Catholic Relief Services

Catholic Relief Services provides technical assistance for the implementation and sound management of agro-enterprises.

It aims to increase the opportunities for farmers to move beyond subsistence level.

It also provides technical assistance, support and training for the development and sustainability of Gambian NGOs and assists with capital costs of projects.

It offers credit and saving promotion where appropriate

SOS Children's Villages - The Gambia

SOS Children's Villages - The Gambia SOS Kinderdorf International first became active in the Gambia with the construction of the SOS Children's Village Bakoteh in 1980.

Since then the SOS operation has grown continuously and has established itself as an integral part of the local community.

Today there are 10 family houses and 77 Children of different age groups live with their SOS Mothers in the Family Houses.

The project also includes a kindergarten, schools and vocational training facilities.

Plymouth to Banjul Banger Rally

Plymouth to Banjul Banger Rally The first Rally took place on Boxing Day 2002 with 30 cars costing less than £100 raising funds for the Castellan West African Trust Project and Riders for Health.

Some of the participating cars were donated to charity. In 2003 car 144 - "Gerryatricks Frogs" - is running and will be donated to Friends of GOVI on arival in Gambia. It is a Mitsubishi L300 Estate, LHD, 4wd, 2.5 diesel.

The team departed London on 19th December 2003 and were expecting to spend Christmas in Marakesh!

Islamic Relief Association

Islamic Relief Association, (TANGO), works to improve the socio-economic standards of the rural poor, especially women, by providing credit and skills training for income generating activities.

It promotes greater awareness of the environment and endeavours to replenish it physically.

It aims to create awareness and understanding from an Islamic point of view of harmful cultural practices, for example it promotes the elimination of female circumcision, prostitution, violence against women and drug abuse.

It also assists orphans, abandoned children and 'Almudos'.

Gambia Good Seed Mission

Gambia Good Seed Mission, (TANGO) The mission's purpose is to feed the hungry, to multiply good quality seeds for distribution to farmers, to assist farmers with a range of improved agricultural practices, to establish good quality seed producers in The Gambia and to work in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture on research projects.

Village Savings And Credit Association

Village Savings And Credit Association, TANGO, concerned with training staff of NGOs and other organisations who want to establish VISACAs in different parts of the Gambia. So far the center has trained staff from EDF, FORUT, AFET, and FFHC/WRP.

VISACA projects are implemented by C.I.D.R. France under the Ministry of Agriculture with financial support from K.F.W. Germany and IFAD (UN).

The project aims to develop self managed associations at village level in order to channel cash savings towards productive loans for villages under their own control.

SSHFC - Social Security Housing Finance Corporation

SSHFC - Social Security Housing Finance Corporation

Gambia Youth Federation

Gambia Youth Federation, (TANGO), undertakes to support the socio-economic development of young men and women, to assist communities to achieve self-sufficiency through self-help and to assist in improving the equality of life in rural communities

Sound Seekers

Sound Seekers is a registered UK charity, which supports deaf people, particularly children in developing countries of the Commonwealth, however, it does not operate in Gambia at present.

Fresh Stream Christian Outreach International

Fresh Stream Christian Outreach International, UK charity for aid and relief in the UK Nigeria and The Gambia, email only

Education Aid Africa

Education Aid Africa, is a UK Charity working mainly in The Gambia but also in Sierra Leone, in close partnership with the Catholic missions.

They collect donated new and used educational items and ship them out to the schools.

They assist 80 mission schools catering for over 30,000 children aged 5 to 18+, and 5 Vocational schools.

The charity runs a friendship scheme partnering a school, group or parish in UK with a school in Gambia.

The object is to give UK pupils some idea of life in a developing country and the partner school some knowledge of life in UK by exchanging letters and photographs.

It also provides UK pupils with a practical opportunity to help others.

Gambia Family Planning Association

Gambia Family Planning Association is a member of the International Planned Parenthood Federation. Information about The Gambia can be found on the IPPF website.

GFPA supplements the national family planning programme in disseminating information and providing family planning services to adults and young people. Projects include The Planned Parenthood and Women's Development project, which integrates income generation with family health.

For example a project in the North Bank Division includes installing a milling machine, sesame oil extraction, training, meetings, lectures and film shows.

The family planning motivation and promotion project includes meetings, talks, lectures, home visits, follow up visits and film shows.

The social marketing of contraceptives aims to increase the use of contraception.

Food and Agriculture Organisation

Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations exists to raise levels of nutrition and standards of living, to improve agricultural productivity, and to better the condition of rural populations.

Today, FAO is one of the largest specialized agencies in the United Nations system and the lead agency for agriculture, forestry, fisheries and rural development.

FAO gives practical help to developing countries through a wide range of technical assistance projects.

The Organization encourages an integrated approach, with environmental, social and economic considerations included in the formulation of projects.

The Gambia Experience

The Gambia Experience is the leading tour operator to The Gambia offering flights and holidays all year round.

The 72 page brochure features the widest range of holidays including beach hotels, Makasutu eco-lodges, birdwatching, fishing and photography tours.

Flights available from Bristol, Manchester and Gatwick.

An AITO 3 star responsible tour operator, The Gambia Experience run their own School Development Fund, supporting education across the country.

Gambia Rural Development Agency - GRUDA

Gambia Rural Development Agency - GRUDA, (TANGO), operates throughout The Gambia to promote social and economic development especially in the rural areas.

It assists in the coordination of activities relating to rural development at all levels as a voluntary organization.

Jammeh Foundation for peace - Gambia

Jammeh Foundation for peace - Gambia

Friends of The Gambia Association

Friends of The Gambia Association is a UK charity which operates a sponsorship scheme and sends a variety of goods to The Gambia including both medical and educational equipment.

FOTGA funds small projects in schools and villags throughout The Gambia.

Friends of Manding

Friends of Manding is a UK Charity supporting the work of Dr. Alhasan Ceesay, a doctor at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Banjul since 1992. During his spare time Dr.

Ceesay runs the Manding Medical Centre with the help of other doctors (some from overseas) where he sees around 1000 patients in 2 days.

Lorna Robinson, a nurse at the Colchester General Hospital set up Friends of Manding to raise funds for a new hospital at the centre in Njawara village on the North Bank of the river Gambia.

Gambia Food and Nutrition Association

Gambia Food and Nutrition Association, (TANGO), supports Community Management Committees who manage health and nutrition programs at the field level.

Projects include schemes to combat malnutrition in rural areas, especially among pregnant and nursing mothers and their children.

They also assist rural women in implementing income generating projects using local Gambian food crops

Education for Development

Education for Development is an independent development charity offering training, research and consultancy in non-formal education and training for adults and children.

They work alongside those engaged in development programmes both overseas and in the UK, to help them to develop their own capacity to deliver effective, quality development programmes.

They are involved with Deafaxin their current work in The Gambia.

Glosaid

Glosaid Glosaid is a registered charity whose main aim is to help educate children in The Gambia, particularly at Lamin-Daranka Primary School.

They are based in Gloucestershire and The Gambia. Glosaid holiday lets are one way of supporting Glosaid.

The charity also has a sponsorship scheme for the children.

Gambia Rural Development Agency - GARDA

Gambia Rural Development Agency - GARDA, (TANGO), exists to improve the socio-economic well-being of rural Gambians in Lower River Division, North Bank Division, Central River Division, particularly the poorest households and most disadvantaged groups, namely women and children.

The agency aims to improve agricultural production through seed store construction, farmer training and reforestation and to establish a variety of income generation projects for the rural population.

They give special attention the education of youth.

Future in Our Hands - FIOH

Future in Our Hands - FIOH is a Swedish charity which works to improve basic education.

Its major project is the building of a school featuring kitchens designed specifically for hygienic and energy-saving cooking.

The charity also supplies furniture to schools.

Seeds for Africa

Seeds for Africa is a charity run by the University of Kent at Canterbury.

Seeds for Africa assists schools with money for seeds and tools to create school vegetable gardens, they are currently assisting ten schools in The Gambia through Schools for Progress.

Go Gambia

Go Gambia GO Gambia is a UK charity focussed on assisting the development and improvement of education, basic public healthcare and Police, Fire and Ambulance services in the Gambia.

The objectives are to: 1) Manage a sponsorship program, which provides financial assistance to individual students to enable them to attend primary and secondary schools.

2 Supply medical/laboratory equipment, medical/laboratory consumables, fire fighting and police equipment and clothing to support the development and improvement of basic public healthcare, and to assist in the development of the emergency services via The Royal Victoria Hospital, The President Jammeh Foundation Hospital and the Police and Civilian Clinic in Banjul.

3 Provide funds to set up and run a student/adult skill center.

4 Provide funds for the shipment on an annual basis of equipment and consumables to facilitate

Go Gambia's programs.

SOS Kinderdorf International - Gambia

SOS Kinderdorf International - Gambia is the Regional Office of SOS Children's Villages.

SOS is chiefly concerned with the care of orphans, aiming to provide them with the needs of life including education and medical care until such time they can stand on their feet.

The Regional Office for North/West Africa, based in Banjul, oversees the operation of all SOS Children's Villages in six countries in the North/West of the African Continent.

Gambian Schools Trust - Manjai Kunda

Gambian Schools Trust - Manjai Kunda The Gambian Schools Trust, a registered UK charity, was set up two years ago by Christine Schofield and Kathy Tristram, following a visit to Manjai Kunda in connection with The Children Of The Gambia.

The school supported by this charity was in danger of closure because of mounting debts, including rents.

Teachers were working for nothing and had not been paid for several months.

Christine used her management experience to plan ways in which finances could be better managed, while Kathy (a trained teacher) ran workshops and training sessions to introduce teachers to different methods of engaging their students.

The charity has been working alongside The Children Of The Gambia, initially to clear debts and to find sponsors to pledge as little as two pounds a month to pay the teachers' wages.

This was achieved within three months. In 2002 they were able to begin giving support to a second school. The main aim now is to raise money for teachers' wages and major resources.

The charity's founders are therefore engaged in identifying schools where lack of funding for teachers could bring about closure, and in thinking of ways to resolve the fact that children who can't pay to attend school are simply sent home.

Gambia State Education Department

Gambia State Education Department

Association of Baptists for World Evangelism

Association of Baptists for World Evangelism Exists to train and assist Gambians in attaining self-sufficiency in areas of expressed need in physical educational and spiritual needs.

Particular projects include health care, non-formal education and provision of a nursery school

Gambia Women's Finance Association

Gambia Women's Finance Association Exists to promote and develop women enterpreneurship in The Gambia through the provision of access to institutional credit, revolving fund loan guarantee scheme, business skills training, technical assistance, advisory and counseling services and savings services and advice, promoting internal generation of resources among women through savings mobilization.

EBU Commission

EBU Commission The European Blind Union is one of the six regional bodies of the World Blind Union.

The Commission promotes and coordinates efforts towards assisting blind and partially sighted people in developing countries.

Special priority is given to the establishment and strengthening of organisations of the visually disabled.

The Commission also explores other ways of assisting visually handicapped in developing countries, e.g. promotion of work in the fields of rehabilitation, braille production, technical aids, etc.

Gambian German Family Planning Association

Gambian German Family Planning Association

Gambia Girl Guides Association

Gambia Girl Guides Association The Girl Guides have been active in The Gambia since the 1920's.

Their mission is to enable girls and young women to develop their fullest potential as responsible citizens of the world

Credence Charitable Trust

Credence Charitable Trust is a UK Charity supporting The Credence Nursery School.

The school was founded in 1994 by young people in Latrikunda Sabiji and registered by the department of state for education in the same year.

The young people were inspired by the President Award Scheme Programmes in The Gambia, known in England as the Duke of Edinburgh Award International Association.

The nursery at present is funded through school fees. The land which the school stands on is not owned by the school, instead the two classrooms are on a rental basis.

The charity's aim is to purchase a piece of land big enough to build a school complex on freehold land.

Deafax

Deafax The Deafax Trust is the only organisation in the UK dedicated to the education, training, research and development of ICT for deaf children.

Deafax is training teachers of the deaf to maximise the benefits of ICT as a teaching tool. This has evolved into a number of training programmes which are now available to share with deaf children and educators internationally.

Comic Relief are funding a programme to improve the communication skills, literacy and employment prospects for deaf people in The Gambia.

As a first step, Deafax staff have visited the Gambia Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (GADHOH) to set up the personal computer that has been obtained with the funds and to offer training in Gambia and the UK to GADHOH staff.

ActionAid Gambia

ActionAid Gambia provides basic education and skills training, aiming for increased access to education for children and adults.

It works to increase food production and improve access to marketing and sustainable agro-credit delivery services. An important role is to improve access to clean drinking water.

Projects include assisting with village initiated and village managed small scale enterprises, Primary Health Care services, family planning and development of community based organisations.

Consideration is always given to empowering the recipients to manage their own development and to the conservation and restoration of the environment.

Friends of the Gambian African Christian School

Friends of the Gambian African Christian School is a UK based charity set up to help educate children of the Gambia, in particular those who attend the GACS run by the Reverend Richard Jackson.

At the present time they are a small charity run by a few people.

Their initial goal is to raise enough money to construct a school building in the village of Essau on the piece of land given to the Reverend by the village chief.

With the school building in place they will then need to supply funds to pay teachers and provide school equipment.

GambiCats

GambiCats cares for cats and dogs around the hotel areas, having the animals neutered and returned back to their colonies in and around the beach areas.

United Nations High Commission for Refugees

United Nations High Commission for Refugees

Gambia Tourist Support

Gambia Tourist Support GTS provides 2 way support. Gambian hosts provide support for tourists who can feel completely confident to explore The Gambia, whilst tourists provide direct income to the hosts and the local economy.

GTS members can obtain discounts from many shops, bars, clubs and tourist locations.

This helps the local people by distributing the tourist spending more widely.

GTS membership fees are used to provide small interest free loans for locals to improve their tourist services and to sponsor education for local children.

Gambia Link

Gambia Link, UK Education Charity, email only

Freedom From Hunger

Freedom From Hunger works to increase food production through the development and improvement of infrastructure in swamp rice cultivation.

Its aim is to establish food self-sufficiency at village level.

Projects include construction of seed stores and cereal banks and provision of remuneration in cash and kind to communities participating in food work so as to combat the adverse effects of the famine months

United Nations Population Fund

United Nations Population Fund UNFPA's mandate is to build the knowledge and the capacity to respond to needs in population and family planning, to promote awareness of population problems in both developed and developing countries and possible strategies to deal with these problems, to assist developing countries, at their request, in dealing with their population problems, in the forms and means best suited to the individual country's needs and to play a leading role in the United Nations System in promoting population programmes, and to coordinate projects supported by the Fund.

Gambia Education Support Organization

Gambia Education Support Organization Gambia Education Support Organization is an internattional collaboration whose mission is to provide assistance to Gambians and Gambian institutions in education in The Gambia, to provide intellectual, material, logistic and other support to individuals and institurions in need at all levels of education in the Gambia, to facilitate access to information and resources on education and research in the Gambia and to improve co-ordination and communication among members to support education in the Gambia.

A major project at present is to improve the library facilities at The Gambia College.

Friends of KAUR

Friends of KAUR (email only) is a UK Charity which supports three schools, the community and a hospital in Kaur.

Containers are shipped to The Gambia with commodities from toys and clothes to office equipment and stationery.

Gambia Tourism Concern

Gambia Tourism Concern see also http://www.Gambiatourismconcern.com/