Christian Humanitarian Helpers Association – The Gambia (CHHA) Presents Educational and Feeding Items Worth over D1M to Five Schools
Christian Humanitarian Helpers Association for The Gambia (CHHA), a German charitable organization with the motto: Better Future for Gambian children, last Tuesday made series of presentations of food and non-food items to five learning institutions across the country.
The beneficiaries are St. Matthew’s Nursery & Lower Basic Schools in Barra, Essau Lower Basic School and Medina Kanuma Day Care Centre in Mayamba, all in the North Bank Region, Koba Kunda Lower Basic School in Basse in the Upper River Region and the Gambia Technical Training Institute (GTTI) annex campus in Banjul.
The donated items among others include bags of rice, gallons of oil, watering cans, pens, books, bags of sugar, A4 size papers, pens and pencils.
Essau Lower Basic School among others benefitted from 12,960 pencils, 600 pens, 8 gallons of blackboard paint, 6 watering cans, 60 reams of A4 Papers, 420 boxes of chalk, 240 markers, 12 footballs, 22,770 assorted exercise books, 72 rolls of Celotape, 50 correction fluid, 10 boxes stapling pins, 500 sheets of vanguards, 45 attendance registers, 1 canon copiers iR 1024, 1 canon toner and 1 USB cable.
Medina Kanuma Day Care Centre also received 5 bags of milk powder, 108 laundry soap, 3 bags of power soap, 288 maggi cubes, 288 tins of luncheon meat, 3 bags of sugar, 3 kilos of black pepper, 72 tins of tomato paste, 10 drums of 20 litres of cooking oil, 60 bags of rice, 2 bags of onion, 200 pens, 120 markers, 3 floor brushes with handles, 5 reams of A4 Papers, 6 packs of educational flash cards, and 10 fun time play sets.
The Day Care Centre also received 6 artist sets, 8 sets of farm animals, 10 packs of jumbo, coloring pencils, 3 packets of artist brushes, 48 teddy bears, 160 learning at home work books, 4 stapling machines, 4 boxes of stapling pins, 3 desk sharpeners, 12 rolls of Celotape, 360 pencil erasers, 1,728 pencils, 100 sheets of vanguards, 12 rulers, 10 correction fluid, 60 packs of crayons, 48 packs of coloring pencils, 1,625 assorted exercise books, 2 Sony Cassette radios and 24-D size batteries.
St. Matthew’s Nursery and Lower Basic Schools also benefitted from 2 bags of flour, 144 bars of laundry soap, 5 bags of soap powder, 288 maggi cubes, 384 tins of luncheon meat, 3 kilos of black pepper, 2 jars, 96 tins of tomato paste, 15 drums by 20 litres cooking oil, 80 bags of rice, 2 bags of onion, 144 nickel plates, 24 plastic bowls, 6 plastic buckets, 2 buckets with floor mops, 12 bottles of glue, 5 calculators, 2 packets of carbon papers, and 300 pens.
The Nursery and Lower Basic Schools also received 6 toilet cleaning powder, 29 reams of A4 papers, 120 boxes of chalk, 120 markers, 3 computer keyboards, 3 computer mouse, 2 HB 21 black ink cartridges, 1 school bell, 4 gallons of blackboard paint, 12 bottles of dettol, 200 sheets of vanguards, 24 pairs of scissors, 2 soap boxes, 60 packs of , 48 packs of coloring pencils, 6 desk sharpeners, 1,728 pencils, 29 correction fluid, 12 rolls of Celotape, 4,410 assorted exercise books, 12 hand towels and 1 box AAA size Maxwell batteries.
Koba Kunda Lower Basic School in the North Bank Region also received 432 mathematical set boxes, 36 calculators, 36 bottles of glue, 4 gallons of blackboard paints, 11 educational posters, 12 plastic garden buckets, 12,960 pencils, 600 pens, 60 reams of A4 papers, 360 boxes of chalks, 240 assorted markers, 12 flip charts pads, 2 FX10 toner cartridges for the printer, and 6 watering cans.
The school also received 20,558 assorted exercise books, 500 sheets of vanguards, 40 attendance registers, 50 tubs correction fluids, 10 boxes of stapling pins, 12 learning blocks, 12 packs of animal farms, 22 wooden clocks, 12 wooden puzzles, 12 giant abacus, 24 skipping ropes, 600 pens, 3 boxes “AAA” size batteries for the calculators and 2 tins of lettuces seed.
The Gambia Technical Training Institute (GTTI) also received a total sum of D143,500.00 being the contribution of the Christian Humanitarian Helpers Association for The Gambia towards the construction of the shed.
Speaking at various presentation ceremonies, Mr Ingo Roth, President of CHHA, who was accompanied by Jurgen Hossner and Bernd Hinderer explained the funds are generated through the organization of two concerts annually in February and August in Germany called “Rock for Gambia”, which brings together seven bands.
“We have a membership of 12 people with over 300 volunteers and sponsors across Germany who contributes to our association in cash or kind. Our association believes in continuity; whenever we start to help, we do so for a minimum of five years,” he stated.
He revealed that his association started its partnership with Essau Lower Basic School in 1999, Medina Kanuma Day Care Centre in November 2001, Koba Kunda Lower Basic School in December 2004, St. Mathew Nursery and Lower Basic School in January 2005 and GTTI annex in March 2011.
Also speaking at the presentation ceremonies, Mr Anthony Rene Blain, Gambia Coordinator of the Christian Humanitarian Helpers Association of the Gambia commended the donors for stretching their hands and opening their hearts to the Gambian children.
He noted that without the intervention of the donors, the success would not have been achieved.
Blain called on the authorities of the respective beneficiary schools to make good use of the donated items for the best interest of the students.
He also presented the statement of accounts of the four beneficiary schools from the period December 2010 to December 2011 together with all original receipts of the expenditures.
Giving a summary of the items presented to the various schools, Mr Blain explained that the total cost of donated items to Essau Lower Basic School for the academic year 2011-2012 is equivalent to D343,474.00.
This figure, he said, does not include the cost of repairs for the locks and cutting of keys for the cupboards for the school, which he added, amounted to D3,850 as well as the extra educational items supplied to the school on the 26th May this year amounting to D5, 000.
In receiving the donated items, Mr Musa Secka, headmaster of Essau Lower Basic School commended CHHA through Mr Ingo Roth and Mr Blain for their kind gesture, promising that the items will be properly utilized.
Abdoulie Loum, Parent-Teachers Association (PTA) Chairman described the donors as not only friends but partners of the school.
Loum called on the school authorities to make best use of the donated items for the development of the school.
Speaking at the Medina Kanuma Day Care Centre presentation ceremony, Mr Blain stated that the total amount of items presented to the centre for the 2011-2012 academic year amounts to D144,868.50.
He added that the amount does not include the sum of D51,300.00 paid out as stipend to three teachers, two cooks and a caretaker for the period December 2010 to November 2011.
According to him, CHHA also paid for two teachers of Kanuma Day Care Centre to undergo their second year program on Early Childhood Development at the Gambia College as well as an additional D1,320 as their transport allowances.
“We also paid out D4,250.00 towards the construction of the stove of the kitchen and this bring the total expense incurred at Medina Kanuma for the period December 2010-December 2011 to D213,738.50,” he added.
Lamin Drammeh, facilitator of the Centre described CHHA as long standing partners of his institution, noting that what CHHA has done for his school cannot be over emphasized as they have been assisting the school since 2001.
Also speaking at the St. Mathew Nursery and Lower Basic School, Mr Blain the total cost of the items presented to the school for the academic year 2011-2012 is equivalent to D191, 148.50, which he said, does not include the extra feeding and educational items delivered to the school from March 2001 to October 2011 totaling D33, 460.
Mr. Jurgen Hossner expressed satisfaction in seeing the joy in the eyes of the children and promised to visit them again.
Sister Christiana Fefeguna, headmistress of St. Mathew’s Nursery and Lower Basic School and Dawda Faye representing the Catholic Mission both commended CHHA through their Gambian coordinator, Mr. Blain for bringing to their doorstep educational and food items.
Also speaking at the presentation ceremony, Mr. Bernd Hinderer a member of the association said the total cost of the items provided to Koba Kunda Lower Basic School for the 2011-2012 academic year amounts D303,695.00.
He added that this figure does not include the cost of labour and transportation of items from Banjul to Basse amounting to D5,776.00.
Mr. Saiba Darboe, headmaster of Koba Kunda Lower Basic School, Abubacarr Krubally, deputy headmaster and Musa Jawo, PTA Chairman all commended CHHA for their timely presentation of the school and educational items.
“This is what partnership is all about, you have done your part and it is left to us the beneficiaries to do our utmost best in making sure that the items given to us are put into better use and by the grace of God, we will use them for the purpose it has been given to us for,” Mr Krubally said.
Speaking at the GTTI Banjul annex presentation ceremony, Mr. Blain recalled that when he and Mr. Roth visited the said annex centre in June 2011, they proposed to the administration that they wanted to sponsor the cost of a shed to provide shelter for the students at the construction department.
“We proposed that we were only going to sponsors this if the institution provided 30% of the cost as their contribution as we are partners and not donors. The school then provided D51,000,” he explained.
Blain handed over to Ms Elizabeth Mendy, manageress of the GTTI Banjul annex a total sum of D143,500.00 being their contribution towards the construction of the shed.
He revealed that the money for the construction of the shed was available through the intervention of Mr Ernst Knapp, an 80-year old farmer in Germany.
Christian Humanitarian Helpers
Association (CHHA) – The Gambia
