Voor bestuursleden Robert en Zefanja was o.a. dit tevens de aanleiding (en trouwens ook hoog tijd!) om weer eens een reis te boeken. In de maand december (heerlijk seizoen in West Afrika!) gaan zij weer eens een kijkje nemen bij het project. Hoe staat het er voor, wat zijn de verwachtigen, wat zijn de problemen, hoe kunnen we helpen.
Voor nu wilden we graag het laatste bericht (Engels) van Lamin Jatta met jullie delen nadat wij vanuit het bestuur een aantal vragen hadden over de gang van zaken op het project.
Thanks for the mail. Am really glad to to received such a mail from you. Good to know that you all took the time to meet and discuss the affairs of the Nilakoto project and to see the way forward of this project.
Unfortunately we didn't had the second meeting yet because Uncle Muctarr went for a short trip to UK. Its from this meeting we are to come up with the setup of having the board member and all the position to be given finally.
About the lodge and the launching of a new website. I believe we hold on a bit so to see the complete finishing of the first four houses. Which are complete but the bed are at the work shop, not finish yet. These are new type of beds that was propose by uncle Muctarr. They will be beds which can accommodate only one person. So each house will got two of that beds, if joint together it will be like one big bed. If the house is to be share with two quest and they don't want to share the bed then we can separate the bed making it two beds. So buba said he is working on that.
Also termite are really a problem. Always one have to be spraying the house time to time but that would also cause another problem to the smell of the house with insecticide..... Working on that Eco fencing is also another good point too. Because we cannot lodge quests while we didn't give them a proper protection and security, which is very important. So again we need to get as much seedlings of Bukanville as possible to be use for fencing. I suggest to buba we need to start the fencing from the edge of the school right down to the last house. That would secure the premise from any entry or interference from the back of the houses. Then as time goes we can be extending the fence bit by bit till the whole premises is fully protected. The grass on the roof of the house are also old and they need to change too. these are some of the reasons i said we need to hold on first before Zefanja will finally launch the site. But yet still you can also see whether we can go on in launching the site regardless of what are mention.
I met with Buba yesterday and ask him about the fund that was sent in May and August. He said that was the money he is spending on the making of the newly beds, repainting of the school building, the small Bantaba, buying of the eight seedlings of Bukanville flower. I believe he can be the one who can answer this exactly and Buba said he will send a special report on this funds. He said the reason why he was not able to send the report was he want to first complete the work in which he is spending the funds on, then he can compile everything and then send it. So i told him that would take time and make the providers of the funds worried so what i suggest was I will be collecting the progress of what is going and send it at least every end of week or two. Or yet still maximum every end of month.
The offers that Uncle Muctarr gave to the school is still standing, though it was Mr Darboe was who was fortunate to be selected. But later it was discover that Mr. Darboe was not having the minimal requirement for an entry to the college. So it have to be cancel. But buba got a qualified teacher who attain and did her teacher training curse in the college. She now start teaching at the school.
About setting up a foundation. Well from my point of view i believe the positive impact is more than the negative impact. For istance helping a student here in the Gambia is like taking a load of 35 to 40 percent of the load from there parents. Is very had for parents to pay school fees for there child to go to school, provide books, uniform exam fees and a daily routine of given them launch everyday. Feeding itself is a problem for most of the parent here much more of sending a child to school. but we all know the important of learning especially from the grass root level. Is like you are given a life time opportunity to that child and again alleviating there parents from poverty. Which make it a very noble gesture indeed. I can remember when i my self was going to primary school, it was had for me to sometime got even a pencil that i will write with, sometime even a shoe to go with to school was a problem, sometime i will be in the class room feeling very hungry because i don't have no launch. So i know how its feel like. It can have a big impact in a positive side more.
But the only negative impact or effects I see is sometime someone can set a charitable foundation on behave of given or extending a helping hand while he will be enriching him self by taking the fund on him self and not reaching it to the right person or student who deserve it. And he will be laying to other end point were the fund is coming from that everything is under control, that he is doing it the right way it should be. you know what am saying. i don't know whether you come across it but it is happening. But yet still there are whole lot more who are doing it the right way it should be.
again i understand that if for instance you are sending either a package, shipping container, or even a car register and send through the foundation. the Tax levied or put on those stuffs will be very less because its a charitable Organization. and so on and on and on.
I hope this answer most of the questions. My greetings to everyone there. Wish you all the best and hope to hear from you soon.
Regards
Lamin,
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