Back in the saddle!

Good news!
Alhagie has been passed as fit by the doctor. I'll try to post some photographs (probably not the rather grisly one of the fragments of bone removed from the infected leg!) He is travelling to the clinic three times a week to have the wound dressed - quite a good idea as he lives in a very dusty environment at home! He's looking forward to being able to join his football team and most of all wants to go for a good long run again!
He would also like to resume his studies - he's a bright lad but has fallen sadly behind in his school work over the last three years. He needs some body who will support him with school and later college fees.
It's very upsetting when a family is promised support in educating their child only to find after a term or two that the novelty has worn off for the donor. If you are considering help in young person please be prepared to stay with that commitment for a long time. If you can't, for whatever reason, go to that extent please consider a one-off donation to GOES for use in emergency help - house repairs, mosquito nets, medical help or whatever.
Other news - Horija is still working with refugees in Uganda but hopes to return to The Gambia and find employment in the Autumn. Moses is back at the football academy after visiting relations in Senegal. Ami is hard at wok at Summer school (hope her maths are responding!),
Awa is completing her teacher training, Ma has finished her house, Adama's mum is enjoying her restored vision after the cataract operation ... and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs has donated nearly a thousand pounds of Gift Aid money to GOES. Thanks to everybody who Gift Aided their donations - it does work!

Stop Press - Great news!!

After trying to call Ousman (brother of Alhagie, aka 'the boy with the bad leg) manage to get a clear line; usual exchange of greetings, the
"How is Alhagie?"
"He is without pain, he is taking himself to the clinic to have the dressing changed, he will see the surgeon on Thursday to tell him he is cured!"
The family send thanks to everybody who has supported them over the recent months.
The kindness of strangers (you don't have to be - if you're planning a visit to The Gambia we can give you introductions to the family!)
Well done writers & readers.

Futures?

I wonder, when I can spare the time, what the future will hold for the people we try to help today. We all hope that The Gambia will prosper under a benevolent government and that pure water, health care and free education will be available for all.

What will become for this young lady? She already has a loving home where she is cared for by everyone who lives there. It's an extended family, parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents and great-grandparents taking part.

Perhaps there's poverty in material things but there's wealth untold in love and care.
We'll do all we can, with your help, to make sure that she has medicine and education to meet her needs (20% of Gambian babies die from malaria before they can reach five years of age).

What exactly, would we hope to see if we should be able to walk into this young girl's family home in, say, twenty years' time? Probably electricity will be available for all who can afford it; water will gush from taps; there will be books to read and children will be busy doing their homework.

Let's hope that the family virtues and strengths will not have been lost; that respect for elders will continue; that books and learning will still be valued.

G.O.E.S. attempts to help people. It is not our job to tell them how to live.

We do not try to impose our values on them - they seem far ahead of us in most aspects of civilised society!

Alhagie's progress

The boy with the bad leg (aka Alhagie Sarr) can now be known simply by his name! He will be discharged from Bakau Clinic on Monday, having made a good recovery from his operation. It's been a touch nerve wracking trying to co-ordinate all the arrangements at a distance of three thousand miles. A very slow postal service, an eccentric 'phone system and lost emails all added to the excitement. Ousman, Alhagie's big brother did a grand job of co-ordinating, giving blood and general hand-holding. Many thanks to Vale Royal Writers Group, who have made this possible. The group agreed to all income from the sale of the prize-winning anthology going to G.O.E.S. That income paid for X-rays, medication, operation and accommodation in the clinic. Without this 'kindness of strangers' Alhagie would have had to endure the amputation of his leg.

If you're in Cheshire and interested in writing have a look at http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/vrwg/

Operation at last!

We heard today (Saturday) that Alhagie has at last had the operation to cure the bone infection in his leg. It was delayed from Friday because of a shortage of blood, so his big brother donated a pint. Alhagie has been moved from a single room, where he was lonely and possibly frightened, to a shared room with a television. He was amazed to be asked what he wanted to eat - then someone brought it to him! In the state hospitals relations bring in food for patients. He will be in the clinic for two weeks. We'll keep you posted. Thanks to Vale Royal Writers Group, who donated income from the sales of their anthology "The Cheshire Collection" - good work, friends.

Fingers crossed for Alhagie.

Alaghie is tonight in the clinic waiting for the operation that will hopefully change his life for the better. By this time tomorrow we should know how it has turned out for him. Lots of people here, three thousand miles away, are willing him to come out of it well - Vale Royal Writers, family, friends and numerous supporters.
As soon as we have news we'll let you know.

Back on task!

Sorry about the absence. Looking after J, hospital appointments, visits to relatives and finally a holiday! We'd forgotten just how beautiful the Lake District is. We found a delightful B&B in Keswick, five minutes from Derwentwater and lazed as hard as we could for five lovely days.
Back to dealing with the charity. We can confirm that the money for Alhagie's operation has been paid to the clinic and by the time you read this he will be installed, examined and x-rayed ready for his operation early next week. Our fingers are still firmly crossed but it does seem that things are at last happening.
We've had a nice email from Horija - GOES has been supporting her while she has studied at Kampala University for her Master's degree - she's submitted her thesis and is working with refugees while she awaits the result.
Fatou Cham, another of our supported students, has graduated from High School. She invited us to her celebrations but we sadly had to decline.
The old lady (Tom's age!) has had the first of her cataract operations and is delighted with the result - wants the other eye done now.
The price of rice continues to rise, as of course does the price of fuel. We pray that one day prosperity will visit this lovely tiny country. We still don't know we're born here in the U.K.