Boost for the Gambia Scout Association

Loek Struick, a Dutch national from Holland, and his Gambian wife Isatou Dampha, recently donated items ranging from shoes, to scout uniforms and musical sets worth of D60,000 to the Gambia Scout Association.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony held at Little Tree Skills Training Centre in Bakoteh, the coordinator of the association, Pa Omar Bojang expressed happiness with Mr Loek and wife for the gesture.

Mr Bojang said Mr Loek has been supporting the scout band, schools, handicaps, clubs, hospitals and others in The Gambia for a long time.

“He has been coming to The Gambia nearly thirty years ago and every year he comes twice,” he said.

They would distribute the items for all the regions in the country, Mr Bojang said, adding that the youths are the leaders of tomorrow. He then urged the beneficiaries to take good care of the donated items.

According to him, they are trying to regain what the Gambian scouts were having before and also thanked Mr Loek and his wife for supporting the Gambian people.

For his part, the deputy chief commissioner, Babucarr Khan, said Mr Loek “is not a stranger in the Gambia scout”.

He promised the donors they would handle the materials given to them with good care.

Scouting, he added, is for the young people, their responsibility is to pass the berthing and to make sure they follow the scout principles.

He finally urged the scout members to “make sure everything is secure and go through the right channel as it is an educational movement for the young people”.

Mr Loek also thanked the beneficiaries while telling them to make best use of the donated items.