American Students Getting Involved (December 2006)
The Neema Kaafo and Insecticide Treated Nets (November 2006)
GambiaHELP focuses aid on women, children (August 2006)
WSSC Partners with GambiaHELP (Summer 2006)
Star 101.5 "Bikes for Kids (April 2006)
GambiaHELP in the News (March 29, 2006)
Letter of Appreciation (March 23, 2006)

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American Students Getting Involved
December 2006

Alisa Meinz,Kindergarten Teacher
California Montessori Project
4645 Buckeye Road
Shingle Springs, California 95682

Dear GambiaHELP,

Our Kindergarten and First Grade Class at the California Montessori Project in Shingle Springs, California is delighted to help four girls go to school in Badume Koto. Our children care about their friends in Gambia!

Being a Peace Corps Volunteer in The Gambia from 97-99, was one of the greatest experiences of my life and left me with a real passion for the Gambian culture. I was so affected by the fact that so few girls attended school in the village where I lived that I decided to address this with my kindergarten/1st grade class.

Last year we decided to do a fundraiser to send a Gambian girl to school. The students collected coins and together with the help of donations from their parents and local organizations we actually raised enough money to send six Gambian girls to school for a year! Our students were so excited about this that the word of our fundraiser began to spread around the community.

Because of the success of our project and the interest of the students, this year we decided to do an entire unit on Africa culminating in another fundraiser this year. The children created watercolor pictures of your beautiful and exotic African animals and sold these paintings. This year in addition to collecting their coins our art auction raised enough money for helping six girls at Sitahuma primary school continue their education. With the continued contributions of the parents and teachers at the California Montessori Project we hope to more students this year.

Sincerely,
Alisa Meinz
California Montessori Project
Shingle Springs, California

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The Neema Kaafo and Insecticide Treated Nets
November 2006

This is a pilot project started in 2006 which involves the training of village women to sew and treat nets to cover sleeping and communal areas. The use of nets, referred to as “bed nets,” is imperative to maintain the health of the population. Malaria is endemic and takes a toll (representing 80% of all clinic visits) on villagers. Children under 5 years and pregnant women are the most at risk. Social marketing will target these groups.

In 2006, GambiaHELP supplied 12 treadle machines to a cohesive women’s group called the Neema Kaafo. GambiaHELP provided start-up materials and training on the use and maintenance of treadle machines. The women are now making nets and selling them in surrounding villages and at the local lummo or market day. The nets provide an income for the women and funds for the maintenance of the project. The goal is to have this group self-sustaining. In the future we plan to purchase standardized machines. The machines shipped to Gambia were not standard and are causing maintenance issues. We also must construct a building for the group to sew in. Right now they are using half of a cereal bank building. The land for the building would be donated by the village or member of the women’s group.

The plan for 2006-07 is to obtain funding for the building, machines and training for the Neema Kaafo. The group is also affiliated with local charity Health Education Liaison Project which may make it easier to access indigenous funds for this project.

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Parent Map, Monthly Newsmagazine and Online Resource for Seattle & Eastside Parents
August 2006
GambiaHELP focuses aid on women, children, Hero
By Laura Fine-Morrison

In 2001-02, I had the privilege of working with Shelby Tarutis and the non-profit organization GambiaHELP. This Seattle-based organization, which Tarutis founded in 1998, is an outgrowth of her time as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the West African country of Gambia.

Its efforts include those projects that are educational, environmental, entrepreneurial and health-related. GambiaHELP often centers its initiatives on women and children, in part because they don't have the same access to resources as men do.

Tarutis' success in helping Gambians help themselves is outlined on her Web site, www.gambiahelp.org. As a result of her efforts, ParentMap is recognizing Tarutis as this month's hero.

Q. Tell me about GambiaHELP's first undertaking: the Books and Libraries Project.

A. Before we started this project, most rural schools did not have any books. I remember one school where the "library" was a bookshelf behind the principal's desk, which no one could touch. Students could only copy what was on the board and then memorize it. Today, there are approximately 50 school libraries where children can take books home, practice reading, and look at the pictures. With help they're able to grasp the stories, and begin developing critical thinking skills and ideas outside of themselves. We have distributed around 100,000 books to Gambian schools now. When I started GambiaHELP, there was less than one book for every 15 kids in Gambia. Now they probably have one book for every five.

Q. You'd think that donating books would be a fairly simple task, but it isn't?

A. You don't want to just drop off books at a school and not know what happens to them. Following the donation until it gets into the hands of the kids is key. To be a responsible donor, you need someone there to help process the books, and to introduce them to a school. Sometimes kids will have only seen a book in an elder's hands, so it's introducing a whole new concept to them. They need to know how to take care of books, how to value them. The students need to wash their hands before they use a book, for example. It's an education process.

Q. Which project are you most proud of?

A. The milling machine, owned by a women's group in a small rural village with no running water or electricity. It takes the hulls off the rice so the women don't have to do so much pounding. For every 10 cups of rice milled, the women get one cup profit. They slowly make bags of hulled rice with their profits, which they can either sell or add to their cereal bank. They can also exchange rice for groundnuts [peanuts] or coose [another grain]. So then the bank will have a variety of foods, which they can withdraw from during the lean times. Since you must also have the education along with the project, we're teaching them accounting, and how to manage the business. And it's working.

Q. With the current economic and political climate in Gambia, do you worry about people leaving, taking with them the resources you've invested in them?

A. There's a huge brain drain in Gambia. People want to leave the country, to make money overseas and send it home. You can't blame them for wanting that opportunity. If I make an investment in someone and they leave later, I know the investment has been dispersed. If we give new ideas about development to someone or somebody, it will be transmitted to other people. But you also have to give people hope that things will get better. How do you do that? By coming back every year, by being optimistic, by encouraging them to take advantage of opportunities. The problem is that they don't have a lot of "how to" information. I try to teach them the "how to." They might have an idea, but how do you get to the goal? That's where the critical thinking skills become important -- you come to a roadblock, what do you do next?

Q. Like the well project?

A. That's right. They wanted to build a well in one community where they lost their clean drinking water after a flood. I went there, we wrote up a contract, got supervisors and built it. They knew they wanted a well, they just didn't know how to get the resources. Sometimes I teach people how write project proposals, then they send them to me and I get the funding. We're slowly getting there, taking baby steps.

Q. If you could communicate one thing about Gambia to Americans, what would it be?

A. Just because the people are poor, it doesn't mean that they can't also teach us. Family is very important, no one goes hungry, and the elderly are respected and cared for. While Americans have much to offer, we can also learn that family and community are among society's most valuable commodities.

Laura Fine-Morrison is a Seattle freelance writer and mother.

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WSSC News, West Seattle Soccer Club
Summer 2006

WSSC Partners with GambiaHELP
Just as in much of the world, soccer is a way of life in The Gambia. Thanks to a generous donation from WSSC, there are some kids in Western Africa that have team uniforms for the first time ever. As a volunteer for GambiaHELP, I delivered several large boxes containing dozens of formerly enjoyed uniforms and balls to the children of Dankunku, Central River Division, The Gambia, West Africa. In Gambia, working with rural women's' groups, I also was part of the team that delivered treadle sewing machines to initiate an income generating business, hundreds of books for a new library, and medical supplies for the sparsely equipped clinics. Nothing created nearly as much excitement as bringing out the soccer gear at the school. The boys donned the uniforms and played a game that evening with me as an honored guest. It truly felt great to be a representative of WSSC. The photograph of one of the teams shows them in a pose with their arms across their chests. This is a way they say thank you and long life to each other (and to WSSC).

Many of the kids don't have shoes to wear, let alone soccer shoes. They may have on one plastic sandal, for their kicking foot. Another kid will have the mate. One boy was tying a string to keep a sock up on his kicking foot. Any and all used soccer gear - shoes, shin guards, jerseys and balls would be gratefully accepted for delivery to The Gambia in 2007.

Thanks so much for the generous donation of soccer gear to the kids of The Gambia.

Sandy Murray
Parent, WSSC
Volunteer, GambiaHELP

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Daily Observer, The Gambia, West Africa
Thursday, March 29, 2006
By Mariatou Ngum

GambiaHELP donates to RVTH
Shelby Tarutis from GambiaHELP, USA, last Thursday donated medical items worth thousands of Dalasis to the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital (RVTH) in Banjul.

The gifts which included theatre operation packs, intravenous fluids, specimen containers, surgical gloves, Ambulance life savings bags and books for the medical school, were received by deputy permanent secretary at the Department of State for Health and Social Welfare, Alhagie Omar Taal, on behalf of Dr. Tamsir Mbowe, Secretary of State for Health.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Mr. Taal asserted that government alone cannot cater for the health needs of the masses. He therefore commended the donor organization and other philanthropists for their help and support to the medical sector of the country. “The donated items, when put to good use, will go a long way towards improving the quality of health care offered to patients in this hospital,” he noted. He then expressed optimism that the collaboration between the two institutions will grow from strength to strength.

Beatrice A. Prom, communications manager of GCCI and public health officials of the hospital, and board members of GambiaHELP attended the ceremony.

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23rd March 2006

Ms. Shelby Tarutis, MPH
Director
Gambia Health Education Liaison Project
Sukuta Sanchaba, Kombo North
Serrekunda, The Gambia

Letter of Appreciation

It is with pleasure that I write to formally acknowledge receipt of the following donated to the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital (RVTH) for the benefit of the patients. Items receive are as follows:
IV fluids
Syringes
Specimen bottles
Ambu Bags (life saving equipment’s)
Books for the Medical School
Dressings
Pampas etc.

On behalf of the Hospital Management and patients, I wish to express sincere thanks for the gifts. Please be assured that this gift will be put into good use.

We look forward to your continued support, closer collaboration and cooperation. Thank you once again.

FOR: Ag. CHIEF MEDICAL DIRECTOR

cc: Secretary of State for Health
Ms Beatrice

Infirmary		Dispensary

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Star 101.5 "Bikes for Kids"

Dear Kent and Alan in the morning:

As a volunteer for the Seattle based non-profit, GambiaHELP, I was in Western Africa in 2005. A young man from Brikama, The Gambia wrote a letter asking me for help procuring a bicycle. His name is Sulyman Fatty. This young man takes his studies very seriously, as he wants to become a politician to help his country move into the future. But getting to school was a trek of 10 miles each way. A bicycle would be very helpful to assure that he could get there every day. I sent his letter on to your 'Bikes for Kids' program and you awarded him a bicycle. The new bike went on the shipping container in December, along with 20,000 books, dozens of computers, medical supplies and sewing machines to be distributed by GambiaHELP. The container arrived in The Gambia in February. I was able to deliver the bike to Sulyman in March. I have attached pictures of Sulyman and his bicycle. He is very grateful for such a generous gift. He takes great care to keep it in good working order. He is very proud of his new bike.

Thanks so much for what you do for the kids. And for considering a bike for a kid from a country on a different continent. Very cool. Good luck with your 'Bikes for Kids' program.

Sincerely,
Sandy Murray
Volunteer, GambiaHELP

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