from mariama date posted: 13th June 2008

DELIVERING AIDE TO AFRICA                              

Foday and I have recently returned to Australia after spending 2 months in Senegal, West Africa. Our reconnection with family and friends was fantastic, wonderful, emotional, incredibly rewarding and a very humbling experience. The other major part of the journey was to receive and distribute 1 tonne of donations that had been collected within the Gippsland regions which included natural medicines, insecticide impregnated mossie nets, eye glasses, soccer boots, educational material, 350kgs of clothes…etc. The THANK-YOUS from the people in receipt of this AIDE was overwhelming. AIDE was given to Ziguinchor Regional hospital,  to the hospital and people of GOUDOMP where the Drs have over 2000 patients each and their biggest battle is against malaria, DJIBELOR leper colony, pregnant mothers, babies and small children, ASC Kande soccer club, Caritas and the people in the villages of CHONKASEEL(Thoinka Seeyl) and KANDE BANETO.

A huge presentation day was organised at the local primary school in Kande Baneto for the handover of the donations. The Director and teacher of the school, the Mayor, Chief of the area, Imam, Inspector of schools in Ziguinchor, The President of ASC Kande (soccer), a journalist, representatives from TV and radio and about 600 members of the local community all gathered to give their appreciation to the people of Australia for their incredible generosity. The community leaders said that no-one had ever remembered them like this…ever.. their gratitude is endless. The end of the proceedings was celebrated by the mothers dancing with Foday playing drums with his cultural drumming team and everyone singing their praises. 

To all of you who supported this project I just want to pass on the THANK-YOUS you have received. I wish you all could have been there to see what I saw and to hear the words expressed from these people to you, just know that it was from the bottoms of their hearts.

We WILL do this again even though some obstacles from the various bureaucracies in Senegal drove us nuts. But the outcome was what it was all about. We are hoping to become more involved with the “Against Malaria” campaign too (more details later), and for a photographic journey of the distribution, go to the main menu and look up PROJECTS.

Many, many, many THANKS to Steve Wood, Michelle Tisdale & Women in Community, I-Care, Suzie Henderson, Tarwin Lower Health Foods, Colin McMicking, Meeniyan op shop (thanks Sue), Geertruida McRae, Lakes Entrance Primary school, Rotary Warragul and not forgetting all the fantastic supporters in Venus Bay and the Gippsland regions…………….     Mariama and Foday Camara

from mariama date 4/3/08

We are in Dakar, the crate finally released from customs. On our way with goodies tuesday !
Wulaba online date 17/1/08
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