Updated
September 29, 2001
3 Months pa to do Charity Work
The County Land and Business Association's, senior management have agreed to me working at a new CLA location for 9 months each year, so I can increase my charitable involvement in The Gambia
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It's the GTS members who provide the resources that allows us to sponsor really needy young people in Gambia. Many of them have lost one or both parents or have been sponsored and reached the expensive examination years, when many private sponsors drop out.
Up to now I have only been able to spend a couple of weeks each year, sorting out problems and helping in any ways possible, (last year I even ran one or two trips with guests, very enjoyable for me, but not a regular GTS feature).
If
you enjoy this website . . .
PLEASE contribute by joining GTS and make The Gambia your next winter
holiday.
Email Francis
As you would expect, I will only be paid for the 9 months I'll be working, but the decision taken by the Chief Executive Office, Mark Pendlington means that each year I will be able to devote the crucial three months at the start of each season, in The Gambia helping Foday and GTS.
Regular site readers will know how much I enjoyed working with the CLA's Gamefair team this year. It was another fantastically successful show, despite having to move sites from Woburn to Shuttleworth just 12 weeks before the event, because of the Foot and Mouth crisis.
I will now be joining the CLA GameFair team on a permanent basis, from February, an opportunity I relish after 17 years working with computers. It will be wonderfully refreshing to be working with people again.
GTS is unique in The Gambia, creating employment and earning the money to support the charity work we do, in addition to the essential contribution by members of their GTS fees of £10 each year.
Our unique hosting service to visitors, not only provides security and reassurances, that enables members to really enjoy the local atmosphere and culture of this tiny ex British colony, but also provides our crucial source of income for all of our development work.
- At present we are building a range of accommodation options for members, Time share lodges and our student gap year rooms.
- We are building a local corner shop and small engineering workshop
- We will soon complete our member's centre in Brufut, which will house a small library and computer training facility (for the people round the area) in exchange for their cultural contributions to our members - cooking, music, dance, drama as well as practical skills like weaving, art, metal work and fishing - plus loads more.
- and last but most important our safe house for some of the students we sponsor who desperately need a home to live in while they study
In these ways GTS is also developing employment opportunities for Gambians, builders, gardeners and as GTS grows we will employ more hosts to escort our members on their adventures and many additional backup staff, running and supporting our time share lodges and main members centre at Brufut.
Back in 1997 we never dreamed we would be doing this, it has all grown from a comment made on a TV chat programme, debating the writing off of third world debt -
"All these 'do gooders' should
dig into their own pockets" . . . was the comment . . .
and I thought . . . .
"You're right". In just four years, a lot of hard work, disappointment
and triumphs later, GTS is the result and now with additional time made
possible by the CLA we hope to consolidate before our next expansion.
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