Foundation Humanitarian Aids holds agm

Foundation Humanitarian Aids The Gambia (FHAG), a registered Non- Governmental Organisation NGOs A27, held their Annual General Meeting at Benis Bar and Restaurant on Saturday 20th February 2010.

Speaking at the occasion, the Chairman of the foundation Mr. Arthur Aalst welcomed the board members to the meeting, noting that it?s the first AGM of the foundation since its establishment in The Gambia in 1995.

Mr Aalst pointed out that since 1995, the foundation has been very active in the fields of education, agriculture and health care in the country.

He said this project stated as a private initiative by his wife, Ellen Verlaan, who is actually one of the board members of Dutch board and himself. He noted that the foundation is working in close collaboration with the ministries of education, agriculture and health.

Mr. Aalst stated that Beppie Smits, the Treasurer of the foundation has been working together with her husband in The Gambia for more than ten years. He further went on to say that the objective of the foundation is to help the poor and needy people of The Gambia, particularly those who are living in the rural areas of the country.

He said that the foundation looks at humanitarian development from a holistic point of view.

Self-responsibility, sustainability and self-employment, he said, are some of the keys areas that the foundation is using by implementing its activities.

He added that they firmly believe that only by working closely together with communities, local and central government that they can achieve our goals.

Aalst told the meeting that their donors in Holland and Belgium are keen in knowing how their funds are being used. He finally commended Mr. Sunkary Badjie, the Chairman of the BAC who is a board member, Momodou S. Kamara, better known as MSK, the former Headmaster of Bakadagi for their support.

He also thanked all those who have been very supportive to the NGO over the years.

For her part, the Treasurer of the foundation Mdam Beppie Smits in delivering her financial report said in December 2007 she was approached by the Chairman of the Dutch foundation and asked if she would be willing to help the NGO with their account management, an offer she accepted.

She then revealed that in 2008 D561,00 was spent in various projects, namely the Bakadagi and Nafugan Lower Basic school, the newly built St, Vitus clinic in Bakadagi  plus the medicaments for the clinic in Somatia, the start up of the Kanubeh Vegatable garden and to other various small projects in the country. She disclosed that the cost of running all these activities by the board totals to D50,000.

She said during last year D1, 545,000 was spent on various projects.