Firstly I would just like to say as massive Thank You to Sandy and her team for letting us spend more time with them again this year.
The Scouts in Sanyang who did an amazing parade for us, they were so in time with there steps, movements and salutes. They also played & sang Happy Birthday to me which was very moving for me and the memory will last forever. It where an honour to watch them parade. A massive well done to Janko the scout leader, to which I may add is only 23/ 24 years old.
The Head Teacher and Staff at Basori for letting us come to the school once again. Making us feel so welcome with banners for our arrival, which are very nice keep sakes for us. The school is coming on leaps and bounds through Sandy's hard work and dedication to the village.
A few Thanks You's now as I feel we need to,
- The ladies from the village for coming out in full force to put on a welcome for us and getting us up to dance (they are very good at it too).
- Fansu, Bless and Baba for putting up with me and Jonny and for being so kind to us all through our holiday. Loved spending time with you guys.
Last put not least I have a Thank Bless's sister for cooking us real Gambian food on our visits. Her food is amazing. While sitting under the mango tree in there compound having lunch, with the kids playing, the odd donkey passing by it's hard to describe the felling you get from this.
Thank you again to everyone.
Stephen & Jonny
I contacted Sandy after reading about Goal for the Gambia on Tripadvisor. I was planning our first trip to The Gambia, which for our children (Matilda 7 and Rudy 5) would be the first trip outside Europe. I was determined to ensure we all got a proper insight into life there, rather than just life in the hotel or on the beach. I also wanted to make sure we made some sort of contribution towards helping the local people - in a positive and organised way rather than haphazard hand-outs to whoever asked on the street. Happily, I could not have made a better decision, or contacted a better person for the job than Sandy! I won't repeat what all the other guests have said about their visits to Basori, but I will add that it is not something you can come home and forget about. Everyone in my family has talked about it every day since. It is quite an experience to be able to spend time in both the nursery and the compound and the geniune warmth and happiness you feel from the people there is very special. Everyone, including the usually fussy and 'moody' Rudy, couldn't get enough of the delicious lunch (chicken in peanut sauce with rice - eaten communally so a new experience all round). The kids had taken off their shoes and commenced playing on the dusty floor with all the other children within minutes of arriving. Who needs TVs, DS's and Wiis? It makes you think about priorities in life, and the crazy pace of life we have back here in the cold. Anyway, we're certainly going to continue our relationship with the charity and with Basori in whatever (modest - sadly) way we can, starting with sponsorship of one of the children. We all can't wait to go back in December 2012. Thank you Sandy, Fansu, Bless, Basori Nursery and all the children and Mums (and there might have been one or two dads around too...) for a truly wonderful experience. PS I'm not coming back until I have practiced my dance moves - or indeed taken control of the video camera from my husband so he can have a turn with the crazy funky lady with the whistle!!
Having read about Sandy and Goal for the Gambia on Tripadvisor we contacted Sandy to arrange a visit to the Basori Nursery School during our first visit to the Gambia in late November. We took some things for the school and a small donation a colleague at work had raised from running the Great North Run. We thought the visit would give an insight to the real Gambia but didn't really know what to expect.
The day was completely overwhelming. Sandy and her team are doing a wonderful job and being a small charity you are ensured that your donation is put to good use and not lost in administration costs and overheads.
The welcome at the nursery took us aback. We felt like royalty ( until we had to join the ladies dancing and everyone laughed at our attempts!).
The children were so enthusiastic - singing and demonstrating their reading and later playing frisbie with us once we had shown them how to throw it!
Later we visited Bless's family compound for a traditional lunch. We were able to find out more about the Gambian way of life- the men certainly have an easier life than the women!
We will continue to support Sandy in her work to make a difference to those who have so little but are still full of life and enthusiasm. And we have certainly learned to appreciate what we have at home. Thank you , Sandy .
The day was completely overwhelming. Sandy and her team are doing a wonderful job and being a small charity you are ensured that your donation is put to good use and not lost in administration costs and overheads.
The welcome at the nursery took us aback. We felt like royalty ( until we had to join the ladies dancing and everyone laughed at our attempts!).
The children were so enthusiastic - singing and demonstrating their reading and later playing frisbie with us once we had shown them how to throw it!
Later we visited Bless's family compound for a traditional lunch. We were able to find out more about the Gambian way of life- the men certainly have an easier life than the women!
We will continue to support Sandy in her work to make a difference to those who have so little but are still full of life and enthusiasm. And we have certainly learned to appreciate what we have at home. Thank you , Sandy .
We visited the Basori nursery in December 2011 and this was definatley the highlight of the holiday. We were picked up from our hotel and drove to Basori where we were entertained by the lovely (and rather hyper!!) ladies. The children were brilliant and showed how well behaved they were and how much they had learned when they sang us a song about what they have been learning.
We then visited the village and had a beautiful meal at the compound of Bless and his family (probably our best meal whilst in Gambia!!) We also had the privalage of meeting King Baba!
Whilst in the village we met a local family who we are now hoping to help and then sponsor a little girl from the family when she is a little older.
All in all a fantastic charity doing brilliant things and we are definatley going to stay in touch and try and help out as seeing it first hand really does make it hit home how lucky we are in England.
Cannot wait until March 2012 for out return to Gambia and another visit to Basori to see Sandy, Bless, our new Gambian family and all the children at Basori!
We then visited the village and had a beautiful meal at the compound of Bless and his family (probably our best meal whilst in Gambia!!) We also had the privalage of meeting King Baba!
Whilst in the village we met a local family who we are now hoping to help and then sponsor a little girl from the family when she is a little older.
All in all a fantastic charity doing brilliant things and we are definatley going to stay in touch and try and help out as seeing it first hand really does make it hit home how lucky we are in England.
Cannot wait until March 2012 for out return to Gambia and another visit to Basori to see Sandy, Bless, our new Gambian family and all the children at Basori!
Sandy is a very nice lady and a very big thankyou to Sandy .Even the pople in the school were happy.
love from Madison aged 7
love from Madison aged 7
I have written and rewritten this entry several times each time erasing it and starting again. I think the problem is,is that there are no amount of words that can describe our truly wonderful experience that Sandy gave us on visiting Basori school. Anyone visiting Gambia MUST plan a day with Sandy. From being collected from our hotel to arriving at the school to dancers and singers to seeing the tremendous good work that Sandy is doing in very harsh conditions. She is an angel sharing her hopes and dreams to a lot of families and children who would otherwise have no hope. She has energy,love and vision which was witnessed continually through out our visit.Don't waste your money on excursions from the hotel. Go buy pencils and exercise books and spend the day with Sandy and experince Gambia as it truly is.
We would like to thank Sandy for the amazing day that we spent with her at Basori. Sandy is doing some wonderful work and we were more than impressed with how things are going and it was great to see first hand that all money raised is being put to the best resources and very well organised.
We visited Basori Nursery school and were made to feel very welcome and had fun dancing with the local female entertainers. We were pleased with the structure of this school, all the children were so well behaved, happy and clever, after visiting the school, Sandy took us to Bless's family in the village, where the sisters cooked us a lovely meal.
We would recommend to anyone a visit to Basori with Sandy, it will a wonderful day and one to certainly remember.
We can’t wait for our next visit to Basori and we are looking forward to working closely with Sandy and helping Goal4Gambia in every way we can.
Once again.. Thank you Sandy for everything and all the good work you are doing, it was a pleasure to meet you, and you are a very special kindhearted lady, an inspiration to us all.
Kind regards
Faye & Mark xx
We visited Basori Nursery school and were made to feel very welcome and had fun dancing with the local female entertainers. We were pleased with the structure of this school, all the children were so well behaved, happy and clever, after visiting the school, Sandy took us to Bless's family in the village, where the sisters cooked us a lovely meal.
We would recommend to anyone a visit to Basori with Sandy, it will a wonderful day and one to certainly remember.
We can’t wait for our next visit to Basori and we are looking forward to working closely with Sandy and helping Goal4Gambia in every way we can.
Once again.. Thank you Sandy for everything and all the good work you are doing, it was a pleasure to meet you, and you are a very special kindhearted lady, an inspiration to us all.
Kind regards
Faye & Mark xx
Would really like to thank Sandy and the rest of her support team that made our visit to Basuri school such a magical experience. My jaw ached for hours afterwards from the amount of smiling and laughing from meeting the children. I really feel that the goal4gambia organization is a worthwhile and genuine charity that will make a massive difference in a lot of people's lives in the future. It was certainly the highlight of our holiday in the Gambia and we will be committed to supporting the charity in whatever way we can. Once again Sandy, thank you !
From Fatou Badji, AKA Emilie Simpson
Ebrima Jabaken Tim Tovey
From Fatou Badji, AKA Emilie Simpson
Ebrima Jabaken Tim Tovey
My brother and I visited Basori in November and it was the highlight of our week. Having contacted Sandy before we travelled, she kindly collected us from our hotel. On arrival at the school we were treated like royalty, it was quite overwhelming.
After visiting each classroom, where the children sang for us, we were entertained by a group of local ladies who sang and danced, also persuading us to join in! We were given an 'official' welcome by Ibrima, the wonderful headmaster and then by the village's deputy mayor.
The regard in which Sandy and her helpers are held, quite rightfully, is wonderful to see and the effect this school is having on the community is obvious.
Every gift and donation is received with great appreciation and for such a small contribution of £5 per month to educate one of these children seems like a privilege to me.
I would also like to thank Bless and his family for the wonderful lunch laid on at his compound. We had so much fun with the children there, although I am still recovering from blowing up the balloons we brought!
This is a small charity that is really making a huge difference to many people in great need and it deserves your support.
Thank you Sandy for allowing us to witness your wonderful work.
Best wishes for the future.
After visiting each classroom, where the children sang for us, we were entertained by a group of local ladies who sang and danced, also persuading us to join in! We were given an 'official' welcome by Ibrima, the wonderful headmaster and then by the village's deputy mayor.
The regard in which Sandy and her helpers are held, quite rightfully, is wonderful to see and the effect this school is having on the community is obvious.
Every gift and donation is received with great appreciation and for such a small contribution of £5 per month to educate one of these children seems like a privilege to me.
I would also like to thank Bless and his family for the wonderful lunch laid on at his compound. We had so much fun with the children there, although I am still recovering from blowing up the balloons we brought!
This is a small charity that is really making a huge difference to many people in great need and it deserves your support.
Thank you Sandy for allowing us to witness your wonderful work.
Best wishes for the future.
Having visited Basori last week with Sandy, I would like to thank everyone involved in making it a day to remember, in so many ways. The welcome we were given by staff, pupils, parents and villagers was overwhelming and to see the work that is being done by all concerned is quite humbling.
I would like to thank Bless and his family for the wonderful lunch prepared for us in his compound and would like to wish every success for the project in the future.
I would like to thank Bless and his family for the wonderful lunch prepared for us in his compound and would like to wish every success for the project in the future.