By Lamin B. Darboe
The President of the “Plan for Gambia”, a Belgian based association disclosed that since the commencement work of his association in the Gambia four years ago, they drilled 9 Boreholes worth D2,970, 000 million within West Coast Region and Kanifing Municipality.
Mr. Francois Meersseman made this disclosure on Friday during an exclusive interview with our reporter at his Sea View Hotel resident a day after his team of 12 Belgian national’s arrival from Belgium.
Asked to explain the work of his association in The Gambia, Mr. Meersseman said “Plan for Gambia” is an association consists of group of Belgian nationals with various professional backgrounds and with many years of charitable services work in The Gambia.
According to Mr. Meersseman his association started operation in The Gambia in 2015 with the drilling of Boreholes within the schools and the communities in WCR and KM.
“We drilled 9 Boreholes free of charge to the following schools, Health Center and communities and they are; Sukuta Health Center, Kassa kunda community, Bakoteh Proper Lower Basic School, both Jambangjelly Nursery School and the community garden, Kachumeh Chicken farm, Sibanor community garden, Farato Nursery School and currently Sukuta Lower Basic School,” Mr. Meersseman revealed.
He said they are currently sponsoring 80 pupils at a Nursery School named after their association call “Plan for Gambia Nursery School” located at Nemakunku.
He revealed stated that it is their association who are also paying 50 per cent of both the teacher’s and cleaner’s salaries at “Plan for Gambia Nursery School.”
Mr. Meersseman informed our reporter that from 2018 to date, their association distributed 650 free washable sanitary pads to the mothers at “Swallow Nursery School” in Manjai-kunda and students attending Bakoteh Proper Lower Basic School.
“Disposable sanitary pads are on the market but fairly expensive for girls and ladies, but in 2018 “Plan for Gambia” started with the design and production of washable sanitary pads in The Gambia,” he informed.
The objective of the association now is to set-up a skill centre to locally produce these washable sanitary pads in the country with fewer prizes.
