The African Oyster Trust Charity | Nursery Education and Healthcare in Gambia

 
 
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There's been plenty of progress to report over the last month on our newest project at Talinding.

The roof is already nearly done, the doors and windows are in, toilets are built and all of the classrooms have been plastered.

To find out why this project is so important to the children of Talingding, click here.

To make a donation and support this work, click here.
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By Kira Dalton

On arrival at Jappineh Clinic last Friday, a young woman had just been admitted who had been gored by a bull and brought in by donkey cart (this was certainly not a minor wound - it had entered her left buttock, perforated her intestine and come out the front).

The three trainee Dutch doctors who were fortunately visiting with me immediately set to helping Anmsumana putting her on a drip and pumping her full of antibiotics and fluids as she was losing a lot of blood. As she clearly would need surgery, we then commandeered a rental car and driver and sent her, her newborn baby and mother - acccompanied by two of the doctors, to Soma. They were met by an ambulance which transferred her to Farafenni hospital. The Dutch doctor's did not rate her chances as very good.

We later learned she had been transferred to Banjul for surgery since Farafeni could not cope and had no blood supplies.

Today the Dutch doctor's report that she is recovering well at RVTH. If ever there were a case of extremely good luck this must be it. Also, it justifies exactly why we need an ambulance. Had we not all been there, she would never have made it by donkey cart!
 
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.
 
 

Gambian newspaper The Daily Observer has reported on the opening of the health centre at Jappineh, where so much of the work the Trust is supporting has been delivered on the ground by Kira Dalton. See the article here:

http://observer.gm/africa/article/major-medical-boost-for-jarra-jappineh

 
 

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.

 
 

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).

 
 

By James Holden

We were delighted to see a wonderful article about Kunta Kinteh Nursery School which appeared in Nursery Education Plus magazine this month (May).

The double page article by Lady Kira Dalton tells the entire story of the nursery, and everything that goes into making it such a success story. It’s a story we are proud to be part of, so please do enjoy the full article at:

http://magazines.scholastic.co.uk/content/2451