As the nearest medical station is more than 100 km away, in 2011 we decided to renovate a vacant building and set up a small clinic for births and primary medical care. In 2012 the clinic was named after a generous donor to the FVH.
149 babies were born safely here in 2018, a great improvement compared with previous years. A total of slightly more than 11’000 have been treated in 2017. The operation of the clinic and the salaries of the medical staff are covered by the Ministry of Health in The Gambia. FVH was responsible for the ongoing maintenance of the clinic and the supply of medical equipment until June 2019. In July 2019 a U.S. based charity called WAME/Gambia Rising took over this role so that FVH was able to draw back from this project to focus even more on our two major projects in Tanji (TEC) and Kunkujang (Nursery School).
Since its founding in 1998, more than CHF 2 millions has been invested to develop, support and maintain projects in the areas of health, education and agriculture in The Gambia. The FVH cooperates closely with the governmental ministries of The Gambia in order to adapt the country’s programmes and strategies in these areas. Please have a look at our current and past projects in The Gambia.
At the FVH General Assembly on 2 June 2014, the first step was taken for the Tanji Education Center for Permaculture (TEC). At that time, the FVH Board was mandated to launch a new project that had to be developed sustainably, was committed to education, created jobs and was in the sole responsibility of the FVH. This was triggered by the fact that The Gambia had meanwhile developed into one of the main countries of origin of African refugees and we wanted to initiate a project that would offer young Gambians the perspective of a secure existence.
The construction of the public school in Kunkujang was the FVH’s first project in The Gambia. Later we expanded the school to seven classrooms to accommodate more than 300 children. And over time we added a vegetable garden, a playground, a football field, a kitchen and a space for sewing classes.
Wide Open Walls is an international and intercultural project launched in 2010, aiming to raise awareness of the need for peace, understanding and respect, allowing international creatives to experience Africa, and aiding the local community. It was founded by the British Lawrence Williams, wanting to enliven the area of the village called Galloya with a sustainable tourism and specific projects that helped the people of the area.
Some of the best artists from all over the world like Sickboy, Know Hope, Xenz, Tika, David Shillinglaw, RUN, Remi Rough, ROA, Lucy McLauchlan, INSA, Eelus, Bushdwellers, Broken Crow and Best Ever joined Wide Open Walls by creating art on the houses of Galloya. FVH ideationallysupports Wide Open Walls and made a donation in 2016 to maintain this amazing project.
