Gambia Support Group Helps the Needy



The Independent (Banjul)

October 16, 2000

Banjul

The Gambia Support Group formed by Gambians based in Maryland-United States of
America in 1996 is a non-profit making association out to help needy Gambian
students and other individuals in need.

The association has a scholarship component and aims to help Gambians in the
United States and Gambian kids at home. It sponsors needy students from grades
7-12.

In an interview with The Independent Mr. Famara Sawaneh the director of
communications for the association who is currently on a visit to The Gambia
said initially when the association was formed it sent information to local
newspapers for needy students to apply and after screening they considered seven
applicants. He said they started sponsoring those students at the beginning of
the 1997/98 academic year.

Mr. Sawaneh however said eligibility for sponsorship always has three key
conditions; good grades, tuition fees only and not being in a private school,
and above all-need. He further asserted that screening is normally done in
America where none of the applicants is known to their ten member committee. He
said they have no local representative in order to avoid 'biasness and
favouritism during the selection process.'

Mr. Sawaneh said sometime last April a new committee of ten was appointed to run
the activities of the association. He added that the Committee replaced a
previous one which was active until there was a break of two academic years for
the seven sponsored students. He said the new committee went back to the records
to review and know who were qualified for support. He further announced that
finally some eight students will now benefit for sponsorship for the 2000/2001
academic year. He added that because not much information is known about them,
they decided to sensitize the people through the media.

When asked about their source of funding Mr. Sawaneh disclosed that they
solicited funds through fundraising activities in America. He also spoke about
the association's plans of expanding the sponsorship scheme to rural areas in
the name of decentralisation and after obtaining information as to how many
schools there are in every administrative area. He further added that they are
also interested in health programmes and that while in The Gambia, he was
privileged to get in touch with an organisation called Gambia Help through its
country representative Mathew Baldeh.

He said with enough collaboration with that organisation they would be able to
do a lot in the future. Mr. Sawaneh also spoke about his association's plans to
get involved in technology awareness programmes.

On how the association helped Gambians in America, he said they send
contributions if a Gambian dies in America and the corpse had to be transported
to The Gambia. He added that they also assist Gambians involved in legitimate
legal proceedings. He also hinted that they have a day care centre for Gambian
families where their kids would be taught about their cultural and religious
background.

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