BASIG are pleased to announce that the construction phase of the school building project will get underway in mid October. A contract for 80 % of the build has been awarded to a local Gambian builder and ex-patriot Eric Whitehead, his knowledge and expertise of Gambian style build projects are very wide ranging. The charities chairman Martin Englefield said “we are very pleased to have Eric on board and are sure he will step up the mark both in terms of his quality and on time completion.” Although BASIG intend to complete the final phase of works using volunteers from the UK the intention is to continue working closely with Eric through to final completion and opening.

All at BASIG are very exited the project will now be starting, builder Eric Whitehead said “I am fully aware of how much this project means to the trustees and feel confident I will be able to deliver a quality build on time, having lived in the Gambia for over 12 years I am proud to be associated with the school and know what a difference it will make to local people living nearby.”

Alan Seager said, “there is a huge need for a programme of school building in The Gambia. Very many of the existing buildings that we have seen are in such a poor state of repair that they are not only uninhabitable in the rainy season but also dangerously close to collapse. Children have been injured on some occasions when structures have collapsed on them. Parents are often too afraid to send their children to school in the rainy season; children get behind in their work and they drop out of education.”

100% of all BASIG donations go to the building cause with none of that money going to administration or travel costs, we thank all of our sponsors who have helped the project to evolve this far.