Gambia 2011  
We were very lucky to embark on a ‘once in a lifetime trip’ to the Gambia.

The trip was a prize for winning the Most Outstanding School at the Giving Nation Social Action Awards in October. Giving Nation is a project of the Citizenship Foundation that aims to build engaged and active youth by building social action projects that benefit their local community.

Giving Nation promotes and encourages thousands of secondary school students across the UK to get involved in charity work, including campaigning, social enterprise, volunteering and community activities.

We raised an £27,000 for many charities and good causes during the last school year.

Moira Pain said: “We feel so proud and so privileged to have won such a nationally acclaimed award. …

Read all of Gambia Report

Problems of Travel – A long days’ journey
During the week concern universal took us on a two day trip up country to see some of their projects first hand. On the way up we discovered just how difficult it was to travel from one side of the river to the other. After getting up at five in the morning to ensure we were near the front of the mass of cars and trucks that seemed to be the Gambians ‘organisation’, at the ferry we had to wait for 7 hours before we got across to the north bank. This was because of the disorganisation, the day before when none of the ferries had travelled from the Port we were at …

Read all of Gambia – Travel and Agricultural Training

Near the end of the trip to the Gambia we visited Mama Africa, which we were told before arriving is a garden designed to inspire the women of the Gambia.

Mama Africa was indeed an inspirational place. Isha Fofana, the artist and owner of the compound, explained to us how in the Gambia it is uncommon to have females become artists and how her aim was to show women they could be who they want to be. Mama Africa is also a place to learn, as Isha shows her heritage in her art, along with encouraging the children to visit to stay at school for as long as they can. This helps women and children alike to be educated as well …

Read all of Mama Africa – Inspiring Women of Gambia

Visit to Gambia Is Good (GIG) Community Farm
Concern Universal is helping local communities to grow fresh produce that can be sold to hotels, restaurants and supermarkets. Over 1000 women have been trained by the GIG project. The women are selected from their communities and training is carried out on the farms. When they return home they are supported and visited by their trainers on a regular basis.

The women learn about crop planning; what is needed in months ahead and what the market demands. They learn about crop rotation and its importance to control pests and disease as well as maintain soil structure.

At the farm they were experimenting with breeding ducks. The meat is in demand by the local hotels. The …

Read all of Gambia is Good (GIG) Project

Six of us from school were very lucky to spend a week in Gambia with the Charity Concern Universal.  Our school won the Giving Nation Social Action Award 2010. Our mission for the week was to report back on sustainable agricultural and tourism under the guidance of Concern Universal and Giving Nation.

We would like to share what we have learnt.
Gunjur Environmental Protection and Development Group
We visited Gunjur Environmental Protection and Development Group (GEPADG) on our very first morning. We were met by a small group of volunteers acting as our guides, who explained that GEPADG’s aim is “to enhance the livelihoods of the local people). We set off on our tour of GEPADG’s protected area of conservation, near the lodge. …

Read all of Investigative Journalists in Gambia

The year 2 pupils undertook a project on Africa. They learnt about global warming and the effect it has had in many African countries. We had a campaign to collect old mobile phones and ink cartridges which we recycled and sent the money to an African charity which helps people to grow their own food.

October and November are Roots & Shoots’ official fundraising months for the Jane Goodall Institute. During this time we invite schools to take part in fundraising for our Africa programmes. For information on how you can raise money and where it goes, see our Autumn 2007 newsletter.