Buniadu hospital II - 14-01-2010

They are trying to grow the hospital facilities.


One of the main activities is helping and educating the local communities in getting healthy habits to prevent Malaria (still a big cause of human losses in The Gambia).


I don't remember his name... but he also works there in the clinic.


We've decided to deliver the presents we brought to The Gambia (around 150, all packaged in our two bags) to the hospital. This way, Henke can offer them to the children after a treatment in order to minimize their pain. We offered the other bag to Maria (from "La Sonrisa de Africa" NGO) for similar purpose as she also offers treatment to Manjai kids.

Buniadu Hospital - VIDEO promoting the project

This video was taken from http://engambianoproblem.ning.com/video/hospital-de-buniadu

Please visit also http://mensajerosxgambia.ning.com/ a spanish NGO launched to help bringing medicine to The Gambia (essencial through the turists visiting the country that don't mind to spare a little of their luggage space to take medicine). A great work made by David.


Encuentra más vídeos como este en En Gambia No Problem

Delivering medicine in Buniadu hospital - 14-01-2010

Luis from "La Sonrisa de Africa" NGO present us to other local projects being developed in The Gambia: Gustavo who helps a local orpanhage and Henke and Henry who run a local clinic. All these amasing people are doing a fabulous work helping local communities.

First, we visited Gustavo and his work in an orphanage. He is helping local kids to learn a profession and to be self-sufficient. We really enjoyed the moments we had with him. In a certain way, he opened our minds to a different meaning of helping and supporting local causes (oooohhhh :D ) We've discussed a lot the best way of overcoming corruption in Africa... and still be able to make a difference with these people. The meaning of "Don't offer them the fish, teach them how to fish" is now much more clear to us. Thanks Gustavo! ;)

He also present us Heike and Henry. Heike is a German nursery that treats around 50 kids per day in a very poor part of The Gambia. Heike and Henry founded a small clinic that provides treatment to local communities. We were really impressed on the work they are doing there. We gave them the medicines we have brought (that our friends from the Swiss Team kindly donate). She showed us her work and we spent some time there. So, we decided to leave the other half of presents in the clinic. They will give them to the children, in order to distract them from the treatment they receive. This will bring a lot of smiles there! THANK YOU all that kindly gave those presents! They are in very very good hands!


Arriving at the hospital


Offering the presents that the Swiss team kindly gave us to take to The Gambia. Henke on the photo.


They showed us all the medicin they now have there and that are essential to those people.


Henry, always with a big smile in his face!

Inside the ferry - 14-01-2010

Look at the van in the front and the things at the top... now look at all the boxes in the rigth...


They all went up there! :)

Ferry Banjul to Barra - 14-01-2010

Big, BIG confusion! Entering in the ferry can be an autentic nightmare and can last several hours! We had the help of Limbland (from the Plymouth-Banjul Challenge) that helped us to be the first ones in the line... But even with it we wait one hour as severall "VIPs" or "Ferry Staff" (as the local controlling the entry explained us..) got to the be first ones in the line! :)


After waiting for a while we finally cross the door that led us to the boat... I've told Jorge not to stop in order no one could cross before us in the line... and Jorge really got himself full of confidence!... A lot of guys from the port told him to stop but he didn't and the car ourjeep was almost in the water!!! (the ferry had left but he only saw that one meeter from the water!!) Everybody was pointing to us saying we were crazy!!! :D


Finally inside the boat!!


local fishermans

With the kids at Manjai (Banjul) - 13-01-2010

With the kids at Manjai, the garbadge part of Banjul - 13-01-2010

Heeeello! Here we are in The Gambia! 35 degrees and a lot of sun! :)

We're going to be outside of Banjul (the capital) the next days . Everything is OK.

We had the opportunity to meet Luis, from La Sonrisa de Africa NGO (www.lasonrisadeafrica.org) and we were with some of the kids in Manjai. We met him at his spanish restaurant "La Taberna del Nota" (he appeard with a litle plastic VW van for us. Thanks Luis!). Luis took us to his home and showed us the work he is doing at the NGO.

They really are doing and excellent work supporting scholarship for more than 350 kids now. Every morning, Luis gives them bread with butter. He also provides them with two school uniforms and shoes. Maria, his wife, treats the kids in their home for small injuries. As we brought around 160 presents to The Gambia, Luis suggested us not to give the presents at the school as these would not be sufficient to all of the kids. So, we left part of the presents in the NGO and he will offer them overtime when the children visit the NGO (Maria, Luis' wife, is kind of a nurse to the kids and she will offer a present when doing small treatments to these kids at the NGO).