Mrs Horija Dibba

GOES has been supporting Mrs Dibba while she studied for her first degree, then for her Master's, at the University in Uganda. We helped in a number of small ways and were continually delighted by her successes.
We had been corresponding by e-mail for about four years and finally met this December at the Badala Park Hotel in Kotu.
Mrs Dibba works with the charity ChildFund, supervising twenty five nursery schools in The Gambia. Here she is, in her own school, surrounded by fortunate young students at the start of their academic careers.

The clinic at work.

Sorry, couldn't resist this - the clinic is already doing excellent work and a supply of piped clean water can only improve the results. We hope that by the time we visit again, probably in March next year, we'll be able to show you the completed installation. Thanks to all of you who helped bring this about.

No title!

Signing the receipt.

All three sign the receipt for the donation from money raised by Vale Royal Writers Group and Joyce's bike ride.

The money!

Tom hands over the money which will pay for the installation of a piped water supply to Mariama, the nurse in charge of the clinic. K, in the background, witnesses the transaction.

Water - part two

The well at the clinic. Of course the clinic already has a water supply - this is it. The clinic is a very busy place, serving not only Mandinari but also several nearby villages. Babies are born there, wounds are dressed- clean water is a must. GOES has agreed to fund the installation of  piped water: an indoor tap, sink and soak-away.

Water at last!

Water comes to Mandinari Village. Perhaps not one of the most pretty sights in the world - unless you live in a village which has never had running water. This storage tank stands beside the road from Lamin to Mandinari.

Almost packed - well, I did say 'almost'! Thanks to Laura at
Thomas Cook's for the huge suitcase.  Thanks to so many
others for donations of reading glasses, children's clothes,
shoes, books, bandages, blood-pressure monitors, SD cards -
and money, of course. Sorry - I forgot the stuff for the schools.
Of course it will all fit in!

A very happy Joyce, having completed the 40km

ride in good time and finishing 650th out of 950 riders!

She has raised more than £200 for the charity -

many thanks to all her supporters.

Joyce on the start line: 40km is a long way!

Joyce before the start of her 40km ride to raise funds for GOES.