ComAfrique InverSol Initiative (CII), funded by Amsterdam Dakar Challenge provided 200 Intelizon LED solar lights with backup mobile chargers to Gunjur Kunkujang Village, West Coast Region, The Gambia under its “Light up a Village” program on 10 November, 2018.
Mr. Bakary Janneh, the Alkalo of the village thanked Amsterdam Dakar Challenge and ComAfrique InverSol Initiative for providing them with the Intelizon LED solar lighting project that will help the village in future and also will help children to study in a clean light.
According to him, this is not the first time they are benefiting from Amsterdam Dakar and Madam Henriette Sonko.
VDC chairman Karim Bah, Mariama Bah and Mr. Sulayman Sarr also thanked Amsterdam Dakar challenge for this wonderful gesture said this project has come in time for the village.
VDC chairman Karim Bah mentioned that “Since we all know there is not Electricity in our area, in that case these lights will help us save a whopping 75% of our current cost of a candle and give us better light and most of all save us from fire accidents.”
Her Excellency Henriette Sonko, Consul General of Holland to The Gambia also welcomed the Amsterdam Dakar Challenge and thanked them for their kind gesture.
She mentioned about the other socially responsible efforts by the Amsterdam Dakar Challenge in the past.
Mr. Arthur Verheijien representative of Amsterdam Dakar Challenge, while thanking everybody at the village for their warm welcome and said that he hoped this programme gives the village light for their future and advised beneficiaries to take ownership of the lights and take good care of the them.
Famara Dampha, Implementation Manager of ComAfrique InverSol Initiative explained that: “The contributions are very important to this initiative; I would like to tell all the beneficiaries of the lights to pay their contributions on time in order for this project to be a success”.
He also thanked the Amsterdam Dakar Challenge for their Efforts for sponsor Gunjur Kunkujang Village.
ComAfrique InverSol has been operating in The Gambia since 2009 and has finish its 56 villages and 50 Rural Primary Health Centres in the Gambia and 140 villages in Bissau these lights provide much needed illumination for the subscribers enabling them to perform necessary tasks during the evening / night and helping the children to study during late hours. The subscribers of the solar lights showed their delight in getting the lights and have praised CII.
Gunjur Kunkujang ZonLight Committee has been formed with Mr. Sanna Suwareh – President, Mrs. Isatou Jatta – Secretary, Ebraima Jatta – Asst. Secretary, Mr. Sanna Sanneh – Auditor and Mr. Mamud Janneh – PRO, Korika Sidibeh Asst. PRO, Fatou Ngum as Cashier Jarra Kandeh and Alagie Sey – Members. This Committee will be responsible for the management and maintenance of the solar lights and will ensure the sustainability of the program.
All the 200 solar lights have been donated to the Gunjur Kunkujang ZonLight Committee which in turn leases the solar lights to the people in the village who agree to pay a contribution of GMD 2 per day per light. This contribution is collected and managed by the Gunjur Kunkujang ZonLight Committee and is called the Gunjur Kunkujang ZonLight Fund.
Gunjur Kunkujang ZonLight Fund will be used to replace the Intelizon LED solar lights after 6 years and replace the solar light batteries every 2 -3 years. Every 6 years, Gunjur Kunkujang will have a surplus fund from the Gunjur Kunkujang ZonLight Fund collections that can be used for any development activity decided by the village.
