Goals of the Care Foundation The Gambia
The Care Foundation The Gambia (CFTG) is a registered Charity Organization in The Gambia since 2000. The goal of the St. CFTG is the improvement of the living conditions of the people of The Gambia. To give them a good education and good health care and to improve their income in the field of agriculture / garden projects and as well in the setting up of small scale projects especially for women. CFTG is focusing on the village of Jiboro and surrounding villages in the South West of The Gambia close to the boarder of Senegal.
Jiboro is a small village in the Region Kombo East, in West Coast Region of the republic The Gambia in West Africa and has approximately 3000 inhabitants. It is the centre of 5 villages in the near neighbourhood and is situated on appr. 25 kilometres distance of the regional capital Brikama and on 75 kilometres from the capital Banjul. The village primarily consists of farmers who cultivate rice, ground nut, maize, and coos.
The Care Foundation The Gambia was established in 2000 and has both a Dutch committee and a Gambian committee which work closely together on development projects. CFTG was incorporated in 2000 as a charitable organisation under the Companies Act of 1955, nr.155/2000, it is also registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce ( K. v. K. ) under number 35150552 in 2001. The Care Foundation The Gambia depends on donations from private individuals and gifts and subsidies from trusts and other organisations.
The Care Foundation The Gambia has already set up the following project:
• A children's sponsorship program., 60 children are sponsored.
• Building a new school kitchen for the Jiboro cycle school.
• Health Care Centre with a dental clinic.
• Laboratory.
• Nursing courses
• Skill Center.
• Bakery.
• Supporting and managing the Rainbow Nursery School.
• Jiboro's Women's Garden is set up.
• Contribution of several containers of aid supplies form The Netherlands ( items such as medical equipment, school supplies, second hand clothing)
Women Garden project
Since 2001 the Jiboro Kuta Kambeng Kafo is officially registered as a Cooperation under nr. 411/2001. This being a constitutional requirement and because the group is well organized and working hard and to increase food production, to generate income and to improve the nutritional and health status of the women and their families the CFTG decided in 2004 to help the women with setting up a vegetable garden by fencing the whole area of the garden with cement blocks and in 2010 a solar irrigation is system is installed.
Skill Centre
The CFTG started in April 2007 with small skill center in Jiboro, this to give the women and young girls the change to learn some skills like, sewing, tie and dye, making of local soap, this all to improve their income. Because of the interest the CFTG decided to build a bigger center.
With this skill center the CFTG will be able to give more changes to the target groups.
Also boys who are not going to school anymore because their parents cannot effort the school fees, or they don’t have the capacity to go the senior secondary schools, can learn skills like carpentry. This will give them the change to start their own business so they will be able to take of their parents and their own family.
But especially for young girls who are not going to school anymore is it very important to learn a skill so that they can take care of themselves.
A computer class will give the students the basic knowledge this will give them more changes to find a job.
Illiterate people can learn how to read and write what also will give them more opportunities.
The computer room will be used/ rented also as conference room or place were the locals can watch TV or movies.
The products which are made in the skill center will be sold so what means that the skill centre will have some income to pay the salaries of the teachers and to buy new materials.
The social situation of the skill center is also that it is a community place, elder women of the village are talking to the young ones about all kind of things like family planning, HIV/AIDS etc.
Managing of the Rainbow Nursery School in Jiboro, taking care of the salaries of the teachers, a feeding project is started for the children and new plans are on the way for a new school building, a bore hole, new toilets and renovation of the old school building.
Narang Health Care Centre Jiboro
Because there was no health care facility in the area of Jiboro, people had to go to Brikama, on 35 kilometres distance. Keeping in mind the great transport-problems this was an unacceptable situation. During daytime there is a very irregular means of transport and during the night there is none at all, because nobody likes to drive during the night in these surroundings. It is easy to understand that the locals do not have any means of transport whatsoever.
In case of severe illness , think of children with malaria, and women in labour, this was a very serious situation. There were no medicines , no dressings , no first –aid-post. There were no means of communication , like telephone, in case of emergencies, to ask for assistance at the Brikama health centre.
Because the founders of the Care Foundation The Gambia believe that a good health care is every bodies human right . Whether you are born in Europe or Africa that should not make any difference.
To improve the serious situation in Jiboro the St. CFTG started in 2002 with a small health care centre. In the health centre was an observation room but no possibility of admission, people were referred to either Brikama or Banjul. Supervision for pregnancy and deliveries were carried out by a midwife. which one also was taking care of poly-clinic treatments, like taking care of malaria. Because since the opening the amount of patients was increasing the CFTG decided to build a bigger centre, opening was in 2008. The Narang Health Centre consist three admission wards, each with 7 beds and their own toilet and shower, a pharmacy, a dressing room, a consultation room and a separate part of the building is for deliveries and maternity.
There is also attention to youth –care, family planning and the HIV /AIDS programme is started with the support of Hands on Care.
A dental clinic is setting up to improve the dental health care. The complete equipment is donated by a dentist from Holland and the treatments are done by a Gambian dentist.
A solar equipment is installed what means that 24 hours running water and light.
The present staff consist of
1. 1 midwife
2. 2 nurses
3. 1 TBA ( Traditional Birth Attend )
4. 4 junior nurse
5. 1 pharmacist/ administrator
6. 4 cleaners/ laundry
7. 4 watch men
To improve the knowledge and qualifications of the staff, two junior staff nurses are send to the nursing course in Bansang, this was possible because of a donation from a Dutch foundation.
All this makes it possible for the people of Jiboro and neighbouring villages, even from Senegal, to have their medical problems checked out and treated.
The Narang Health Centre project has been setting up with the consent of the Ministry of Health.
The Care Foundation The Gambia has a “Memorandum of Understanding” with the Ministry.
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