Time for another update about the activities on Jinack, The Gambia, directed towards the sponsors of the project and everyone who is concerned with the benefit of Jinack.
The Clinic
The necessity for the foundation of a local clinic, the realisation of reachable healthcare, specially catering for pregnancy- childbirth- and infancy-care, becomes clear when we look at the number of patients taken care of. Also the care for malaria patients, soon strongly rising due to the rain season, is an important task. The first six months of 2010 shows over 1800 patients; the second half year - so including many malaria patients – over 2800 patients were assisted! Over the year some 40 children were born in ideal circumstances, although very unfortunately one baby girl of a twin, later passed away. For an island where in the past no help or medicine was available at all, where for many patients no medical assistance was possible, a world of change!
Farm Project Bakindiki Koto
Between now and 2016 this project must be “full-grown” and capable of not only bearing the costs for this project itself, but also those off the clinic and ambulance services and also the costs for the teachers of the lower basic school on Jinack. Furthermore it must result in higher quantity and variation of food available to the inhabitants of Jinack, to enhance health and wellbeing. Details concerning the births in the second half year in the clinic, shows administration of birth weights in three groups: less, on or above 1.5 kilo’s! The figures reads as follows: less than 1.5 = 0: 1.5 kg = 12: above 1.5kg = 9 . There is much to gain.
The year 2010 shows all kind of pilot-projects finished, in which we experienced successes (mais/tomatoes/onion/chicken) but also some disappointments (cabbage/cucumber). A lot of experience was gained and a lot was learned, supported by training by external bodies and foundations. The following produce was harvested and sold: 4000kg of mais, 1400kg of tomatoes, 1000kg of onions and 98 chickens . We are planning to double the quantities of mais and tomatoes for this new season and consider new pilots with cabage and cucumber.
By new sponsorships we are able to continue to invest, first of all by enlarging the borehole-installation and fields with drip lines. Furthermore by ordering a mais-dehauler from Senegal, which safes some 12% income in the future, by cleaning the mais ourselves. Also we will offer the use of this machine by surrounding farms on North Bank, the use to be paid in kind: with a percentage of the produce processed, as is custom. The paw-paw and banana trees are growing prosperously and we are hoping for our first harvests this year.
Financially we are doing reasonably, we plan to make our first profits in the season 2012-2013!
"This project is conducted in cooperation with the National Committee for International Cooperation and Sustainable Development."
2BaB Foundation is more than willing to draw your attention to the website www.ncdo.nl , which includes information about the United Nation´s millennium development goals.
2BaB Foundation does not just commit itself to the United Nation´s Millennium Development Goals (http://mdgs.un.org/), we want to be active in the realization of all eight goals. Only the realization of the Millennium Goals will significantly improve the living standards on Jinack.
Update Farm Project Bakindiki Koto December 2010
Time for another update about the activities on Jinack, The Gambia, directed towards the sponsors of the project and everyone who is concerned with the benefit of Jinack.
Farm Project Bakindiki Koto
We raised the flags in November. Eight hectares of corn were harvested and the first tomato harvest was sold to the Atlantic Hotel in Banjul!
The Kutejumbulu women harvested the corn in a couple of days and used the poultry shed as a temporary storage. At this time the corn will be stripped from the cobs and then stored until spring, which is when market prices are most favourable. Ten percent of the harvest will be handed to the women right away for private use, to thank them for their hard work.
Three areas with tomatoes are under cultivation on the farmland (photograph left), each with a different period of cultivation, so that we will be able to supply a considerable quantity of tomatoes until the end of the tourist season in March. We made initial agreements with several hotels and restaurants about the supply. And supplies will increase as the area of land under cultivation grows. The cucumber field (photograph on the right) will yield its first harvest in December, which will be sold to the same hotels and restaurants that buy the tomatoes. The farmers have prepared beds for the cultivation of papayas and onions, planted cabbage and doubled the cultivation of bananas.
During our recent visit agreements were made with the Department of State for Agriculture about the training of young men on the farm. Soon several agricultural technicians will stay a couple of days on the farm to advise our staff.
And there is more positive news. The revolving rice fund, which supplies free seed to the women, seems to yield a promising result this year. The rainy season turned out to be good this; there was enough rain and luckily not as much as last year. Last year we had to settle for a return of seed that equalled the amount we supplied. This year this amount will be duplicated to 14 bags of 40 kilograms each. We will store this seed on the Farm and distribute it next year again under the same condition of double returns. The power tiller that was put at our disposal (by the Gambian Department of State for Agriculture to thank us and support our initiative) will ensure that next years harvest of this basic food will be much larger. Another positive effect for the community is that more girls are going to school, because less of their help is required in preparing the soil for the cultivation of rice.
Lastly, we can report that we started a fishery project: based on the necessity to have an own means of transportation from the island to the mainland, from Jinack to Bakindiki Koto. One of the village elders' family constructed a boat some time ago and a recent television program on the Gambian network about our projects caused a far relative to donate an outboard motor. When the village elder decided to donate the boat and outdoor motor to our foundation, we decided to purchase fishing nets. For young men were thus provided a better future.
Whenever the boat is not required for transportation, the men go fishing with it. The income this generates is equally distributed among the fishermen and the foundation. The fish they catch is sold on the market in Banjul, but some species, among which Lady Fish, that are popular with the tourists, are sold to the hotels and restaurants.
Thus we have generated two local sources of income for the foundation: agriculture and fishery. Our goal for 2011 is to reach the break even point. The monthly fixed costs for our farm amount to 500 euro. All other income generated will be for the benefit of the facilities of Jinack, the ambulance, the school and its staff of approximately twenty who have their source of income there. After all, our aim is sustainable development, to guarantee these facilities for the future.
If you are thinking about doing a good deed this New Year; we planned a couple of projects for 2011 and your financial contribution is more than welcome. We want to purchase a threshing-machine process both our corn and -in exchange for compensation- the harvest of other farmers in the area. We also plan to build a water tower and a green house on the farm. Finally the oldest school building needs a renovation.
"This project is conducted in cooperation with the National Committee for International Cooperation and Sustainable Development."
2BaB Foundation is more than willing to draw your attention to the website www.ncdo.nl , which includes information about the United Nation´s millennium development goals.
2BaB Foundation does not just commit itself to the United Nation´s Millennium Development Goals (http://mdgs.un.org/), we want to be active in the realization of all eight goals. Only the realization of the Millennium Goals will significantly improve the living standards on Jinack.
If you are not a sponsor of 2BaB Foundation, we would very much appreciate your donation on bank account number 26.04.53.315 of Van Lanschot in Almere. We guarantee for the full 100% that all donations will be directly for the benefit of the project. All administrative and travel expenses are paid for out of our own pockets.
Update Farm Project Bakindiki Koto, September 2010
Time for another update about the activities on Jinack, The Gambia, directed towards the sponsors of the project and everyone who is concerned with the benefit of Jinack.
The Clinic
Another visit was paid to The Gambia - relatively soon after our previous visit - in connection with the Farm project. This time we also visited the Jinack Community Clinic, where we spent the night. It was good to see that the building is well-maintained and that the local population make good use of the facility. Patients are neatly waiting for their turn in the morning.
Photograph: The clinic
One of the local Clinic's biggest advantages is that it offers healthcare within a safe distance, mainly aimed at pregnant women, childbirth as well as the care of toddlers. Another important task is the care for malaria patients, especially now during the rainy season. The two days prior to our arrival, the island population welcomed three newborns, among which a twin from the nearby village of Niji. As we did before on such occasions, we took a photograph of the happy mother and her tow beautiful sons. She will be handed a copy on our next visit.
Photgraph: The twins
Farm Project Bakindiki Koto
Nothing but good news about the Farm Project: the corn has grown up to 2 meters tall, covering an area of 8 hectares and containing up to 3 corn cobs of considerable size on each plant. The crops are now fully grown and drying. Depending on this process the corn will be harvested probably somewhere in October by hand. Most likely the corn will also have to be stripped from the cobs by hand. We would like to purchase a machine for this purpose, a so-called mais-dehauler, in Senegal. This machine may then also to other farmers in the area. This will require an investment of approximately € 8500,--.
Photographs: The corn fields
Two and a half hectares of soil have been prepared for the cultivation of fruit and vegetables. And we have our beautiful water installation with driplines to irrigate this soil. Of course, the full potential of the installation will not become clear until after the rainy season, a period during which farmers normally depend on shallow wells and buckets. To gain some practical experience 300 meters of tomato beds and 300 meters of cabbage beds were prepared, divided into twelve double beds of 25 meters each. More dripline beds containing onions and cucumber will be prepared in the coming weeks.
Photograph: Farm buildings with driplines
Finally, some more good news: the pick-up truck for the Farm was delivered on the day of our departure. Its main purpose is the transportation of harvest to customers in both The Gambia and Senegal, the transportation of material destined for the farm and the clinic, and the transportation of labor force, where necessary.
Photograph: pick-up truck
"This project is conducted in cooperation with the National Committee for International Cooperation and Sustainable Development."
2BaB Foundation is more than willing to draw your attention to the website www.ncdo.nl , which includes information about the United Nation´s millennium development goals.
2BaB Foundation does not just commit itself to the United Nation´s Millennium Development Goals (http://mdgs.un.org/), we want to be active in the realization of all eight goals. Only the realization of the Millennium Goals will significantly improve the living standards on Jinack.
If you are not a sponsor of 2BaB Foundation, we would very much appreciate your donation on bank account number 26.04.53.315 of Van Lanschot in Almere. We guarantee for the full 100% that all donations will be directly for the benefit of the project. All administrative and travel expenses are paid for out of our own pockets.
Time for another update about the activities on Jinack, The Gambia, directed towards the sponsors of the project and everyone who is concerned with the benefit of Jinack.
Farm Project Bakindiki Koto
According to plan we visited our project in The Gambia in July. The aim of this visit was mainly to monitor the progress of the Farm Project, besides the financial report of 2009. One of the accomplishments was the construction of four buildings, in Gambian style, for our workmen on the farm.
The team consists of nine young men, a hired tractor driver, our 'manager' on site Ismaila Sonko, and an older watchman to patrol the farm at night. One of the buildings will be the quarters of the manager Ismaila, Fatou Darbou and a second young lady. Another large building will house the young men. The building without a roof, which is about to be placed on top, will have multiple uses as a kitchen, diner, shelter for the rainy season and will provide shade for chores such as cleaning and quality sorting of harvest.
Last but not least, another large building was constructed for poultry farming.
Photograph: group photo, including donkey, at the farm
We purchased a tractor and agricultural machinery, imported from China and Senegal. For transportation on the farm land we purchased a donkey and cart. We also made a storage by elevating two sea containers above ground level -in connection with the rainy season- and welded a roof construction in between to be able to store our machinery and tools dry and in the shade. The roofing has already been completed.
Photograph: the storage with purchased machinery and tractor
Also, a pumping installation was constructed. Unfortunately, it turned out that, despite drilling three extra boreholes of up to 70 meters deep, the mainland here contains less water than upcountry. The pumping unit now has the capacity to move about 2000 litres an hour. The water will be pumped to a drip irrigation system that will cover 1 hectare of land -all materials to construct this irrigation system have been purchased and are on site- and several taps will be included for surface irrigation of another two hectares of land. We purchased tomato seed from the Department of State for Agriculture and will soon start to cultivate this vegetable crop.
Photograph: building farm with water tank
The young men have received several days of training in horticulture and agriculture techniques from a befriended American NGO. Training was also offered by the Department of State for Agriculture. In a recent visit after a personal interview we were promised technical assistance from a specialist that will visit our project on the north bank on a regular basis.
The tractor driver we hired will train one of the young men for the next 6 months. During this period we will check if more training is required.
Agriculture
A lot of work has been done on the farmland. Not only with our machinery but also by the hands of the people of Jinack. First of all the soil was converted into arable land on the basis of unpaid community work. One of the strict conditions was that the trees were left unharmed. Subsequently we started ploughing with our machinery. First by using the disc harrow, behind the tractor, to do the rough work and then the rotary cultivator to loosen the soil. Finally, we sowed the corn with our seeder and the coming period weeds will be removed from the soil with our weeder. This has already been done and 8 hectares of corn crops are now being cultivated on our farm. The first results were already visible; neat rows of crops can already be seen a couple of centimetres above the ground.
Photograph: the logo of the Bakinidiki Koto Farm Project has officially been attached to the tractor and machinery
Movie: the tractor on our farm
We achieved the main goal of the project – which involves a lot of on-the-job training – to reactivate agriculture, which the villagers abandoned after a drought that lasted a couple of years because of a lack of resources to buy seed. The seed and machinery supplied by our foundation were the incentive for three inhabitants of the island to start farming again. They converted extra hectares of soil into arable land for private use. This land was ploughed and sowed with the seed provided by our foundation - an opportunity for our student tractor driver to gain some extra experience. And this is exactly what we aim to achieve: to revive agriculture by offering on-the-job training to the youth and providing seed and machinery. Our long-term objective is to activate the local economy so that people will start their own businesses and will be able to self-support their facilities on the island, such as the school and clinic.
Setbacks
Unfortunately, not everything went according to plan. We came across some setbacks in the course of this large project. On the one hand, we went over budget during the construction of the buildings, which turned out to be more expensive because they were built more extensive than planned. But also the financial crisis and the less favourable exchange rates between Dollar, Euro and Dalasi affected our budget. We don't have a clear view of the exact consequences at the moment. However, we managed to cut some costs by buying used revised equipment from Senegal instead of new, and negotiated higher discounts with our suppliers. In any case, the foundation's reserves are sufficient to cope with the extra costs.
Poultry farm
We are one step closer in realising this project thanks to the funds raised by the NVC soccer family tournament in Naarden and the eight months of training received by our manager Ismaila and Fatou at a befriended foundation. During the tournament that was held in May enough funds were raised to construct the poultry house, which has already been completed. Soon we will purchase the first broilers.
We will visit the Farm Project again In September to closely monitor the start-up.
"This project is conducted in cooperation with the National Committee for International Cooperation and Sustainable Development."
2BaB Foundation is more than willing to draw your attention to the website www.ncdo.nl , which includes information about the United Nation´s millennium development goals.
2BaB Foundation does not just commit itself to the United Nation´s Millennium Development Goals (http://mdgs.un.org/), we want to be active in the realization of all eight goals. Only the realization of the Millennium Goals will significantly improve the living standards on Jinack.
If you are not a sponsor of 2BaB Foundation, we would very much appreciate your donation on bank account number 26.04.53.315 of Van Lanschot in Almere. We guarantee for the full 100% that all donations will be directly for the benefit of the project. All administrative and travel expenses are paid for out of our own pockets.
Time for another update about the activities on Jinack, The Gambia, directed towards the sponsors of the project and everyone who is concerned with the benefit of Jinack.
You haven't heard from us for some time, which is because the start-up of the Farm Project involves a lot of hard work. In the meantime there have been a lot of e-mails and phone calls back and forth and everything is going well, although sometimes in an African fashion.
Farm Project Bakindiki Koto
Jinack's heads of family have contractually conveyed the use of 15 hectares of land for a period of 50 years. The buildings (three have been constructed at the express wish of the counterpart) are all finished except for the roofing. The lavatories are in the final stage of construction and the well has been drilled. The farm will be occupied in a week time and, consequently, the week after the solar collectors and the pump will be connected as well as the drip irrigation system for the first part of the vegetable garden. The tractor and trailer have arrived, from China, on the farm. Agricultural machinery for the tractor have been ordered. This includes a seeder for sowing corn and a weeder for removing weeds, which are on their way from Senegal. We contracted an experienced tractor driver for a period of 6 months to train the candidate driver.
Nine young men are working to convert the land into arable land from day to day. They are being assisted by the local population of Jinack (mostly women) to have everything prepared in time for the coming rainy season.
A visit to the project in The Gambia is now planned for the third week of July. Of course we will publish the photographs of this visit in our next update.
Poultry Project
Another achievement was the start-up, on a small scale, of a Poultry Project. A befriended foundation in Kartong trained two young persons in the art of poultry farming for a period of 8 months. We approached NVCharity again to raise funds for this project. They organised the soccer family tournament in Naarden on May 31st last. The proceeds were 2,600.--, enough to purchase a poultry house, equipment and the first hens. This is carried out on the Bakindiki Koto Farm where the poultry house was built together with the other buildings. Our foundation advanced the funds to do this.
Photo: Brigitta Boonacker from NVCharity hands over the cheque to Bob Vlietstra, treasurer of 2BaB Foundation.
For more information about the NVCharity Tournament check: www.nvcharity.nl.
"This project is conducted in cooperation with the National Committee for International Cooperation and Sustainable Development."
2BaB Foundation is more than willing to draw your attention to the website www.ncdo.nl , which includes information about the United Nation´s millennium development goals.
2BaB Foundation does not just commit itself to the United Nation´s Millennium Development Goals (http://mdgs.un.org/), we want to be active in the realization of all eight goals. Only the realization of the Millennium Goals will significantly improve the living standards on Jinack.
If you are not a sponsor of 2BaB Foundation, we would very much appreciate your donation on bank account number 26.04.53.315 of Van Lanschot in Almere. We guarantee for the full 100% that all donations will be directly for the benefit of the project. All administrative and travel expenses are paid for out of our own pockets.
