Commonly called the Gunjur Project, the venue was initially set up as a residential centre for young people from UK to visit and experience life in Gambia. These were normally disadvantaged young people in UK trying to get into employment or education.
Writing for @Gunjur - The voice of Dabanani, Jenny Ringstead wrote: "From the people that have visited, the project has grown and we have many youth and adult groups that visited. All our visitors normally make a sponsorship, bring along gifts or embark on a community project. We identify areas for support working with the Kajabang VDC, local teachers and other community members."
Over the past seven years, she said Gunjur Project have been working with their partners in the UK - Project Gambia , which brings groups of students to Gambia to meet their Gambian peers. "Over the past 5 years we have worked together to bring containers of charitable items to Gambia and get them to people who need help.
In June 2017, our partners in UK packed 2x 40ft containers which we have received, unloaded and are distributing. There are boxes of clothes for compounds, School tables and chairs to serve approximately eight schools along with educational equipment, lots of teaching resources and aids for Gambia college as well as baby furniture following the crèche makeover we worked on earlier in June, equipment for Gunjur maternity ward" Mrs Ringstead noted.
According to its financial statement, the Gunjur Project from 2015 to 2016 received donations to the tune of £70,000 and this money has gone into funding its projects and supporting needy families. Majority of the donations came from the centre's partners and friends in Sunderland and Cumbria called Project Gambia, institutions and individuals from the UK and a few from Holland.
The centre runs projects such as volunteer management, environment, education, health, sport, small loans, family support, community engagement and a host of others. The project has so far raised over £ 6000 through the Cheshire Guides, Multipercussion and Gemma Bende to build a multi-purpose training centre as part of future plans called "Vision 2017". Upon completion, the centre will offer leadership training and development, IT training and support, emergency first aid training, batik and tie dye workshops, cookery and food preservation courses, environmental awareness, protection and development, healthy eating and wellbeing and many more.
For more informatuon, you can visit The Gunjur Project at:
www.thegunjurprojectgambia.net