Ostend boosts Banjul City Council

The people of Ostend in Belgium recently donated a 20-foot container to the Banjul City Council at a presentation done at the seaport in Banjul.

Speaking to this reporter, the commanding officer of A960 GODETIA, Jan Dujardin, revealed that the 20-foot container they came along with has such essential items as wheelchairs, hospital beds, and clothes.

According to him, Ostend is the godfather city of GODETIA. Commanding Officer Dujardin said that was the fifth time the ship had come to The Gambia in which he was twice the commander.

"Ostend has a good relationship with Banjul," he said, adding that the relationship has lasted for a number of years. He also said the ship earlier left Belgium on 27 April 2011.

Mr Dujardin said the gesture was not the first of its kind, noting that last year they brought some boards with panels to put on the roof of the hospital.

Prior to their arrival in The Gambia, he said, they were first at Cotonou in Benin. He adduced that whilst in Benin they took a crew of 25 people to sea and trained them before the arrival of new vessels. 

He said the training lasted for three weeks after which the trainees where brought back to their base.

He finally gave assurance that the ship would arrive in Belgium on 27 May 2011.