By: Landing Colley
Rotary club of Boston St Bostolph, Rotary Club of Spalding and Gambia Experience, ComAfriqueInverSol Initiative (CII), on 22nd October 2019, provided 70Intelizon LED solar lights with backup mobile chargers to Sameh Koto Village, North Bank Region, The Gambia under its “Light up a Village” program.
Funded by the Rotary Club of Boston St Botolph and Rotary Club of Spalding Lights up Sameh Koto Village with ComAfrique InverSol Initiative.
Welcoming remark by the Alkalo of the village Mr. Faye Camara, thanked Gambia Experience, Rotary Club of Boston& Spalding 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.
He advice the beneficiary to take good care of this initiative.
Yankuba Janneh, head of Village light committee commended Gambia Experience for this wonderful gesture said this project has come in time for the village.
Mr. Alagie Faye, chairman Village Development Committee explained 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.”
Famara Dampha, Implementation Manager of ComAfrique InverSol Initiative pointed out 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 thanked Gambia Experience and Rotary Club of Boston St Botolph and Rotary Club of Spalding for their Efforts for sponsor Sameh Koto village in Upper Niumi District North Bank Region The Gambia.
Sameh Koto kunda ZonLight Committee has been formed with Mr. Yankuba Janneh – President, Mr–Bakary Camara Secretary, Dembo Jarju–Auditor and Yaya Drammeh– PRO, Fatoumata Njie as Cashier. This Committee will be responsible for the management and maintenance of the solar lights and will ensure the sustainability of the program.
All the 40solar lights have been donated to the Upper Niumi District Sameh koto 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 Sameh koto ZonLight Committee and is called the Sameh koto ZonLight Fund.
Sameh Koto 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, Sameh Koto will have a surplus fund from the Sameh Koto ZonLight Fund collections that can be used for any development activity decided by the village.
ComAfriqueInverSol has been operating in The Gambia since 2009 and has finish its 65 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.
