Students help build for the future in the Gambia

9:00pm Thursday 4th December 2008

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CONSTRUCTION students have helped build a better life for villagers in the Gambia.

The Swindon College students, who are plumbers, painters and decorators, carpenters and bricklayers were tasked with building a market place for villagers in Medina Salaam in the west African country.

The village, which is about 30 miles from the capital Banjul, has no electricity and gets water from wells.

Trip leader Lynne Sunners said: “The villagers have always dreamt of a market place in their village. At the moment, the women of the village have to travel a long way to buy and sell perishable goods such as vegetables and fruit.”

The students worked for eight hours a day in blazing temperatures of 35 and 40 degrees to build the foundations. The market place was blessed by the village leader, the Imam.

“We hope the new market place will become the economic and social heart of Medina Salaam,” said Lynne. “The villagers said that the students had achieved in one week what it would have taken them a month to do. We’re very proud of them.”

Nineteen-year-old Dougie Gray said he enjoyed sleeping in a hammock during the trip.

“After working a long day in the heat of the sun we all walked down to the beach,” he said. “I had the best night’s sleep in a hammock.”

Student Ryan Sealey, 19, said the villagers were an inspiration.

“We learnt so much from the local people – they have limited tools and resources but they just get on with life,” he said.

The students kept a diary of their experiences and delivered a presentation to sponsors and family on Tuesday.

They raised money for the £8,000 trip themselves and with the help of college staff. They also raised enough to cover the equipment and building materials.

Clare Popkin, who raised money for the trip by doing a sponsored parachute jump, said: “The Gambians made me realise how lucky I am living in this country. They welcomed us into their homes and made us feel famous as they wanted to speak to us all the time.”