The latest update we have received from Kira in the Gambia follows a familiar pattern - another day, another life saved, and a salutary reminder why healthcare sits alongside education as a priority for the African Oyster Trust.

"On the evening I arrived back in The Gambia, I dropped off my bags and was
heading out for a quick supper before a much needed early night.

"As I drove across the little dirt track towards the Courtyard Cafe, I saw a big group of people in front of me. In their midst was a young man of maybe 20 struggling to carry a young teenage boy of perhaps 12 or 13 piggy back style. Perhaps he has hurt his foot, I thought.

"When I reached them it was obvious that the teenager was very ill indeed. He was deathly pale and almost unconscious. Malaria, they said. We are trying to take him to the clinic. Just then he vomitted all over the man carrying him.

"Since the nearest clinics are around 5 miles away, I offered them a lift. While they found a plastic bag to serve as a sick bowl, I telephoned Auntie Sally, the very capable head nurse at Sukuta Clinic, to tell her I was bringing an emergency case.

"Travelling by car meant we got there in under 10 minutes. Who knows how long it would have taken them to walk!

"I pulled in in front of their ambulance, which already looked full of patients
and ready to leave, despite remonstrations from the driver. Fortunately, Auntie Sally was there to meet us. She took one look, gave the boy an injection and put him on a drip and then loaded him into the ambulance to be transferred to RVTH in Banjul. I was so relieved that I'd blocked them from leaving earlier.

"While his brother filled in paperwork, the boy briefly opened his eyes and held onto my hand, obviously very scared. I wished them luck and asked the brother to let me know how they got on in Banjul.

"Cerebral malaria can kill within 8 hours so I fervently hoped that they'd got
him onto treatment in time.

"Three days later, I was delighted when the same boy walked in to my compound. He'd been in hospital all that time and had just been released but wanted to come immediately to thank me before going home. A very humbling experience.

"In the meantime, talking to Ansumana at our own Jappineh Health Centre, I learn that it has been a very bad season for malaria. Perhaps because of the late and heavy rainy season. Last month they treated over 400 patients there. By far the biggest number ever. At times they were two or even three to a bed.

"I am SO happy that Jappineh Health Centre is there to treat all those people. My experience with the young boy reminded me that before the clinic was opened, the people of Jappineh area had to travel for at least 20 kilometres to get to medical help. Many of them, I am sure, did not make it.

"Now, thanks to the many generous donations, they have health care on their doorstep and am ambulance too which can whisk them off to Soma in minutes."
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By Alan Dick, Trust Director - see previous posts for first two extracts.

Monday 13th December

Our last project visit is Gunjur. The last time I was here, the school was just a shell, quite literally. But what a transformation! The 3 classrooms were a joy to behold and every bit of praise should go to Ali and Kira for all their efforts.

We also visited the small onsite clinic, which we created in the grounds of the lower basic school. This facility means so much to me, as it was only possible because of the generosity of my former employees at Greggs in the midlands.

It was their kindness on the occasion of my retirement that funded this project. Again we have managed to create a small, yet hugely important resource which is appreciated by all the staff and pupils.

Tuesday 14th December

Time to say a few fond farewells and reflect on a week which again seems to have flown by. We board the plane and arrive back late at night to be greeted by  miserable Birmingham weather (rain and + 2 degrees), but at least it wasn’t snowing!

Reflections? Humbling, always. Uplifting, absolutely. Rewarding, definitely.


I return, completely reassured, that what we (the African Oyster Trust) are doing, is making a tangible, substantial and positive difference to the lives of many people in the Gambia.

Alan J. Dick
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By Alan Dick, Trust Director - see previous post for first extracts

Thursday 9th December 

Off to Jappineh (central Gambia) for my first visit to see the nursery school and clinic. Kira did warn us about the condition of the road – half the distance was tarmac, but the remainder was Africa in the raw viz. dirt tracks with many potholes and diversions! I had the ‘luxury’ of sitting in the front whilst Kira did her impersonation of rallying at its best! We stayed in the Moses hostel, Soma, which just happened to be hosting the Gambian equivalent of a rock festival that evening – an interesting experience, but not much sleep.

Friday 10th December

What another delight and what a welcome at the Jappineh nursery school!
Their appreciation of what we have done and indeed their effection was so apparent, and so very humbling. However, we badly need a 3rd. classroom – Kira has plans (as always!) and this could be our next project.

In the afternoon, we visited the clinic. Although I’ve seen many pictures of this facility, I had to experience it to believe it – I was blown away.

In the middle of nowhere, here we have an operation, which quite simply cares for people and saves lives, where nothing existed before. Ansoumana, the doctor, is a revelation, working 24/7, 365 days a year looking after the people of his village and surrouding ones as well (boy does he deserve a break!) The day culminated in a meeting with all the village elders, chiefs and the like (there must have been circa 150 people in attendance). Speechifying was the order of the day and fortunately Ansoumana was on hand to translate the Mandinka language for us. What came out above all else was their very genuine gratitude and overriding desire to work together to ensure the longevity of this project. However, the ‘piece de resistance’ was at the end when Steve and I were made honorary citizens of the village of Jappineh! They have very little, yet had made the effort to wrap and present Gambian shirts to both Steve and myself to mark the occasion – that moment will last a lifetime!

And finally…….to conclude the day, a special display of Gambian dancing from the ladies of Jappineh village – truly amazing!
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Trust director Alan Dick has just returned from a visit to our various projects, and kept a comprehensive diary of his trip. Over the Christmas period we will be publishing a few extracts, which will hopefully help give you one man's perspective on the work the Trust is doing in The Gambia. We'll also try to gather and publish some of Alan's photos in the New Year.

Merry Christmas, with a special and huge 'thank you' to all of our supporters for everything you have been able to do in 2010.

Weds 8th December

Straight into our hectic schedule with a visit to Kunta Kinteh nursery school. Although it has now been opened for 4 years, it still looks in pristine condition and thus bears great testimony to Fanding and Kira.

Onwards to our newest project, the Hilary Emery Nursery School, which started in September of this year, and indeed was the raison d’etre for Steve visiting the Gambia i.e. to formally open the school. (His wife tragically died in December 2009 and it was her wish and indeed that of Steve, his family and friends,that any money raised in her memory, should go to the African Oyster Trust.)

The school looked superb – right from the colourful name on the perimeter compound wall, to the wonderfully decorated classrooms and the Hilary Emery t-shirts, adorned by all the children. It was quite an emotional occasion (a real ‘quivering lip’ job!), but Steve was brilliant, said a few words at the opening ceremony and then proceeded, with gusto, to impress everybody with his version of African dancing!

Most importantly, everybody we spoke to was so grateful to Kira, Steve, and the AOT for transforming their facilities and their lives! 

(More diary updates from Alan to follow after Christmas...)
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By Alan Dick

Just in time for Christmas, a consignment of boxes arrved in the Gambia marked for the attention of Kira Dalton. They contained a whole load of 'goodies' which were the result of generous donations of clothes, books and so on from various people and organisations.
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Photo One:

Birmingham City Football Club kindly donated football strips, tracksuits and training gear.

Expect a Banjul branch of the Birmingham City Supporters Club to open soon!
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Photos Two and Three (right and below): Children of Bothwell Primary School near Glasgow, and Berkswell Primary School near Coventry rallied round last year to support young Gambian children less fortunate than themselves, by donating t-shirts and football strips.

All were greatly appreciated as you can see right and below.
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Photo Four (below): Last year, Eleanor Elcock, a student from Lichfield and former part-time worker at Woolworths, managed to persuade her local store, prior to its final closure, to donate childrens clothes and gym shoes to the African Oyster Trust.

The photo shows just some of the many happy recipients.
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Jappineh update 01/01/2010
 
By Kira Dalton

A brief update following a very productive three days up in Jappineh.

Firstly, the clinic building and environment looks terrific. All the painting is done. The Cuban doctor's house is now fully refurbished (where Ansumana and his family are living) as are the other staff quarters. There is even working running water in all three buildings and solar light! The compound is clean and they have planted cassava, bananas, eggplants, peppers etc. Fanding now plans to add flower beds near the main entrance.

Inside, every bed was occupied. Three cases of complicated malaria admitted on drips, one woman with pneumonia, a young boy admitted with convulsions and a dog bite victim. Ansumana has, so far, delivered around 20 babies there and been complimented on the high birth weights which reflect well on the good ante natal care he is giving.

Second morning we visited the newly completed two rooms at nursery - which look great. We presented posters for the walls to them and Lower Basic School and then gave out presents to each of the 75 nursery kids. Mostly the shoes and t shirts which came in the last Goodies for Gambia consignment.

Afternoon, we held a village meeting (attended by over 100 including Alkalos and Elders, talking about the need for them to help with funding next year. I have suggested that if they collect 5 dalasis each (around 10p) from every one
of the 20,000 local population, that will help tremendously with costs. Most agreed!

Other projects doing very well. Yesterday took Fatou from Jappineh, Abdulie and Fatou from Kunta Kinteh and Natoma from Talinding to visit Gunjur nursery. A sort of mini teachers conference. Went down very well so will arrange for
other teachers to visit each other in the New Year when school resumes after Brikama.
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Kira Dalton recently had the honour and privelege of being invited to an audience with President Jammeh during his 'Meet the People Tour of the Nation'.

This was in no doubt due to  the excellent effort that Kira has provided in relation to the opening of the Jappineh Clinic.

Kira took the opportunity to explain to his Excellency all the features of the clinic, but also stressed that we still badly needed the help of an additional midwife, as well as the government's support in the anti-malaria campaign.

His Excellency took Kira's counsel on board and within a matter of a few days the additional resources duly arrived - well done Kira, and of course His Excellency.
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By James Holden, African Oyster Trust Founder
Written 18th January 2009

Today has been amazing once again as we visited the village of Jappineh where Kira is helping to build a new hospital in memory of her husband Sir Howard who died just short of his 64th birthday last year. He was a remarkably gifted scientist and the wife of one of his protégé’s is funding the hospital as a kind of ‘in memorium’ for all that Howard did for her family.

There’d been a death at the village last night – the Chief’s daughter I think, so our reception was more muted than usual. We began my meeting with a group of elders who welcomed us and then took us on a tour of the projects we are supporting. First the nursery school, where all was well. We delivered a suitcase of toys and assorted teaching aids and admired a new roof that had just been completed to create a new classroom. Astonishing how they had used mangrove sticks as the support structure for the ‘wriggly tin’ roof covering.

And then we moved on to the new clinic.

A Dutch foundation has paid for the hospital building itself, but we were here to lay the foundation stone of the retaining wall that is so vital to any building in the Gambia. The wall defines ownership and defies general entrance to people or wandering livestock. No home or building is truly secure in Gambia unless a wall makes it a compound.

Kira laid the first stone amids prayers of thanksgiving led by the Imam and his assistant. I laid the second and then made a short speech. I congratulated the people on making all the building blocks for the wall themselves. There were literally hundreds of blocks lying in the dusty yard and a deep perimeter foundation had been dug in readiness. I was more than impressed, a feeling that grew as we inspected the hospital itself which was really well built and had the first double glazed windows units I’ve ever seen in The Gambia!

Note: this is the last of three installments from James' recent trip diary. To read the previous parts, please scroll down.

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By James Holden, African Oyster Trust Founder
Written 16th January 2009

The opening of the new clinic at Gunjur was a heartwarming occasion in every possible respect. I saw for the first time a new nursery school developed by two amazing women – Kira Dalton and Ali Calvert – and inspired by the astonishing bravery of a young Gambia girl called Mariama Mae. Mariama is severely disabled, and very unusually for the Gambia she has been able to attend school just like the rest of the children. Sadly many Gambians still regard disability as a kind of judgement for generational sin so they are just left to lie around the compounds, their lives lived in unknowing darkness. Not Mariama – thanks to the efforts of Kira and Ali I saw her sitting in the classroom learning to read, write and work with numbers just like the others.

And then there was the clinic itself, an initiative sparked by the generosity of employees of Greggs of the Midlands. Their managing director Alan Dick retired recently after many years at the helm, and instead of a gold watch he asked for any donations to go towards establishing and stocking the new clinic. The response was amazing, and I was able not only to see two well appointed rooms including a sick bay, by also helped to stock a medicine cabinet brimful with the medicines I referred to earlier.

It being Gambia, there was of course a formal opening ceremony too. Local dignitaries including the Alkalo and the chief were there, resplendent in their bright flowing robes. Your correspondent looked colourful too, having invested a tenner in a Gambian suit. I thought it looked really fine, and certainly all the dinner ladies seemed to approve!

I’d feared long and tedious speeches, but there weren’t any at all. They were short and pertinent. They thanked Kira and Ali for all they’d done, said what a huge difference it would make to the well-being of the children, and asked me to sketch out what the Greggs of the Midlands logo looked like so they could make a sign to hang above the entrance. Kira cut a pink ribbon and that was it. The first first-aid at Gunjur Lower Basic School since the British built the place in 1950. It felt good.

This is the second of three updates from James' recent trip to The Gambia (third part to follow soon, click here or scroll down to read the first part).

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By Alan Dick, Volunteer and Fundraiser

"Hmmm...... the Gambia......yes, somewhere in West Africa," I thought to myself when, back in 2007, I first had discussions with James Holden about the African Oyster Trust to which I wanted to contribute in some way. So first task was to find out exactly where it is as I had agreed to go out with James in order to familiarise myself with the country, its issues and of course the work of the AOT.

Geographically, I was surprised by its smallness, shape and the fact that it is surrounded on three sides by Senegal - but this was nothing compared to the experiences that were to unfold during a week in 2008.

And so it was that in early March I became a member of a party of four that set out to the Gambia - in the shape of Kira Dalton, our unofficial chaperone and, in my view, a true 'Mother Theresa' figure of the Gambia; James and his son Alex, who wanted to experience an African culture, before embarking upon a rugby coaching spell in South Africa, later in the year. 


After a brief period of acclimatisation, our first port of call was the Kunta Kinteh nursery school in Serekunda - a remarkable achievement in such a relatively short period of time by Kira, the AOT and the indigenous few.What a welcome we received  - the smiling faces, the classroom singing , the joyous delight at receiving 'minties' (sweeties - a real luxury) and the eagerness to have their pictures taken in order for them to see themselves on the camera screen (one of the many things we take for granted, yet never experienced by the majority of gambians).

However , the real highlight for me was the trip to Gunjur  in the Southern part of gambia to see the nursery school that was being created from derelict buildings on the site of the present primary school.The project had been conceived and started by a lady called Ali Calvert and I was only too happy to assist with the funding of  this project in order to help bring it to fruition - hot off the press, the 'clerk of works' (the redoubtable Kira) has reported excellent progress.In the fullness of time, the AOT would also like to provide first aid facilities at this school, and hopefully this will be funded by the recent generosity of the Greggs of the Midlands employees.

My week in the Gambia also afforded me the time to experience other aspects of the country, most notable of which was our trip up river to Juffureh ( the village brought to fame by Alex Haley's novel Roots) - this visit left me with mixed emotions as the abject poverty of the villagers was only too apparent and you left with the feeling that any financial  benefit from the marketing of this attraction did not actually find its way into the pockets of those that most needed it.Given the plethora of bird-watching opportunities that exist in the Gambia, James did also try to turn me into an ornithologist - he failed to do so, but at least I can now tell the difference between a violet turaco and a purple glossy starling !!

Overall it unquestionably was the individual cameos and fleeting images that created the most impactful and lasting impressions - a game of draughts with Mr. Faye and his friends ; a game of cards with the local yougsters ( they now know how to play snap !!) ; Kira kitting out a toddler with some 'new' clothes; Omar's great pride in the rebuilding of his 'home', the original having  been destroyed by termites(!) ; having green tea with omar's family- they have virtually nothing but what they do have, they are prepared to share - a truly humbling experience.

Would I go back ? Probably at some stage in the future, primarily to see the progress being made by the AOT, but equally importantly, as a sense check, just to remind me that, despite the present woes and tribulations of the credit crunch, high fuel inflation etc., just how lucky we really all are in the Western world.

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