News

Here in Brufut there is a steady buzz of activity that is steadily growing as we come closer to opening the school.  After our misadventures in Morocco, we are all finally reunited in Brufut.  We have built a series of shacks out of palms and bushes and spend the days working at the school.  We have finally finished concreting the first floor so the heaviest work is over.  Majo and Sana have wired up the entire school and electricity is due to arrive this month.  Raul has got the print studio up and running, the sewing machines are in action, and the computers have been tested and are being recycled and rebuilt.  Rico has tuned up all the bikes and an improvised carpentry workshop has been made until we move into the new building.  You can say it has been a busy month…  We are now waiting for the concrete to set so we can remove the agrojacks, then we will finish plastering, painting, and installing all the equipment.

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  Travelling, working, and living as a group has been challenging but the vibe amongst everyone here is amazing.  There are twenty two people that have driven or flown down from London to be here in Brufut, a variety of people from different countries meeting here to build a school 🙂  What a nice sight!  And what is even better is that more and more of the Brufut community are becoming involved in the project as well, and the roots are slowly growing as people see the possibilities that are emerging from this wonderful congregation of different people.  We will be the only place in Brufut where youths will be able to study computer skills and use the internet; we have the only printing workshop this side of Kombo; and it will be the only place where people can learn carpentry skills in safe and well furnished workshop, as well as pursue independent projects that meet the needs of the local community.  Two projects we are starting to toy with are: a bicycle powered water pump and a windmill…  The sky is the limit but there is still so much to do!

Gambians from across the country are taking note and coming to visit the school.  This is very encouraging but it also brings home the fact that villages across the country need similar projects.  People have invited us to visit their home villages, and we are going to visit a village upriver that currently has no access to healthcare, the closest hospital being 30km away.  We will see what we can get up to in the next year to do something…  But for now the priority is finishing the school, and we are not far away.