The Gambia does not escape covid-19 either. We send extra medical equipment and provide food for our local volunteers so that they can continue to work for wound care in the villages.
After a long break due to corona and some urgent water projects, we are continuing to build the new school in Sanchaba. Four classrooms, a classroom for teachers and management and sanitary facilities. The works are progressing well. The masonry is finished and the metal roof trusses are ready to be installed.
Sanyang Garden is a municipal agricultural zone of more than 10 ha where the village grows vegetables.
There is no water because the two pumps are defective.
We replace one pump and repair the others. After 4 months there is water again!
Mandinary is a bit more to the north than Makumbaya. Here too, we will install a decentralized water system with a 7-meter tower, a 3000-liter tank and 10 taps.
With this installation we reach more than 2000 people
In Makumbaya, north-east of the airport, we are installing a new water supply with a 7 meter water tower, a 3000 liter water tank, 800 meters of pipes and 7 taps. Omar and Lamin have already placed some of these towers this year and know how to distribute the work well. People from the village come to help. Many hands make light work.
About 1500 people have now clean water.
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The pump of our water system in Jalambang is broken and needs to be replaced. That's fast, the pump was only installed in the spring.
The Gambian electricity supply is very irregular, causing the pump to burn. We want to prevent this in the future and we installed solar panels that will provide the pump with power evenly.
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Work on our Gammol nursery school in Abuko continues. All classrooms are tiled and a veranda must keep the heat out of the classrooms.
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In Wassadung, a few kilometers from our previous project in Joreng, we were asked to restore their well. This was a project of the European Development Fund, but it is lacking maintenance and needed to be repaired.
We had to drill a new well and we reused the existing material: a tank of 11,000 L with the necessary connections and the pump. This way the entire village gets clean water again.
Joreng is a village with 2000 inhabitants, 126 km from the capital. The need for clean water in the interior is particularly great. The national water and electricity company does not yet have infrastructure here and water and electricity is not available.
The tower is 7 meters high with a water tank of 3000 L and 7 taps scattered around the village.
It is the first time that we have placed a well so far inland. Thanks to our own jeep, we can significantly expand our range. You will certainly see us more in this area in the future!
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The water supply of our water well in Mamuda has come to a standstill due to a lack of electricity. The solar panels were cleaned, the fastening of the various components checked and now there is water again. Excellent.
Regular maintenance is still necessary!
Jalambang is one of the larger villages. Due to some new water wells in the area, the superficial wells of the village are dry. Pure water is urgently needed.
When drilling we find water at 21 m. We drill through to 39 m and place the pump at 27 m. The tower is about 6 meters high and with a water tank of 4000 liters. The water is branched to different places in the village.
It is the first well that our Gambian team completely installs themself. We are proud of that. Ready to accelerate!
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The schools in The Gambia are closed due to the corona virus. A good opportunity to do planned and necessary work at our Gammol school in Abuko. The school will have new windows. These protect the classes outside school hours against unwanted access. The walls are also given a new plaster layer. Concrete blocks are often not that strong and the plaster prevents rain damage.
Then tiling and painting the classes. If the school can open again, we will be ready.
The container with relief supplies has arrived. Medical equipment for our Leetulor nurses, more than 200 chairs and tables for the schools of Kartong, Sanyang and Abuko, office equipment for our offices ... Together with Halaai Xale Gambia we collected material and filled the 12 meter long container.
There are many hands to help and many curious people, unloading goes smoothly.
The Covid-19 virus does not spare Gambia. Borders are being closed and airlines are cancelling flights. Our trainees return to Belgium with one of the last flights of Brussels Airlines. One month and a half earlier than planned. On the one hand happy to be back in Belgian, but on the other hand with a feeling that the internship abroad is not complete.
Thanks Eveline, Laura and Merel for your help!
