How can you help?

What we have so far provided with Team Gambia 2015:

• Playground for local school 
• 3 Resuscitation manikins (1 adult, 2 baby)
• Prescription glasses x 300 
• Bras x 750 
• Reusable sanitary packs x 80 
• First aid kits x 31 
• Malaria nets x 31 
• Babies bottles x 80 
• Sewing kits x 200 
• Medication for local clinic 
• Stethoscope 
• Science experiment resources 
• Badges for Guides & Scouts (6 different badges x 100) 
• Posters for nursery, primary school and high school 
• Walking sticks 
• Low vision aids 
• Blind canes 
• Soap 
• Knitted hats & jumpers for babies x 100

We also have money to donate towards a community kitchen which the Gunjur Project would like to build.


How you can help

1. Buy a malaria net - each one costs just £5
2. Sponsor a child for a year of education - it costs £100 (email us for a form)
3. Make a donation towards the community kitchen fund - any amount
4. Pay for a community well - a basic well costs £200, but those wells do not cope well following a poor rainy season. A proper community well with a pump costs £2,750
5. Sponsor a family (e.g. if a husband dies) - cost £250 per year covering food & medical expenses
6. Pay for a cataract operation - cost £60 per person

Please drop us an e-mail and we'll send our bank account details for you to transfer the money gambia@cheshireforest.org.uk

An experience of a lifetime

"Another fantastic week in the sunshine with the Gunjur Project. I didn't think we could top last year, but we have! I truly believe that we have empowered the women of Gunjur this year and look forward to hearing about how they continue to grow and develop" - Laura W

"The projects that Cheshire Forest Girlguiding took part in were life changing for many people. This was a big part of the week's work for us and not only rewarding for us a group, but particularly myself, as passing on my 1st Aid Skills and knowledge to the women was really rewarding for me" Steph K

"It has been great to see the local women grow in spirit and confidence during the 1st Aid Sessions. It reminds me that life isn't about getting and having, it's about giving and being. It has been great to see some of the younger members of our group lead many of the sessions with the Scouts and Guides - Girls in the lead" Catriona S

"An experience of a lifetime would be an underestimate. Every second has been amazing. I love spending time with the Guides and Scouts and seeing how appreciative there were" Emily H

"It's so enjoyable to see all the children learning new things from all our science experiments and the sessions at the Guide & Scout Camp" Chloe VE 

"It has honestly been an amazing experience and definitely one I will never forget" Jenny B

"I have loved every second of this fantastic trip and it has been one of the best weeks of my life." Eleanor H

 

Sponsored Children

After returning from The Gambia in 2014, Sue, Mandy and Rachael A all decided to sponsor a child through their schooling. Our 2014 group also decided to sponsor a child for 3 years at school.  We were lucky enough to meet all those girls this year.



Mandy meeting her 5 year old girl

Rachael A meeting her girl, Kaddy, plus Fatou our group girl

Fatou on the left - sponsored by our 2014 group, plus Aminatta on the right, sponsored by Sue

Playground

We are paying for a playground to be built next to a new primary school and nursery, this is costing 112,500 Gambian Dalasi (about £1800). You can see in a different blog the mural we painted on the wall next to it - these photos are of the playground under construction.  We will have photos of the finished playground sent to us soon.

More photos: Gambia 2015 Album on Flickr

Educational Mural at the newly built nursery

We have paid to have a playground built next to a brand new primary school and nursery. Alongside this playground is a large wall, which we painted an educational mural on.

More photos: Gambia 2015 Album on Flickr

Eye Testing

We had 2 eye professionals in our team, so we decided to do some eye testing to help the local community. Rachel is an orthoptist and Lucy is a dispenser, so they teamed up to run this session. We collected hundreds of prescription glasses in the UK and sent them over before we went.

In the morning, we tested the 30 women who were learning first aid with us, then in the afternoon we had 40+ people from the local community. Several people went away with new glasses and were able to see again after a long time with poor vision.

Big thanks to Warrington hospital and Action for Blind People who donated a large amount of low vision aids which we took and distributed.

Testing eyes with basic equipment

Testing eyesight using basic methods

Fitting glasses

We only had basic eye testing equipment

Heating up the glasses so that they could be fitted properly

More photos: Gambia 2015 Album on Flickr

1st Aid Training Day

Today we had 30 women with us from the Kulokoch community association. We spent the day teaching them first aid skills, in a training put together by our team A&E nurses Jemma & Steph. They learnt about CPR, malaria prevention, wound management and when to get help, basic first aid skills, water sanitation & hygiene, infection control and eye hygiene.

We had 3 resusci Anne dolls donated in the UK which we took with us (donated by North West Ambulance Service and Cheshire Forest First Response) - an adult torso and 2 baby dolls. We have left these in The Gambia to be used for future trainings.

We also bought each of the ladies a first aid kit which has been well stocked, plus a malaria net to keep them and their families safe.

How to treat minor injuries

Learning CPR

Learning CPR

Learning CPR

At the end of the day, the whole village turned out for a formal presentation. There were a number of dignatories there too, as well as the village elders. A representative from the Gambian Ministry for Education also attended and was very impressed with what we'd done. The ladies were all presented with an official certificate. And there were lots of formal speeches.

Presentation of Certificates

Presenting 1st Aid Kits and malaria nets

Each participant received a certificate of achievement, a first aid kit and a malaria net to use in their home 

More photos: Gambia 2015 Album on Flickr

Gunjur fishing village and the Women's Association Garden

Today we have been for a walk to the local fishing village. Fishing is one of the main industries in this part of The Gambia. They catch yellow tailed mullet and sea snails.

Dried fish

In the smoke house

Fishing boats

We planted some trees to give much needed shade and some tomatoes in the local Women's Association garden.

Carrying water from the well

We also gave the Gunjur Women's Association a donation of 60+ knitted hats and jumpers for their children which were kindly donated to us in the UK.

More photos: Gambia 2015 Album on Flickr

Self Esteem and Menstrual Hygiene

Today we had a group of local teenage girls come to see us at Gunjur Project. We ran 2 peer education sessions with them, firstly on self esteem, then on menstrual hygiene.

It was a really successful and rewarding session. As they were leaving, they were telling our Gambian guide Alagi how much they'd enjoyed it and they were going to stick all the positive words about themselves by their bed. They were also able to take home a pack of reusable sanitary pads.

 

More photos: Gambia 2015 Album on Flickr

The End of Scout and Guide Camp

At the end of Scout and Guide camp, our Gambian hosts put on a grand display with lots of marching and music. It is an impressive sight to see and hear and they had spent a lot of time practising.

Leaders pictures with Gambian Girl Guide Leaders and Scout Leaders

The Scouts marching band

We were so proud to see the Guides had formed a band and they looked so smart in their Uniform which we had provided last year.

That evening, we went back to the site to join them for a campfire, which was a big highlight for many of our girls.

More photos: Gambia 2015 Album on Flickr

Scout & Guide Camp - Day 2

We had 4 different topics at day 2 of scout & guide camp: water sanitation & hygiene, campfire cooking, craft, then for the 4th session we split the groups into male and female. The boys did traditional tracking signs, whilst the girls did a session on menstrual hygiene.

We are grateful to Earthwise Girls for supporting us with a generous discount on their reusable sanitary pads, so that we could give a pack to each of the girls who attended this session. They were so grateful for this, as most of them were just using rags.

Water Sanitation & hygiene group with their bars of soap kindly donated by PZ Cussons

Toasted Marshmallows

Learning about Scout Tracking Signs

Cooking fish with lemon & herbs

The children were amazed to see popcorn they had made on the campfire

We are grateful to Earthwise Girls for supporting us with a generous discount on their reusable sanitary pads

More photos: Gambia 2015 Album on Flickr

Scout & Guide camp - Day 1

We had 4 topics at day 1 of scout & guide camp: teamwork, knotting, science and a skills challenge. We had around 85 young people with us - they seem to have enjoyed themselves with all our activities!

Testing reaction times in the Science session

Learning how to make coasters using decorative knots

One of the skills challenges

Science session

More photos: Gambia 2015 Album on Flickr

Cultural day

We've had a cultural day today - we spent the morning at the craft market in Brikama and this afternoon we've learnt African drumming & dancing.

The tailor made came to measure up for items of clothing

African Drumming

African Dancing

More photos: Gambia 2015 Album on Flickr

Poetry and Play Group

This evening we are having some local teenagers entertaining us. They are putting on a play (about teenage pregnancy) and are reading us some poetry.

Some of the girls in the group have come early and Sue, Cat and Lucy are spending some time with them trying to build their self confidence to help them deliver their poems better.