The
Department of Community Development on Tuesday signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with Helping Hand Foundation-VZW, a Belgium-based
charitable foundation.
The
foundation is the organiser of the Antwerp Banjul Challenge, the traditional
supporter of the Jammeh Foundation for Peace in The Gambia.
The
MoU signed at the Department of Community Development in Banjul is geared
toward improving the lives of communities in The Gambia.
Buba
Joof, director of the Department of Community Development, said they want to
put their efforts together to help communities to improve lives and living
standards.
“This
signing is to show our commitment, interest and determination to pursue the
common objectives that we have set for ourselves.”
Cor
de Bresser, president of Helping Hand Foundation, said they started their
operations in The Gambia in 2006 with Jammeh Foundation, after signing an MoU
with them.
He
said they revoked the MOU with Jammeh Foundation in 2014, because things were
not working the way they wanted and signed a new one with them.
“Our
MoU with Jammeh Foundation has now ended; we are now signing a new MoU with
these industrious people that we can have a new challenge with our Antwerp
Banjul Challenge,” he said.
He
said they did a lot in supporting communities in The Gambia with boreholes,
supported hospitals and schools.
“The
amount of auction was over D20 million, and we have donated 85 cars and 14
motorcycles; we also bring ambulance and school buses. We spend an average of
about D2 million per year,” he said.
“We
are very happy to continue this with your organisation; we have to make a new
start because people in our country are scared of the entire situation in the
past, but we have no reason to do so now.”
Buba
Sanyang, permanent secretary at Ministry of Local Government and Lands, said
the primary function of the Department of Community Development is to reach to
the less privileged people in the society.
“This
is a big challenge in the sense that you have been trusted not only with
responsibility, but in changing people’s lives; you should live up to
expectations,” he said.
The
ministry would do its best to help Community Development in handling certain
issues in the MoU, he said, and thanked the foundation for their continued
support to The Gambia and her people, while assuring them that they would do
all they can to live up to expectations.