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Further help can be reached by placing your mouse pointer over the buttons. A dedicated help section is also provided and accessed through the main site. GAMBI NEWS Friends of Manding make headline news in the Evening Gazette and the Essex Chronicle.. . Keith, Dr. Ceesay and late Lorna Robinson COUPLE HELPING MAKE DREAM COME TRUE A week’s holiday in the Gambia became a lifechanging experience for a Colchester couple. Lorna and Keith Robinson had travelled to the West African republic for a short break – little knowing that their visit would eventually lead to an ongoing link with its people. DREAM By coincidence, Mrs Robinson, a state enrolled nurse, met Gambian-born Dr Alhasan Ceesay through her job at Colchester General hospital, and heard about his dream to build a hospital in his home village, Njawara. Njawara, with a 2,000 population, has to rely on one of the country’s three hospitals, which is 100 miles away. Malaria, diarrhoea, pneumonia and malnutrition account for many of the 21 per cent of deaths under five years old. Mrs Robinson, of Finchingfield Way, Blackheath, said: “We went out for a week’s holiday, and it was such a culture shock that by the end of the week I didn’t want to come home. “So we booked for two weeks the next year.” Dr Ceesay, who works at the Royal Victoria Hospital in the capital Banjul, has set his sights on the creation of two children’s wards, with a maternity section following on. He said: “We need to start building the children’s wing of the proposed hospital for the centre and need assistance to raise funds. “10 bags of cement cost £78, and we need 2,000 to build the wing. “We also need help for much-needed medicines and equipment to help teach the villagers to become nurses and health workers.” DONATED Mrs Robinson, a nurse for the past 31 years, is already sending the village medical items donated by the general hospital and a private hospital in Southend. The Robinsons and Dr Ceesay are currently going through the legal process needed to register the Friends of Manding as a charity. And they know it is going to take time and effort to raise the necessary funds. But she said: “There is nothing else but the Gambia – that is all we do really. “Once you have been out there and actually seen it, you have got to give it your all and do your best. “It is going to take several years, but we will have to take it bit by bit,” she added. Anyone wishing to hold a fundraising event or make a donation should contact Mr and Mrs Robinson on 01206 546628 or e-mail robinson@finchingfieldoo.freeserve.co.uk or visit the Friends of Manding Beehive site at http://beehive.thisisessex.co.uk/Gambimed FRIENDS OF MANDING : NEWS BREAK We are pleased to anounce that Dr. Alhasan S. Ceesay has just had another book published in August 2008. Medicine for the villager is a sequele to the legend against all odds. Proceeds from both books go to help operations of Manding Medical Centre at Njawara village in the Gambia, West Africa. Both books can be viewed or purchased by logging onto amazon.com searching for the above under books section. We thank you for participating in this charitable work. Dr. Ceesay can be e-mailed thus: alhasanceesay@hotmail.com BOOK'S CASH GOES TO HELP AFRICAN HOSPITAL Schools in the Gambia could get a financial boost from a new book - a year after recieving more than 1,000 books from Essex schools. Dr. Alhasan Ceesay, who made the appeal, writes about his fight to get a western education in Africa during the 1950s and 1960s. Proceeds from the sale of The Legend Against All Odds will help build a children's unit at the Manding Medical Centre, near his home village, Njawara. Dr. Ceesay's charity links with Colchester began after he met Finchingfield Way couple Keith and Lorna Robinson, through Mrs. Robinson's nursing job at the town's general hospital. His book is now on sale in the USA and through out the EU. One can also buy the book from: www.amazon.com. Click on books, enter the title of the book and click search. You will be directed as to how to obtain the "The Legend Against All Odds". Dr. Ceesay has just completed his second Manuscript and portion of proceeds from it will be used for funding Manding Medical Centre at Njawara. Dr. Ceesay welcomes any ideas, leads or suggestions any can give to help boost the centre' goal of providing medical aid to the villagers. This self-help health Organisation in Gambia needs your support. Dr. Ceesay said "Our African fledgling governments will take centuries of evolution to do us any good. Hence, individuals like me are trying, in a feasable way, to solve or meet some of the primary needs of our people by having villagers participate toward positive development of their regions. Manding Medical Centre welcomes your input as it strives to serve the Gambia. The centre is necessary and a much needed facility for the region. We look forward to contacts and groups able to join us in our desire to provide medical service to villagers. Help us catch a dream for the Gambian children". NOV. 2002 FRIENDS OF MANDING CHARITABLE TRUST The Friends of Manding are delighted to announce that their charity in support of Manding Medical centre at Njawara, The gambia, has been entred in the Central Register of Charities with effect from 21 AUGUST 2001. Registered No.1088136. FRIENDS OF MANING is the registered charity in the U.K. of MANDING MEDICAL CENTRE at Njawara in the Gambia West Africa. We are one and the same health orgainsation. Our aim is to provide good healthcare to villagers on the North Bank of the Gambia. Any assistance you feel able to provide in cash or kind, will be gratefully received and utilised for the centre'objectives for the region. Thank you. Mrs. Lorna Robinson Secretary 21 AUGUST 2001 NEWS FLASH 12 AMERICANS VISTING A class of 11 students and their instructor, Mr. Thomas Ray from Alpena Community College, Alpena, Michigan will be visiting the Gambia as guest of the Centre from 6 - 19th of May 2005. They will be visiting communities and turtor at local schools. Alpena has developed interest in project Manding Medical Centre. We are negotiating to have this exchange as an ongoing affair between Alpena and Njawara. 6/3/05 AMERICAN REACTIONS AFTER NJAWARA TRIP The Alpena community College students have started sending their report and experience as guests of Manding Medical Centre, Njawara, The Gambia. Bellow is that from Alison Jane Smolinski. " Hello Dr. Ceesay, The trip to Njawara was incredible! I did not want to leave. It was an experience of a lifetime that I will never forget. Everyone in the village was very kind and helpful. I have never met such kind people in my entire life. I found the villagers doing everything possible to make their lives better. I realized that many people work together to get a job done or finished, this is absolutely wonderful. Everyone was so helpful in the village. The people of Njawara gave us such wonderful hospitality. The food and shelter was much more than we deserved. Mrs. Fatou Koma Ceesay was all too good to us. we had a remarkable time with her at Bundung. Her cooking was excellent. And the gifts she gave all of us, we didn't deserve. Your family is wonderful and was too kind to us. I would like to thank you for the incredible experince you have given me. I could not have asked for anything more. I immensely enjoyed myself. I want to go back one day. I also want you to know that I will do my best to help in whatever way I can. I realize actions are louder than words and hope I can prove that to everyone. Thank you Dr. Ceesay. Sincerely Alison Smolinski" Another Alpena Community College student wrote: "Hello, I really enjoyed my time in Njawara. The people treated us very well and it was a pleasure to spend two weeks with them. Your wife is a wonderful person and was very hospitable to us. I will always be grateful for her kind treatment. I hope to make another visit to Njawara in the future. It is a wonderful place. Sincerely yours Grace Schmitz 29/6/05 Bellow is Grace's report: Oh, I am sorry I did not email you about our trip to Njawara. It was an eye opening experience. The people were absolutely marvelous. They treated us as their own family and welcomed us with open hands. I had no idea that they would be that hospitable. I realy miss walking to the river and spending time with the children. It was my first experience in Gambia and hopefully it won't be my last. I hope I can return their kindness. I would love to see how the kids have grown up. FROM MR.TOM RAY, ACC INSTRUCTOR Dear Dr. Ceesay, I want to thank you for the opportunity you provided my students on this trip to Njawara, the Gambia, West Africa. The entire experience was enjoyable and valuable as a means of teaching my students something about the responsibility that comes with the privileges they enjoy here. Everyone was kind to us on the trip and the students came away with many great sourvenirs and memories. I have many digital photos and I am working on producing a cd of them to send out to you. I plan to call the village this weekend to extend my appreciation to everyone there. Do you know anything about the potential sister-city relationship between Alpena and Njawara? I would like to start making some local contacts here to help that process. i am also hopeful that future trips will be possible for my students. I hope you are well. Tom Ray LEADERSHIP STUDENT LEARNS LIFE LONG LESSONS IN AFRICA By Jessica Slominski In May 2005, I was fortunate to join other ACC classmates and our instructor, Tom Ray, on a leadership class cultural trip to Njawara village, The Gambia, West Africa. We had been invited to visit and help at the Manding Medical Centre by its founder and ACC's 2005 Distiguished Graduate, Dr. Alhasan Sisawo Ceesay. This trip proved to be one of the most difficult yet rewarding experiences of my life. Everyone asks me, "How was the trip? How was Africa?" My first instinct is to tell them,"Hot! very, very hot! I cannot really explain my African experience with words- its just too awe-inspiring. I think of the people, the culture, the enviroment, and the poverty, and I lack the words to give it justice. I can, however, tell you what I learned about myself and African society from this experience. Having grown up in Alpena, I realize that I have been sheltered from many things. I have never had to worry about having enough to eat nor lived without the basic necessities our society takes for granted every day. After just a couple of days in Africa, I was already missing indoor plumbing, air conditioning, and ice cubes! After my trip,I can not say that I came home and abandoned modern conviniences, but I did take an inventory of my life and truly saw what I had instead of what I did not have. I think one of the greatest things that I learned in Africa was from the people. The villagers of Njawara were genuinely happy to have us there. They went out of their way to make us conmfortable and make sure we had every-thing we needed. They gave us so much when they had so little. The people not only gave food and comfort, but they also gave of themselves. When I was sick and dehydrated, alone in the village while the group went to The Gambia's capital, the people would not let me be by myself. They pullied me into their daily activities and made sure I had my own special day. Looking back now, I realize that I have never been given such a precious gift in my entire life. The African children touched the lives and hearts of all that went on the trip. Everywhere we went, the kids would come out from their compunds and wave at us, calling "Toubob", which meant "white person." They would follow us and our vehicles, making me personally feel like Miss America. From what I witnessed in Africa, I can say that Africans take time out of their lives to enjoy each other. Africans help each other and trust each other, working together to attain a common goal. They make do with what they have and are thankful for whatever they are given. My experience in Africa was eye opening. It gave me a look into a culture and society far diffrent than my own, and for that I will forever be grateful. I will carry the lessons I have learned, the people I have met, and the memories that I have made from this African journey with me always. NEWS FLAS! A PROCLAMATION TO ESTABLISH SISTER CITY PROGRAM Alpena, Michigan, USA has as of the 5th of December 2005 ratified resolution of sister city program with Njawara and Kinte Kunda villages in the Gambia, West Africa. The full text of the proclamation document is reproduced bellow. "Where as, the city of Alpena, recognizes and supports the concept of global cooperation and community relatinship; and Whereas, the villages of Njawara and Kinte Kunda, through their local leaders and Dr. Alhasan Ceesay, have reached out their hand in friendship and goodwill to Alpena; and Whereas,relationships were established by the students and faculty of Alpena Community College when they were warmly welcomed to the villages in The Gambia for a service project earlier this year; and Whereas,mutual understanding of our diversities as well as our similarities will lead to cultural exchanges that will be beneficial to the citizens of both areas; and Whereas,we believe that true global community is often established one person at a time; and one city and one village at a time, and leads to beneficial relations and programs for all; Now, whereas, I John F. Gilmet, by the authority vested in me as Mayor, do hereby proclaim a sister city program with the villages of Njawara and Kinte Kunda in the Lower Badibou District, The Gambia, West Africa. And do urge all area citizens to extend the hand of fellowship and embrace genuine fraternity to their friends in Njawara and Kinte Kunda and pledge support and loyalty as these communities of two great nations join together as "Sister Cities." Signed at Alpena, Michigan, United States of America, on this 5th day of December, 2005." ADDENDUM NEWS: CHARITY STATUS AFOOT IN ALPENA, USA. Manding Medical Centre will soon be a recognised charitable Trust in the USA. Proponents plan to register as ALPENA FRIENDS OF MANDING CHARITABLE TRUST, MICHIGAN. Dr. Avery Aten, Chairman of the Department for Women and New born of Alpena Regional Medical Centre along with the medical community of Alpena are in the verge of processing application seeking the formation of charitable trust to help provide needed medical aid to children in the Gambia. In an email to Mrs. Lorna Robinson, Secretary of Friends of Manding Charitable Trust in Colchester, UK, Dr. Aten stated; "We have recently made some first steps in helping Dr. Ceesay with his project, and we thought to forward this message to you and ask for your opinion regarding the process of setting up a charitable Trust in Alpena. Our college students from Alpena were very energised by their visit to the Gambia, and we would like to maintain the relationship between our communities as well as get the health care center going that Dr. Ceesay envisions. I have reviewed the plan for a trust with a friend who is an attorney and he is getting the forms for the application for trust, which would have 501c-3 status. It would therefore be the appropiate entity for seeking funds from foundations such as the Gates Foundation. We also need approval from the state of Michigan and those forms are being sought as well. Carol Shafto suggested that the trust be established to accept gifts for education and medical purposes." MORE USA DOCTORS JOIN MANDING MEDICAL CENTRE. Bellow is full text of letter from Dr. Richard Bates of the Obstetrics/Gyneacology community of Alpena, Michigan informing Dr. Alhasan Ceesay of their interest in joining the objective of Manding Medical Centre for the villagers in the Gambia. The note read: "Dr. Ceesay-My name is Richard Bates,and I am an Obstetrcian/gynecologist in Alpena. Dr. Aten has mentioned the opporunity in Gambia, and a number of medical professionals involved in woman's care would be interested in becoming involved. We would love to utilize our gifts of knowledge, training and experience to serve and assist those in need in Gambia. I look forward to learning more. Blessings-Rich. (17/08/07) A BRITISH NURSE VOLUNTEER I have just read your interesting web page about the medical centre you are setting up. I visted the Gambia in 2001 and was treated at a government medical centre and was impressed by the professional and excellent treatment I recieved in a clnic with very limited facilities. It made me think how much I take for granted as a nurse in the U.K. It lead me to think about how I could give my time and experience to the people of the Gambia. By the way, my treament cost about £2.50 not much to me but many many Gambians cannot afford! I also visited the Royal Victoria Hospital. I would like to be considered for the hospital you are setting up at Njawara village, The Gambia, West Africa. Chrissie Wallace, R. G. N 29/6/05