The Gambia Red Cross Society on Sunday received a cheque donation worth €1500 from “Gambia im Blick” a, German-based organisation.
The donation is made towards supporting flood victims in the Gambia, following heavy rains that destroyed a lot of homes and rendered families homeless.
In an interview with LTN, Ebrima Ceesay, Branch Officer for Banjul Red Cross who received the cheque on behalf of the Gambia Red Cross Society, thanked the organisation for the gesture.
He described this year’s downpour as a serious disaster that caused a lot of damage, adding that this has not happened in the country for many years.
“Following the downpour, the Gambia Red Cross intervened to reduce the vulnerability of the situation. We created a shelter and called for support for the victims and that is why organisations are coming forward to donate,“ he said.
Mr. Ceesay added that the previous interventions from donors are onward distribution to beneficiaries based on criteria, and that, the most vulnerable receive the donation.
Background information about the donors
“Gambia im Blick“ (Gambia in focus) is an initiative that started in Baden-Württemberg (a region in southern Germany).
In the beginning, the organisation was part of the helpers’ network working for Gambian refugees in Baden-Württemberg. Over time, however, it has become clear that helping refugees alone does not lead to long-term change.
More than 11,000 Gambians were living in Baden-Württemberg at the time this initiative came into being. At that time, the state government had a strong focus on the issue of repatriating rejected asylum seekers. The initiative „Gambia im Blick“ wanted and still wants to sensitise German politicians with a different strategy.
In the best-case scenario, an initiative like this project will be established in The Gambia, so that in the future an intensive and constructive partnership will be developed between the two countries, both – at the level of civil society and also between the governments. Parliaments and governments of Germany and The Gambia should solve common problems together.
“We would like to achieve, for example, that Gambians can come to Germany legally, as tourists, but also work here or complete vocational training and studies. One way to achieve this is to promote investments in the Gambia, on the one hand in the economy, but also in an appropriate education and training system, so that legal migration to countries that have corresponding requirements is possible.“
“We are working together with the Gambian diaspora here in Germany on this process. They know best what their country and the Gambians here and there need. The suggestion and the desire to help in the current emergency also came from them. We were able to collect 1500 Euros in donations through our network, which we would like to present herewith to the Gambian Red Cross. It is to benefit the victims of the flood.“
