Where does the money come from?

We take a lot of time to show where the money goes (GOES?) Well, it's mostly your money.
We do more than coming round to you rattling a collecting box! Apart from from your very generous donations (still waiting for HMCR to stump up the Gift Aid) we have used Ebay and Amazon quite a lot over the last twelve months. We're trying to empty the shed and fill the GOES Co-op account. Why the Co-op? It has very good green credentials AND the travel insurance, which we had thought would be massively expensive after our health took a plunge last year, was very reasonable.
Amazon we using for books; sometimes take several weeks, months even, to sell but sell they do.
Ebay takes me a little longer to organise but has brought in much needed funds. Old curtain poles, a canoe, all sorts sell. Even my beloved but old two-stroke scooter pootled off to a new home.
The news letter is taking a while to produce chiefly owing to the printer having a hissy fit. I hadn't noticed - I'm colour blind - but photographs were turning out pictures of people with green faces! All will be well, soon ...
If you would like to help please email us at
newhutte@dsl.pipex.com

Up the creek with a paddle

Great news! The little canoe sold on Ebay and the new owner seems to be well pleased! (Thanks, buyer.) The amount raised was exactly that required to send Moses and his sister Ami to school for another term. They're bright kids and deserve the chance for a good education. There was enough left over to buy some rice for Fatou and her mum. Fatou has been having a very rough time lately and has fled a bad domestic scene with her young daughter. She's gone home to mum, which has stretched the family finances so your help has come just in time.
Thanks again to all who help - why not take a trip out to The Gambia and see for yourself?
Next job is to dig out the wireless router which we (me!) bought and then found that the latest computer didn't need ... should be good for a few bob!
Waiting for the arrival of the Gift Aid cheque. HMR&C tend to be a bit busy at this time of year so we'll just keep our fingers crossed for a while.
Thanks to all of you.
newhutte@dsl.pipex.com

Boat for sale!

The Sevylor canoe is now on Ebay and the bidding has risen to £1.24 ... keeping fingers crossed for a week is so restrictive!
Managed to write another two thousand words for the book. Hope it sells as well as the Cheshire Collection, which raised more than £1000 for GOES last year. Thanks again, Vale Royal Writers Group. Borders Books in Warrington has a few copies left.
Demand from The Gambia seems to be for food (rice), adult education, (I.T. and Accounting) and hospital expenses.
We chatted to a Vet in training earlier last year; wonder if she ever made her way out there?
If/when the canoe sells we'll invite bids for the wireless router (sad confession: we found the computer works perfectly well without it ...
Off to night-school* tonight to attempt to acquire enough skill to illustrate the book. Don't hold your breath!

*or whatever they call it nowadays ...

Back to barter??

Trying to organise exchanging an inflatable canoe and a wireless router for mobile 'phones and/or a laptop. Why? Well, mobile 'phones are really a necessity in The Gambia; owning a mobile can save a small fortune over there because it can save numerous, possibly futile, journeys by bush taxi - and save all the time involved in waiting for a taxi to turn up. They are especially valuable during the rainy season when some roads become impassable. And the laptop? Well, I remember talking to a highly intellegent young man (whom we later sponsored through university) asking me what a computer looked like. Had he been a student in this country he would of course been using one for years. He had never seen one. So far we've supplied several laptops to students but there is always a need for more. We can at least be certain that the people we give them to will make good use of them and not just sell them on to raise a quick profit. So, Ebay, begging letters and dropping hints to friends. Fancy a canoe?!
Best wishes. Get well soon, Jenny!

Moving on

Finally completed the accounts for the last financial year and looking forward to the coming twelve months. Seems to be starting well; we've resolved the problems we had obtaining travel insurance. The bank where we keep the GOES account (Co-p Bank) have been most helpful and we have joint annual insurance with all our 'existing conditions' taken into consideration for a little less than we paid last year. It's a great comfort.
Horija, one of the students you've been supporting, moves into the final term of her MA at Kampala University. She's been seriously ill but she's better now.
Fatou has arrived at the training school where she will study to become a nurse. She'll be living in a village house and has to provide her own bedding and cooking equipment - you've helped with this, too!
Tida has completed her first steps back into education. I thinks she's worried about not doing too well but those of us who have returned to education after a long break will understand her fears. Once more you've been instrumental in helping her and her children.
On the home front we've been interviewed by a student who is considering helping with GOES as part of her work to obtain Gold in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. Fingers crossed, she'll be most welcome and there's plenty for her to do!
Best wishes to all of you, and thanks for your support.
Joyce & Tom

Seeking Sponsors

These children from Mandinari Village would like sponsors so that their education can continue during the next school year.

For information please email us - newhutte@dsl.pipex.com

Apologies - but we're still here!

Sorry for not posting for a while - blame mixed health, family fortunes and misfortunes and domestic difficulties such as not having a fully functional kitchen for three months ... but here we are again. We have been keeping busy with GOES business, funding students, giving grants for housing repairs, small improvements to schools and food for hard pressed families. The cost of rice continues to rise, the value of the pound continues to fall and donations are increasingly hard to come by. However, due to the continued loyalty of friends and family we manage to maintain progress. The end of the financial year is near and we expect our income (after finding all our Bayba* counterfoils to top the £5,000 mark for the first time. This will mean more paper work because we will then have to re-apply to the Charity Commissioners for full charity status (we,re registered for Gift Aid** with HMRC already and this of course will continue).
Once we've managed to buy adequate travel insurance (last year's health problems still haunt us and our 'best' quote so far is in excess of £1000!) we'll be out there again - at least the Rainy Season in The Gambia is warm as well as wet!
Back to work now any questions? Email us on newhutte@dsl.pipex.com and we'll try to help - if you're thinking of visiting The Gambia we're happy to provide advice - go and see what we're doing!
Best wishes,
Joyce & Tom Ireland.

*Bayba is the money transfer agency we use; Costs £5 to send up to £100 and generally the money arrives in The Gambia the same day so is excellent for sending urgent help. We, of course, pay the transfer fees ourselves.

** Gift Aid; a wonderful and easy way that a registered charity (GambiaGOES reg no. is XT7385 with HMRC) can claim back income tax paid by donors. The rate is 28% at the moment.)