Senegambiagroup

It all started with a simple tourist trip.
About seven years ago I wanted to explore the world. First I reached Egypt and one year later I came into The Gambia. And there I stayed. In spite of the large poverty, this small West African country is very charming. People are poor but really grateful and inquisitive.
Since then I went back to the Gambia for ten times. Last year in September we chartered a tour bus full with goods for the people of the Bansang hospital. This year the nurse Bieke Depaepe from Waregem visited the hospital. Immediately she lost her hearth in this splendid country.

In the meantime you all dream of milk and honey?
In the Gambia 69% of the population is undernourished, especially by unilateral feeding.
The Company Packo from Zedelgem offered spontaneously two milk tanks of 300l. We need a small building to protect these goods and also a water well, pumps and sanitary. We want to install all this at the south of Brikama.

Is all this not a drop in the Ocean?
No. I never came back from a trip more enthusiastic as this time. I admired the company at Serekunda where the government examines which plants and animals can pay best in the Gambia. The knowledge about this is fantastic. Only the capital to apply that knowledge is missing. But there is a large progress. Thanks to the funds coming from tourism this progress is growing step by step. The difference since seven years is noticeable.

Do you have local people to follow up the project?
We already cooperate long time with Doctor Jobarteh of the Bansang hospital. He permantly informs us about the evolution. For the new agriculture project we are working in the right way: the cross-breeding of the local Ndama-cow with the Holsteiner. Thanks to this the production of milk has been increasing from two to seven litres. Now we need the keep this milk under the best circumstances.

Are other people from West-Flanders working together with you?
We call Helena Clybouw from Middelkerke our Mama Gambia. She is at least as enthusiastic was we are to give the Gambian people what they deserve: a human life.

Vzw. Hands Together for the development of the Gambia, seat Bassevillestraat 101, 8434 Middelkerke, Belgium