Covid-19 appeal
MBG established a community fund offering to match fund all donations up to £20,000. Please contribute to support our Emergency Fund set up to support the poorest members of the Gunjur community who will suffer greatly as a result of the COVID-9 pandemic.
UPDATE: over £22,900 riased, 468 families supported
Thank you to the many people who have donated to support this emergency fund. Over £22,900 has been raised so far, amazing. Through our Gambian NGO partner TARUD 893 bags of rice have been distributed to 468 of the most vunerable and marginalised familes in Gunjur. The two bags of rice will feed a family compond for two months preventing hunger and financial pressure while global supply chains and food prices are so variable.
Read our latest Annual Report for a full update.
Baai Jabang, Director of TARUD, the Gunjur deveopment agency we set up in 1997 reports:
"At the start of May there have only been eleven reported cases of coronavirus in The Gambia and one death, but the land and sea border with Senegal is extremely porous and there have been many more cases in that country, 1024 with 9 deaths. There is also a very limmited ability to test for the virus. The outlook for The Gambia is not good.
"The Gambian Government has demanded the appropriate measures of lockdown, hand washing and keeping one’s distance from other people. But in country with large families living together in small compounds, often without piped water, the water having to be fetched either from a nearby tap or well, and in a community where social gatherings and five times daily communal prayers at the Mosques in Gunjur are all the norm, it is difficult and often impractible to persuade people to lockdown and keep their distance from friends and extended family in neighbouring compounds.
"Food supplies are becoming limited and of course it is the poorest who suffer most. 25 years ago 80% of the rice consumed in The Gambia was ‘home grown’. Climate change has meant less rainfall and therefore a requirement for irrigation. But the combination of the reduced amount of rain and with sea levels rising, this has resulted in salination of the Gambia river a further 50 miles upstream. The river bisects the whole country and was a vital source of water for crops in neighbouring fields, but that salt water cannot now be used to irrigate crops.
"CRITICAL
"More than 80% of Gambian staple food (Rice) is imported from other countries hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Food reserves in the Gambia are sufficient for not more than 6 months or even less. This situation may plunge the country into hunger and chaos in search of survival options. Food prices are already rising fast hitting the poorest in the community.
"A seven member task force representing the Alkali and the council of elders, the Village Development Committee, Linking Without Boarders, Gunjur Development Association and TARUD is responsible for assessing abject poor families and ranking them based on the levels of poverty: ability and frequency of buying a bag of rice, daily ration purchase - per cup buying from the shop and how often is this done, the ability to provide minimum of two square meals per day, family or household head - M/F, family size, means of living, other livelihood activities, sources of income if any and other measure of variables."
Read Baai Jabang's detailed report on the second food distribution here.
FOOD DISTRIBUTION
Two food distrubtions have taken place, covered by Gambian local and national media / TV. The lorry below was just half the rice distributed.
TARUD has also distributed bucket pumps, soap and some sanizers to be distributed to strategic locations in Gunjur including the health centre, market and other areas.
