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Foundation for Change donates to Chamen Village

Nov 18, 2010, 11:13 AM

A Swedish foundation has donated learning and sports materials to Chamen Basic Cycle School in Chamen Nianija Village, Central River Region North.

Foundation for Change, headed by Madam Hellevi Engbrant, recently paid a courtesy call on the school and Chamen Health Centre in the village.

According to the foundation, the donation was part of its contribution towards the development of the school, which included footballs to the students.

Speaking with community leaders at a gathering, Madam Hellevi said their visit was to discuss with the community the constraints in the village to provide support that would improve their living standard.

She said the foundation focuses on education, agriculture, health and other development initiatives that can enhance the lives of people in the community.

She also said her foundation, which has been working in Sweden for 10 years, has felt the need to concentrate on the community of Chamen.

For his part, Daniel James of Still Front Group in Sweden, who has experience in sport fishing, said plans are in the pipeline to establish computer classes in Chamen Basic Cycle School and sport fishing in the village that could raise income for the community.

According to Mr James, the community outlined horticultural gardening as one of their main priorities, assuring the people that “funds are already in place” to render support but they are waiting on the community to identify a site for the gardening project.

Mr Jerreh Dampha of NAWFA, also a member of the delegation, spoke at length on the importance of the visit, saying all the foundation wants is for the community to table their essential needs for support.

He urged the community and the beneficiaries to embrace the project and work towards achieving their desired goals.

Receiving the gesture on behalf of the school, the vice principal of the school, Lamin L. Kinteh, commended the donors for their timely gesture, assuring them that the donated items would be put into good use.Highlighting some of the constraints of the school, Ahmed Faal, principal of the school, said the immediate needs of the school include furniture and horticulture garden.

Momodou Lamin Camara, officer in charge of Chamen Health Centre, said the centre needs haemoglobin metre reader, staff quarters and drugs to boost the health delivery service in the village.

Other speakers include Alkali Cham.