Karmic Angels, an international charitable organization operating in The Gambia and the United Kingdom recently raised more funds in the UK through the Africa Oye 2011 Festival to complete its remaining projects in The Gambia.
The brains behind the charity are a British couple Stephanie and Alan Turner.
The couple and their dedicated team in the UK have raised over D50,000 to help in sponsoring needy Gambian students and the construction of nursery schools among other projects the couple have embarked on since their last trip to The Gambia earlier this year.
“As you know, last year was our first attendance at the Africa Oye two-day festival where we raised D36,000 for our work in The Gambia,” Stephanie Turner, founder of Karmic Angels said. “This year we smashed that raising to an incredible D58,000 up by over 50%.”
Known for its humanitarian gesture, Karmic Angels aims at providing aid and relief to the people in The Gambia to contribute to the development of the country. The group has also contributed in various ways in sponsoring school children and orphans.
“We feel proud and honored to help our Gambian brothers here in the UK, and at Karmic Angels our ultimate aim is to help Gambians in their development aspirations,” Stephanie said.
Recalling how she came to know The Gambia, and why she and her husband are proud to help, Stephanie said: “When I was born 52 years ago I was dying and they called a catholic priest to give me the last rites - this is something given by a priest before you die, so you can peacefully enter the Gates of Heaven.
“Before the Priest arrived a young Gambian nurse working in the hospital in Liverpool, England, held me and prayed over me, she gave me the name Stephanie out of the Bible; this young Gambian nurse was a Christian, and by the time the Priest came I was alive and well, and they called me the miracle baby.”
Stephanie continued her testimony: “I believe to this day that that wonderful Gambian nurse was sent by God to pray over me, and give me my name. When I was growing up I never ever forgot that Gambian nurse, and have always prayed for her. And when I was 13, I started to read all about slave trade, and how unfair and cruel people could be to all my sisters and brothers in Africa, but especially The Gambia where my beautiful nurse came from.”
Stephanie humbly told our reporter about her service to the Gambian people “We are now working in education, health, and sport; building schools and putting all the orphans in the schools; we are building into fulltime education.
“So [the act of] this friend is what motivated us to make a difference in The Gambia with the children and youth. So we will never ever stop helping; we are realizing our dream and our vision, and we feel very blessed indeed by all the wonderful help we get here by our family, friends, volunteers, sponsors in the UK and our wonderful Strategy Development/Fundraising Co-coordinator John Lilburn.”
