase opportunities for children is emphasized;
The school must now develop further, and Gammo help is of course always welcome;
The ambition to grow the school, resulting in the need for additional classes later;
The “historic” of the event for Falaa is emphasized several times, with an emphasis on what is needed now: development, discipline, determination.
Our Omar is also thanked extensively: he is not the easiest person, but he has a mission, is honest, “very dedicated” and gives 100% for it. Well-deserved thanks for Omar, but also for Lamin, our silent strength.
The regional counselor promises 5 free scholarships for the 5 best students, so that they can continue their studies later.
In our speech I respond to what was said. I hereby emphasize the expectations of our sponsors who made this possible. I remind them of their responsibility, not only for their own school, but that they must become an example for future projects so that our sponsors remain willing to support us, so that we can build even more schools in other places in Gambia where this is also necessary. is. In addition to the many sponsors who have made this project possible, I would like to explain very specifically what Lotus means for their school community, because it specifically sponsors our school projects, in line with their own social vision. I emphasize how important it is that both students and teachers are motivated. And the supportive role and responsibility that parents and the community have to provide maximum support to both students and teachers.
Yusupha Bojang is the final speaker. He is 15 years old, has prepared very well, is quite nervous, but has done brilliantly.
This is an excerpt from his speech: "Mr. chairman; distinguish guest ladies and gentlemen; Education is the key to success, no society can develop when population are without requisite knowledge; without support to achieve the goals of the school will be a challenge;Mr. Chairman, distinguish guest ladies and gentlemen, Omar Saidy visited the school one afternoon last year with two gentlemen from Belgium came across the major obstacles of the school the situation of the school at that time was alarming. Gammol team struggled so hard in different avenues in search of funds purposely meant to support the children of the Gambia to acquire knowledge; their aspiration; commitment and determination towards the improvement of the school no more a dream but a reality with the provision of modern classrooms, office and a Kitchen in the school; as PTA provides us with meals every day..." (Full speech Yusupha Bojang...)
To conclude, we tour the school again, where we are asked to install a chimney in the kitchen (which is really necessary). We agree to this, provided they provide the necessary stones. Then we visit their school garden, where they teach the children how to garden. A small piece of land that the neighbor allows them to use. Here they ask if we can't help them with a larger piece of garden. This of course depends on the price of the land that the neighbor would ask. I tell Jonsaba to inquire, but make no promises. And of course they need a larger water installation, with which they can serve both the garden and the village. We won't go into this now.
We conclude our visit, with further thanks and leave for our headquarters in Sanyang, where we meet with the new Village Development Committee of Sanyang. In addition to the introduction to the new VDC, we have a few important points to discuss, the main ones being the future of the Gammolhuis, where our HQ is located, and the situation on the fishing market.
We are welcomed by the new VDC and by Lamin Jalang, the Alkalo of Sanyang Village. Although we have been coming to Gambia for several years now, this is the first time we have met him. In retrospect, it was not surprising that he was present.
A rich man by Gambian standards. We were also able to determine this when we went back to our lodge. Omar showed us his compound, or rather villa, along with the gardens he owns. We learned from our visit to Banyaka how some Gambians have become rich, from father to son.
We also meet the new VDC members: Jonsaba Sillah (woman and VDC chairman), Yusupha Jassey (we knew him from the previous VDC) and all new faces: Lamin Jarju, Lamin Saldy, Lamin Darbie and Botto Gaye. In addition, also present, Babucan and Gibril Sanyang (2 brothers), not part of the VDC, but we would soon know why they were there!
After the obligatory prayer, the Alkalo started with an explanation of the plans they had to establish a 'skill center'. Every year, around 1,000 students graduate in Sanyang and they want to use the skill center to teach at least a large part of them a trade. Objective for telling us this: need for support to (expand) this. But he did not get much further in his story, because Babucan Sanyang interrupted him. Which was not appreciated, because it shows too little respect for the elderly in general and certainly the Alkalo specifically.
But Babucan was unstoppable. He was, to put it lightly, angry. Very angry. On the VDC, on us, on the alkalo. Both in English and Mandinka, the local language. We didn't understand anything, and not just because half of it was in Mandinka.
But gradually everything became clear:
Our predecessor, Jean, had the Gammol House built on a piece of land that did not belong to Gammol. A piece of land that he had received permission to build on. All these years this was/has been our headquarters, where our office is, our equipment is stored, the nurses and students can stay when they are in Gambia.
Last year we signed an M.O.U. with the former VDC. (memory of understanding), which, among other things, allowed us to keep the Gammol House as long as we continue our activities in Gambia. This involved quite a few discussions with the then VDC to reach this agreement. This was important to us, because it is necessary to invest in the beautification of the Gammol House. So far everything is ok.
However, it now appears that the land on which we built does not belong to the community. We were convinced that this was the case, as the VDC had never indicated otherwise. Furthermore, they demonstrated that they had the mandate to implement the M.O.U. to sign. However, the land belongs to Babucan's family. We fell from the sky.
So Babucan was furious with the former VDC, with the Alkalo, with the elderly, with us... We were able to make it clear quite quickly that we knew nothing, which he ultimately believed and after which his tone towards us completely changed. But clearly not for the rest. And the new VDC stood there and turned to it, because they had nothing to do with this either.
The Alkalo was clearly not satisfied that this was brought up in a meeting with a different agenda. So he is also angry. Made it clear to Babucan that his great-great-grandfather received the land from the Alkalo's great-great-grandfather, and that, when push comes to shove, he has no right to the land on which the Gammol house stands. High-voltage argument.
At a certain point the Alkalo stopped the conversation, promising to meet again with Babucan and the elders the next day, after which we would receive feedback on the outcome of their discussions.
Although we (or rather the Gammol House) are the subject of the argument, we are completely outside of this. What we need is certainty that we have a place from which we can continue our work in Gambia. Without running the risk of being on the street one day. This is actually one of the reasons why we have been thinking about buying land ourselves and putting something on it for a few years now. But we are not there yet.
All this took quite some time. Once back at our lodge, we discuss what the next steps could be. The grounds we visited previously now seem to be an option again. But we have another appointment the next day where we expect to receive feedback about their mutual conversation.
Wake up at 5 am local time with hymns and prayers. Ramadan occupies a very important place here. Every morning we wake up around this time with prayers in the distance. Quite monotonous, but above all loud. I'm not going to be completely used to that. So wake up early. Omar and Lamin have breakfast very early, and then don't eat or drink anything for the entire day until 7:30 PM. We have breakfast around 7:30 am, and fast during the day, out of solidarity. In the evening we eat together. What we do do is drink during the day. Today it was 45°C and we drove on dusty dirt roads, which inevitably meant you swallowed dust. Being able to drink some water in between is really welcome. But Omar and Lamin do not drink during the day. Really not obvious. But they do pray in between, very disciplined. Faith: it remains something special.
Today we visit three distant projects and we have another appointment in Fufford. A lot of kilometers to cover.
Sotokoi Village
The women's committee of Sotokoi Village is very happy with the new water installation
After breakfast we leave for the first village, Sotokoi Village. When we arrive in Sotokoi we are warmly welcomed by the entire women's committee, led by the local council, Binta Bah, sister of the regional council Ousman Bah. Women in power here! There is no dancing or partying during Ramadan, but here they have found a way to welcome us: they sing from the Koran and wave their hands above their heads. Moreover, part of the village is Christian, who are not bound by the customs linked to Ramadan.
Sotokoi is a village with more than 200 compounds. The water installation we have installed here supplies just over half of the village with clean water, about 120 compounds (estimated between 1,500 and 2,000 people). It would therefore be strange if they did not request an extension of the installation.
We start the meeting, as usual, with a prayer. However, here are 2 prayers: the Muslim and Christian community live here together, in connection with each other, without any form of conflict.
Then we receive words of thanks from the various village 'notables'. Traditional, but it remains so important to them. First comes Binta (council), then KabiroNyassi (representative of the VDC), Seedou Barrow (representative of the Alkalo), Isatou Badjie (representative of the woman community). Omar, Dirk and myself deliver our closing message, after which we all have our picture taken.
The most important messages we receive, in addition to the thousand thanks and a long life full of happiness and success:
This used to be a region without water, this is a gift from Allah.
Now they come here from other villages to get water, because there is finally clean water.
But that is why there is now a need for more water.
Another problem is that their marketplace is too small. This is the place where they can make (a little bit) money.
And the school is also too small. Because the population is increasing thanks to clean water.
In addition, the community garden needs a sturdy fence, because the animals have destroyed everything.
Each of the speakers presents their needs and puts their own emphasis. For example, Kabiro emphasizes that Allah and Gammol brought them water, water that is so essential for the body that consists of 90% water. Seedou who thanks Omar. “He is the rope of the well”, without a rope it is not possible to get water from the ground, without Omar there would be no installation. We are blessed and are now part of their community. He also emphasizes the fact that there are so many women present, because they are now being helped the most. No more dragging jerry cans for miles. Isatou, who speaks for the women, indicates that she first wishes to dance and sing with us to show us their gratitude. She also literally says that she wants to keep it short and won't repeat what the others have already said ߘꮠIsatou explains to us what the water means to them as women, and does not hesitate to explain to us why other communities also ask about this. Finally, she gives us the message that from now on the women in the village will accept us as 'fathers'. Certainly a consequence of being a bit older... ߘ馬t;/p>
Our message is now well known: the importance and responsibility they bear for the maintenance of the installation, the many requests we receive for help or extra help, our options are not unlimited, the importance of our sponsors who make this all possible. and who also expect that the installation will be taken care of. With a clear final word that it is now up to them to demonstrate that an additional investment is appropriate here by taking action(s) themselves: asking for a contribution for the water that will allow them to realize other things, building a fence themselves and create a community garden, draw up and implement an action plan... with the clear message that if they keep their promises in this regard, we will do so too.
From now on we will deliver our message with more strength and conviction, by referring to what happened in the 2 villages we visited yesterday, Gidda Sukuta and Daru Salam. Where the promises made were not kept, as a result of which the projects we planned for an additional water installation and a school will not be realized. We emphasize the mutual trust that must exist.
Faraba Suutu
Covered marketplace of Faraba Suutu
Our next appointment is with Alieu Sanyang, Faraba Suutu's alkalo. This is not a new project, but a 2022 project. We visited this last year, where we received the classic question for extra support, to which we gave our traditional answer: prefect maintenance installation and taking action ourselves. Alieu had promised us that we would see this next year (now).
This is a very dynamic community. Alieu is a barrel full of energy, a young alkalo, surrounded by other young and intelligent people. Really a very warm reunion with this young, dynamic team.
And they have kept their promises. Last year they told us they needed extra water. An installation that offered the opportunity to supply the marketplace they were going to build. In addition, this additional installation could provide the other half of the village with clean water. After all, the village is torn in two by a large (asphalt) track. What we see today really gives energy: a covered and concrete marketplace. Not yet fully finished, the (financial) resources are not there yet, so savings must first be made, but it is impressive if you consider the fact that there was nothing here last year.
I asked Alieu how they started this project? Cents was the first challenge. To raise money, they organized a festival (don't expect too much, it wasn't Rock Werchter or TML), which, together with the small contributions from the people in the village, was the start of the project. In addition, someone gave them 100 bags of cement and that's how they started. No labor costs, because the men of the village are building it themselves!
Alieu explains to us why the marketplace is so important: today the women sell their fruit and vegetables along the large, busy and dusty road. To be avoided in terms of both safety and hygiene. And it consumes time for the women: the stalls have to be set up and taken down every day. The marketplace is the solution to all these problems.
We also speak to a fellow villager who is an engineer and who shows us the plans he has designed. And they are ambitious. The marketplace is designed in such a way that a floor can be built on it in the long term. Objective: to have a space where they can teach young people a trade. The (almost complete) roof that has now been installed can be demolished quite easily and reused once another floor is added. This is a long-term project, as there is no funding. And they are NOT asking us to sponsor this. To install that additional water installation for the other half of the village and the marketplace. Where they also want to build a toilet for the women who will run the marketplace.
It goes without saying that we will keep the promise we made last year. Without any doubt. They will receive a second water installation, one of 2 x 4,000 liters, which will provide the +- 75 compounds (+- 1,500 children and parents) with clean water and the marketplace will be supplied with water. We go to check our first installation and find that they have built a sturdy fence for protection. However, I also notice that there is a small leak at the top of the water barrel. This apparently has to do with a seal that only leaks when the barrel is completely full. Alieu will repair this himself, since he is a plumber. He also takes us to their nursery school (also visited last year), where they have taken action to lay an extra pipeline from our installation to the school. There is a separate pump in the school, but it is electrically powered, which costs them money. This is only used when there is a need for water in the school and there is not enough sun (our pumps are powered by solar panels). You can't blame them for a lack of initiative here! This is another visit that gives us energy and enthusiasm, because the people here demonstrate that the investment that Gammol has made also pays off and creates new opportunities!
Niggie Village
The new water installation of Niggie Village
After warm pats on the back and hugs we leave for Niggie Village, a new realization of 2023. Niggie is located in one of the poorest regions of Gambia. They turn off the taps because they don't want to waste a drop of water. However, they know that the water flows back into the well when the water barrels are full. But this also shows that they take their responsibility for properly maintaining the installation and the taps very seriously.
The alkalo, Alkuri Sanyang, emphasizes that other surrounding villages now also come to Niggie for clean water, and thanks us 10 times on behalf of the entire village. Ebrima Colley, member of the water committee, repeats Alkuri's words and apologizes that more people did not show up, a result of Ramadan. Which is of course no problem for us. Maybe this will shorten the ceremony a bit? Again, we know how important this is for those involved, but hearing the same story over and over again with slightly different accents is not really efficient and takes a lot of time. Knowing that we are only here for 5 days, we want to use our time as efficiently as possible. Ebrima is well aware that Gammol will not continue to support them and that it is their own responsibility to ensure that the installation remains in perfect order. That in the event of a leaking tap, they will have to set aside resources to repair it. This is also the reason that they have set up a water committee to monitor this and raise the necessary resources for any repairs.
Malang Saidy, VDC member, explains that the children of the village have to walk 4 km every day to the nursery school (i.e. toddlers). The logical consequence is that they ask us if it is not possible to build a nursery school. And the gardens are also discussed.
Finally, Isatou Jammeh, member of the woman's committee, speaks. And, as is usually the case when women take the floor, she keeps it short: “the alkalo has already said it all, for us women this is instant happiness.” She emphasizes the consequences for their children, explains the difference between an "open well" and the pure water they now have, and also asks us if we can help them with a nursery school. The toddlers are tired from the distance they have to travel each time, and there is the safety aspect of the toddlers.
We give our normal explanation, where we also emphasize to them that it is now up to them to take the initiative, draw up an action plan and actually take action. Only then can we discuss possible further help.
We do ask them to show us their community garden and existing nursery school. What we see is indeed not wonderful, not to say sad. The women have saved up for a pump in their community garden, but the capacity is too small to irrigate the entire garden. They had to close the school (two classrooms and a teacher's room) due to poor quality and a lack of teachers. The stones are made of water and sand! The teacher's room has become home to a colony of bats... The result of limited resources (dalasi), for both the garden and the school.
And yet we repeat that we first expect concrete action from them before we can promise anything. We also make it clear to them, using the examples of Gidda Sukuta and Mandinaba, that action must follow promises, otherwise no additional investments will be made. There is sufficient manpower available, so that is not a problem. They promise us that a fence will be in place within three months, so that the communal garden can be put into use.
As far as the school is concerned, in addition to the problem of classrooms, there is also the problem of finding teachers. They all leave because of lack of… dalasi. Here the alkalo says that he will guarantee the payment of the teachers if a new school were to be built. The teacher's salary is between 8,000 and 10,000 dalasi per month (106 euros - 133 euros). And then this is the salary for a better and motivated teacher. We have already heard wagering of 3,500 dalasi per month. No wonder that those teachers also have to have another job to make ends meet.
We will invest further in the village garden of Niggie Village, if it is properly fenced by next year
Back to Fuffor
We conclude our visits today with another visit to Fufor, where we bring the “good news” that we will build a primary school (6–12 years) for them. We choose Fufford instead of Mandinaba because they had not fulfilled the agreements there. Needless to say, they are very happy in the village. The reason we decided this so quickly has only to do with the fact that they have already started it themselves, with inferior material, due to their limited resources. Self-made stones of inferior quality, foundations only on the corners of the building... In our opinion, the best possible decision, given the demonstrable initiative they take, without asking us anything. Example: yesterday we came by, today the men had completely weeded an entire strip next to their youth center under construction. Koyo Kandeh and Dawda Jatla will ensure that a financial, educational and organizational plan is drawn up, with our support. Here we also impose the condition that they will follow the Gammol curricula and that they must be part of our Gammol school community with the aim of exchanging experiences and learning from each other. The objective is to increase the quality of education, which can only benefit the students. This is the theory. To actually put this into practice, we realize that there is still a lot of work to be done.
Sanyang
Our last stop today is Sanyang. We saw on a website that there is land for sale in Sanyang. We have been unsure about the use of our Gammol House for a number of years now. This is our headquarters in Sanyang, where we have our offices, a warehouse (also for Leetulor's medicines) and where our intern students and nurses stay when they are in Gambia. The objective of today's search is initially to get an idea of how much the land here costs. In the street where the land is for sale we meet the (large land) owner, who shows us a number of plots of land that he wants to sell. There is a piece of land that might interest us, a piece of 25 m x 45 m, for 1.7 million dalasi (23,000 euros). No negotiation. But then a house still has to be built. Now, the visit has made us a little wiser, but we have another meeting planned for Sunday with the new VDC of Sanyang, where we hope to get more clarity about our current Gammol House. It is now 6 p.m. We drive to our lodge, freshen up, eat with Omar and Lamin (who almost falls asleep on his plate) and say goodbye. It is once again clear that Ramadan is not in their cold clothes! Hedwig, Dirk and I continue to discuss the Gammol House, without the need to come to a decision. We agree that this should not be at the expense of our projects.
Counselor Alieu at the inauguration of the new Jamwelly water installation.
We start the day with a visit to the village of Jamwelly where we installed a new water installation. We are received by the Imam, Yorro Cham, the Alkalo, Momodou Jallow, the chairman of the VDC, Alleu Ceesay and the spokesperson for the women, Yasine Low. We also meet the person who was appointed to take responsibility for the water installation, Haruna Saidy. And of course there are plenty of villagers present, all wanting to show their gratitude. We always visit our new projects at the express request of the community where we are building an installation (or school). This is always accompanied by a ceremony, where the notables of the village give a word of thanks. We have asked Omar to make it clear to the villages that we really appreciate this, but that they should keep it short so as not to lose too much time, given the amount of work that still needs to be done and our (too) short time. in Gambia.
However, short is an elastic term here, because every speaker is given a forum to express his or her words of thanks. And they take the time to do this, and some do not fail to put their own merits in the foreground. The shortest and most to the point are without a doubt the female speakers.
The gratitude is, as always, great. And also, as in 90% of the cases, we receive requests for additional support. In Jamwelly specifically for additional installations, because the compounds in the village are often far apart. In addition, they ask for help in building a marketplace, money for medicines that they cannot buy themselves, both things that do not fit within our objectives. Even as we recognize the need, we remain focused on our main objectives, water and education. Alieu emphasizes the fact that they have now received something that the government could not give them, even though it is their job. He also emphasizes that they also roll up their sleeves in the village itself and ensure improvements. For example, they have invested 200,000 dalasi (2,700 euros) in a better (earthen) road that runs through the village. For us this is a piece of cake, but for them it requires a great effort to raise this large amount.
Women carry the water.
Yasine emphasizes how much we have helped the women with this and emphasizes that thanks to the clean water, their children will now get sick much less. She also asks about additional installations.
To conclude, Alieu, the counselor, repeats his request for an additional installation. He emphasizes how difficult it is for women during Ramadan to fetch the water they need for cooking, washing and drinking. And that in some places they still have to dig this out of the ground with buckets. Which made me wonder why men don't do that? But I kept silent.
Dirk then delivered our message:
Satisfied with the work of Omar and Lamin, and the village that dug the canals to lay the pipes.
The installation can be a starting point for us and there can be a follow-up.
This is in the hands of the village itself, and starts with perfect maintenance of what is there now.
In addition, we expect the village to take action to improve their own lives. This can take many forms: setting up a community garden, asking for contributions for maintenance, walling gardens against stray animals, making bricks to build a school, etc.
If we see action being taken, we are prepared to provide additional support. But first we have to actually see the result of the action. It cannot be an empty promise or a dead letter.
Dirk emphasizes that the resources we have are not unlimited and that our sponsors will only be willing to continue to support us/them if they know that the money has been well spent. Perfect maintenance of what we give to the community is a basic requirement, in addition to the initiatives we expect them to take themselves. If they fulfill that promise, we will also fulfill our promise to provide extra support. So it primarily depends on them.
Fuffor
Dirk Depoorter at the new Fufor installation.
The second village we drive to is Fufor. The head counselor, Ousman Bah, rides with us. You could compare his task with what a governor does in our country. We suspect that it will look different in terms of content. He is responsible for a specific jurisdiction (province), and is in close contact with the Alkalos and VDC of the various villages. He also has close contact with Omar, to whom he gives advice and makes proposals where the needs are greatest. installing water installations and/or schools. He is the first to speak to thank Omar, Lamin and Gammol for a very nice double (2 x 4,000 liter barrels) installation.
Fufford is one of the oldest and least developed villages in the region. It is located on the southern border with Senegal. There used to be about 10 compounds (families), but this has since evolved very significantly. Reason: the land here was free. It is a community that is very strongly united and has taken the development of the village into its own hands as far as possible.
The happiness that the Alkalo, Sulayman Jatta, radiates when he thanks us is authentic and heartwarming. The most important thing we could give them is the water installation. “Water is life”. This is a gift that will make much possible, as there are still many challenges. For example, he talks about their ambition to build a primary school and a “youth center”, where they can teach young people a trade. The water that will attract new people to live in Fufford, providing more resources to realize their dreams.
The chairman of the VDC, Alieu Jarju, agrees with what Sulayman just told us. The village is in strong development thanks to the free land. So far they have developed the village themselves without external help. For example, they built a mosque and a nursery school themselves. Thanks to the water, they will be able to plant gardens to grow vegetables and thus free up more resources for their next projects. He promises us that they will take care of the water installation as if it were their own child, and concludes by saying that if we were to visit in the coming years, something would have changed and evolved in the village.
Something very special: the land that was free until now will no longer be free, but will be sold so that they have more resources. And that land belongs to the Alkalo, in their tradition is that the person who first came to live in a bad place has taken over the land, and therefore now has a lot of power. A somewhat feudal system, where it is better to have a good Alkalo. After a few generations (because Alkalo passes from father to son) he is often a rich man of prestige, who of course has every interest in sharing his resources with the population, so that the village can further develop.
Iba Touray, representative of the women.
Then Iba Touray, head of the women's community, takes the floor and says that it is mainly women who will be able to make the most use of the pure water. She also emphasizes the need for further development. Due to the vastness of the village, there are still women who have to walk a long distance to get clean water. This is despite the fact that this installation has 2 x 4,000 liter barrels and 15 taps spread throughout the village. She also talks to us about the challenge of sending their children to school, and that is why they want to build their own school. That they will do this themselves and also pay the teachers themselves.
Unlike all other villages where we have installed installations, this is a village where they explain their needs to us, but where they do not ask Gammol to arrange everything.
Dirk gives the explanation we always give, with a strong emphasis on their responsibility to keep the installation in order, as a basic requirement. We also indicate that we are willing to support them further (although they have not asked for this themselves), because we note that taking action actually happens here. If there is a clear action plan, we are willing to sponsor further.
The counselor or elder finally takes the floor to say that they will take further action:
Setting up a water committee so that the installation is taken care of down to the last detail. Request a contribution from the community for the water, so that they generate resources. Installing a fence to create a community garden. Continue building the youth center. Building a primary school in the village. Impressive, by Gambian and our standards, when you see how little resources they want to do this with and also take steps to actually realize.
A village that takes the initiative and seems to take matters into its own hands. We ask to go around the village together to get a better feel for it. They take us to the location where the school is to be located and on the way there Alieu tells us more about how they work and what their plans are. For example, they ask 25 to 50 dalasi (0.33 to 0.66 euro cents) from the villagers every week. Once they have enough money, they buy sand with it. If they have enough sand, they save for cement. Once they have enough of this, they turn it into bricks. And so it goes until they have enough bricks to start building. And it is not an entrepreneur who does the construction, but the men of the village itself. We continue to ask: how are they building, how many classes do they want to build, how many children are involved (400 or 500 depending on the source), how are they going to provide shade, etc.
From our conversations and what we see, we question the construction. For example, they only foundation the corners of the building and not all the walls. Reason: lack of resources. We experienced this in Falaa, where we built a new school last year because the previous one collapsed due to an unstable structure. When we visit the nursery school of Fuffor a little later, Dirk and Hedwig also have to determine that the construction entails risks.
Fufford is a village/community that gives energy. A community that takes its own initiatives and does not wait for sponsors, but realizes something itself with the very limited resources they have. It goes without saying that we want to further support this village and that this project will be on our agenda for next year. We agree to provide a definitive answer on this quickly. We certainly want to avoid that they start building something that they will later regret, because it would turn out to be unsafe. At the very least, they should use the standards we use.
Giboro Gidda Sukuta
With a lot of energy we go to Giboro Gidda Sukuta, where we already visited last year after installing a water installation. We then left with a very good feeling, after their promise to create a community garden on the land around the water installation. They started by fencing the property to keep the animals out, and then started growing vegetables. By next year (now) they would let us taste their first tomatoes.
Disappointment when we arrived and found that they had not kept their promise. Neither the fence and therefore nor the garden had been constructed. The Alkalo, Saikou Badjie, and then a few other men came to explain to us the reason. One of the excuses: they didn't agree on what type of fence to install! Another excuse: no money to put up a fence. But now it would work: Saikou himself had donated 5,000 dalasi and the community had saved 4,650 dalasi. Together 130 euros. It is not clear why they did not start this earlier. But now they were going to start it. In addition, we also had to determine that the concrete base of the pump was crumbling. Something they know they need to report so it can be fixed.
Last year we made them a promise to further invest in their community if they kept their promise. Which didn't happen. Result: Gammol will not invest in their community again this year. Since they have not kept their promise, they will first have to regain our trust. Where they used to be at the top of our list for a next project, they are now at the bottom.
While we are explaining this to the men, we hear shouting and screaming in the background. Omar was translating everything for the women present, causing them to turn against the men. Really not ordinary. The women were literally pointing their fingers at the men to point out their irresponsible attitude. Recriminations were thrown around. And they did not fail to make it clear to the men that if they promise something, they will do it! It was 40°C on Friday, but I can imagine that the temperature rose a bit in the households afterwards!
We also gave them the message that they should not build a fence for us but for themselves, so that the women can grow vegetables, to improve the quality of life for them and their children. We ended our visit with a prayer and an “Inch Allah”.
Debriefing in the car, and we are all on the same wavelength in that regard. This all seems very bizarre, especially according to our Western standards and habits. It is not easy for us to draw that line, because it is at the expense of the entire community, including children. But this is sometimes, certainly not always and everywhere, the only way to get the men moving. Be consistent and make them experience that this is an expensive lesson for the entire community. Regrettably.
Omar explains why we are not investing further for the time being.
Mandinaba Daru Salam
We drive further to Mandinaba Daru Salam.
The Mandinaba water tower is in urgent need of paint.
Ai, we arrive and we notice that the frame of the water installation has not been painted. We have supplied paint for all installations, so that the iron is protected against rust formation. In addition, the pump is leaking, causing one of the irons that support the water barrel to rust. If there is one thing that we repeatedly emphasize and monitor closely, it is that: the water installation must be maintained. Initially for themselves, so that they can use it for a long time. But also for the sake of their safety. As I wrote earlier in this report: In the fishing market, one of the water barrels is no longer filled, because there is a risk that the rusted rack would collapse under the weight of the barrel. Imagine that such a barrel would fall from a height of 6 to 7 meters, just as someone passes by. A risk we cannot or do not want to take.
Consult with Omar. Our decision is – obviously – the same as in Gidda Sukuta. We had planned to build a school in Daru Salam this year. The result of this lack of maintenance is that no school will be built this year.
The meeting starts. Ousman, the head counselor, who is already feeling the heat, opens the meeting by saying that Gammol is coming to see if everything is going as agreed. After which we come straight to the point: the installation is not in order. What to expect: Amoro Jarju, chairman of the VDC, and Amado Jallow, secretary of the VDC, provide a full explanation of why the tower has not been painted and why the leak has not been repaired.
We then make it clear to them that we are not going to invest in a school, which is much more complex in terms of project, if they do not manage to perfectly maintain their water installation. We don't accept the excuses, the facts are there. Conclusion, same as in Gidda Sukuta: promises are kept, insofar as this is the case on both sides. And trust must be mutual. That's why, as much as we hate this, there is no school this year. Extra painful compared to a water installation, because it is the children who suffer from this and not the men who are the cause. They clearly do not always take agreements and promises so seriously. We once again make it clear to them that they must always contact Omar and Lamin if there is something wrong with the installation that they cannot solve themselves.
So today was not very pleasant for us, but especially not for the two villages involved. An expensive lesson for the two villages involved. In the evening we discuss the situation and what to do? The investments planned for Daru Salam and Gidda Sukuta will of course happen elsewhere. Enough requests. As for the school: see my report on Fufor. Our visit there on Friday gave us a very good feeling. They showed us that they take matters into their own hands without waiting for a sponsor to come along. Their initiative to build and start a primary school themselves, without asking for money, deserves our support. We need to decide this quickly, so that we can monitor the quality of the construction, especially after we established that the construction of their nursery school is not really of high quality. After all, we have Falaa's experience with what the rainy season can do to a building that has insufficient foundations and is built with stones of inferior quality. Knowing that this is only the result of a lack of resources, which is at the expense of quality. A risk we do not want to take when we build schools.
We ask Omar to contact Ousman to arrange another appointment with those responsible in Fuffor tomorrow.
We (Hedwig, Dirk and myself) are leaving back to Gambia. Have a nice trip, via Dakar to Banjul. We land in Gambia around 7 p.m., where our regular Gammol employees Omar and Lamin are waiting for us. And, as always, a very cordial reunion!
After a 40 minute drive we arrive where we are staying, Mama Africa Art Residence. Nice accommodation, friendly people. We eat together with Omar and Lamin, but since Ramadan started a few days ago, we wait until after sunset. First meeting after dinner: discussing our program and approach for the following days.
Thursday March 14
Gammol school community
Yusupha Jassey, Omar Jarju and Lamin Bojang
Our first appointment is with the principals of our 3 schools: Yusupha Jassey (Falaa), Omar Jarju (Abuko) and Lamin Bojang (Sanchaba). Abuko is an English school, Sanchaba and Falaa are Arabic schools (where children are also taught in English, but where attention is also paid to Arabic. The children who go to our schools are between 3 and 6 years old for the nursery school and between 6 and 12 years old for primary school.
Our objective with the Gammol schools is to ensure that children receive quality education, which prepares them for (what we call) secondary education.
By starting a school community with the 3 schools, we count on them being able to learn from each other in order to increase the quality of education and to determine a standard that we can use if we want to build new schools later.
There are 3 aspects that we focus on:
The financial aspect: this starts with building the school and its furnishings, financing its operation (teachers' wages, teaching materials, etc.) and funding (Gammol intervention, school fees, etc.).
The organizational aspects: how many teachers, how many students, what teaching materials, what about meals, how do you organize the classes, etc.
The educational: which standards we wish to use, administering tests and monitoring students, which teaching packages, exchanging experience, teaching the teacher, etc.
Dirk Depoorter clarifies the different aspects of the education
At first glance this all seems obvious, but in practice this turns out not to be the case at all. Our conversations once again clearly show how different our cultures are and therefore also the way in which we approach a number of matters from a completely different logic.
What we find is that there is a lot of desire to tackle this together (the 3 schools). And that there is a lot of good will to do this together with us. To consider and learn from our insights, for what they are worth.
The next step is to put this into practice. Because this is also not obvious, because there are so many limitations: the number of teachers (too few), the number of children (up to 60 for 1 class), limited financial resources… Example: to pay the teachers (3,500 dalasi/month = 47 euros) there are communities that grow vegetables in gardens and then sell them on the market to pay teachers.
We say goodbye with the promise that Yusupha, Omar and Lamin will meet this weekend to delve deeper into the various aspects, so that we can come back to this on Monday before we leave back to Belgium.
The government's role in all this? Limited, especially for the youngest children in nursery schools.
Nemisat
Next stop is Nemisat. This is a village where we have already installed a water installation. We are received by Ousman Saidy, the Alkali (mayor), Faburama Sarr (the person responsible for the installation) and a few more notables.
This is an example community. Each compound pays a limited amount every month to use the water. It is a fairly large community, so they have already saved +-77,000 dalasi (just over 1,000 euros). This is all well monitored by Faburama.
They invited us to thank us again for the installation we placed there and to ask for an extension of the water installation. But – and here we see a wonderful evolution – they propose to pay for the tower itself with the money raised, and ask us if it is possible to donate just the water barrel. For us, this is an example for other communities and we agree to donate a water barrel, 3 extra taps (+ pipes) and do the installation. Great what they are doing here!
Fula Kunku
On to Fula Kunku, where Landing Tamba is waiting for us, together with the driving forces of the communities: about 15 women. Here is an old installation with a 1,000 liter barrel. Nowadays we install installations with a water barrel of 4,000 liters or 8,000 liters (2 barrels).
During our visit last year, we found that the maintenance of the installation and the surrounding area left much to be desired. We also approached Landing about this, because there was already a demand for an expansion of the installation. An expansion that is also necessary, given the growing community. We then promised that we agreed to an expansion, but only if more care was taken. We have been able to determine that this is now the case. Omar assured us that what we saw today was not a one-off, because we had an appointment here. So we are also going to expand here.
Question we should ask ourselves: when do we install a 4,000 liter barrel with +-10 taps, when do we install 2 4,000 liter barrels with +-15 taps?
A question we received, but what we are certainly not prepared to do, is to place the taps in compounds. After all, this would mean that the water is not available to everyone. We have also asked Landing to introduce Nemisat's working method (monthly contribution) here as well. Landing has promised us to do this. We will come back to this next year.
Sanyang Garden
Jonsaba Sillah - Tata, VDC Sanyang
Next stop is Sanyang Garden, one of the largest gardens in Sanyang and the surrounding area (5 hectares) where some of the residents of Sanyang grow vegetables, each on their own plot. The reason why we come here is because one of the pumps broke last year. The repair went smoothly. To give an idea of the size: there are 3 towers here: 1 x 10,000 liters, 2 x 5,000 liters. The pumped water is distributed over about 20 water basins spread throughout the entire domain, so that water can be easily accessed by everyone. To-do here: replace worn Gammol board.
Here we meet the new chairwoman of the new Sanyang VDC (Village Development Committee), Jonsaba Sillah, dixit Tata. An energetic lady, the second woman ever to head the VDC. We have an appointment with her and the VDC on Sunday.
Sanyang fish market
Indoor fish market needs urgently repair needed
Last stop for today is the Sanyang Fishing Market on the coast. Something is going wrong here. This is an indoor marketplace where fishermen sell their catches to traders, to resell to the catering industry or at the many (permanent) markets that exist. Gammol built the market in 2004 and paid for a new roof for the market in 2017. And it urgently needs to be repaired again.
There is also a Gammol water installation that supplies the area with water. When installing the pump, the objective has always been to provide water to the fishermen and other people who work there. All together, around 2,000 people would work here, and we would provide them with drinking water in this way. Two problems with this: the installation apparently now pumps slightly salty water and the restaurants that have been built next to the fishing market are tapping water for their gardens.
In addition to our water installation, there is another installation, owned by the Sea Costal Rescue, that pumps fresh water. The problem here is that the water tank is too small and there are no branches with taps, which means the pump is underused. This could be solved by connecting an existing 3rd water tower (without pump) to the Sea Costal Rescue installation. Problem: that tower (on which the water barrel is located) is rusted through. Filling the water barrel is too dangerous, the tower could collapse under the weight.
Last year we already had a meeting with those responsible for the fishing market, where we discussed the first two problems. Where we even provided them with a solution. After all, our Gammol pump was never designed to supply private restaurants with water. The first thing that had to happen is to make the restaurants pay for the water. The income for this can then be used to make the necessary repairs. They have introduced this too. The restaurants now pay for the water. However, a new problem has surfaced: those money end up at the VDC and not at the Fishing Market itself, so they are not yet available anywhere. And come back to us.
We have an appointment with the new VDC on Sunday and will raise this. We want to be responsible for the repair of the roof, a new tower and connection to the pump of the Sea Costal Rescue, possible extensions to make water accessible in the fishing village, but only if they are willing to pay for this. This is a good example of how it is all too easy to assume that we will continue to sponsor free of charge, while the resources are available to tackle the problems ourselves.
Drying place for fish, women take shelter under the drying tables from the bright afternoon sun
We end our day at our lodge with a discussion about what should be done with our Gammol house. This is also a topic that we would like to discuss on Sunday in our meeting with the VDC.