Welcome to JUST ACT Gambia
JUST ACT Gambia is a new recognised charity Ref XT21437
This web site is in development but designed to give interested people basic information and to allow you to follow our progress from the creation of the site in November 2009 after the beginnings of application for charitable status in October 2009
"What you need in Janjanbureh Foday,
is a Tourist Information Centre"
....And so began the setting up of JUST ACT Gambia
In February 2009 I discussed my developing ideas with Hon. Foday Manka, MP (or NAM, National Assembly Member) for Janjanbureh situated about 180 miles up river in the Central River Region of The Gambia, West Africa. I was initially reluctant to create a charity but realise it is the only way forward. This web site should enable you to see how our aims develop and hopefully result in making a real difference to the community of Janjanbureh and surrounding areas.
The charity has been founded
by Jane Smith
‘My name is Jane Smith. I live in Malvern, Worcestershire and I am a retired teacher. I paid my first visit to The Gambia in 2005 through a link between a local school near Malvern and Boraba Lower Basic School south of McCarthy Island on which JJB stands. Well - that was it! The Gambia is now almost my second home. I have an ever spreading family of Gambian friends in The Gambia and the UK as well as a lively interest in the world of West African drumming and dancing. Each year my visits have grown longer and my involvement deeper!
The needs of Gamspad, the local Adult Skills Centre were immediately apparent on my first visit and I have supported them ever since. JUST ACT Gambia has developed through collaboration with the local community and we are now working together to revitalise Gamspad and increase the training opportunities for young people. In turn this will develop services for tourism in Janjanbureh. In my coming visits I aim to work with the local MP for Janjanbureh, Hon. Foday Manka in developing our aims for pro poor, responsible tourism. Foday visited Malvern in October 2009 when much discussion took place. He also visited sites around Malvern and especially the Tourist Information Centre as well as Castlemorton Primary School
Click here for a description of Pro-poor tourism?
My first visit after this was Dec 1st to Dec 22nd 2009 and I managed to make entries on the blog page. I was lucky to have access to the newly introduced broadband. The blogs I kept are now in the Archives section. A summary of the visit is best accessed here.
I returned February 9th until March 23rd 2010. Most of my time was spent in Janjanbureh and keeping the blog was problematical...February and March Archives
Click here to find out....
Where we are now!
The main aims of JUST ACT Gambia are:-
To enable community-led development
To support accredited and non - accredited training through local organisations thereby developing life skills and income earning opportunities
To maximise the use of local expertise in developing training
To enable Janjanbureh and surrounding areas to develop responsible, sustainable pro-poor tourism for the benefit of the community whilst respecting the local culture, traditions and the natural environment
To enable rural regeneration so the school population of today is assured of a prospering town sufficient to reduce rural /urban migration