New project of Les Amis de Gambie: ‘Happy Holidays’

The single greatest wish of our children in the orphanage is to go on holiday together with their caretakers during the summer holiday, which lasts a full 10 weeks in The Gambia.

We have taken a few weekend trips since the orphanage was opened 14 years ago, but we have never really taken a holiday together.

Many of their classmates visit their families in the interior of The Gambia or neighbouring Senegal during the summer holidays. Most of our children have no families at all and up to now we have never had the funds to pay for a holiday.

We want to raise money with the upcoming ‘Happy Holidays’ campaign to make the children’s greatest wish come true: to let them enjoy a nice holiday in their own country.

We are planning to go to a quiet area in the south-west of The Gambia, away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist centre. This is where the picturesque fishing village of Gunjur Kajabang is located.

Two English couples with a background in social work built an eco-friendly lodge here in 2006.
It is a one-of-a-kind no-nonsense place with simple but clean rooms and unpretentious, tasty food.

As we have already previously spent a weekend here, we know the children will have a great time. And there are plenty of fun and educational things to do in the vicinity of the lodge, such as strolling through the fishing village and seeing where the boats arrive and where the fish are smoked and sold, visiting a women’s garden or spending an afternoon at the beach.

Opposite the guest house, there is also a beautiful nature reserve with many unusual birds, from large vultures to tiny sunbirds. The lodge has a small swimming pool and the children can have fun singing around the campfire in the evening.

In case of extreme weather, which is becoming ever present, and with the summer holidays taking place in the middle of the rainy season, we are lucky to access other fun activities, such as a visit to the Gunjur Village Museum or to a tie-dye workshop, learning to play djembe or just playing board games together.

The owners of the lodge have done a lot for the people of The Gambia. They support local sustainable education, health and environmental projects and community-led initiatives. Beyond wanting the children to have an unforgettable time, we are also helping the locals by booking a holiday at this lodge!

One overnight stay, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, a drink during meals and activities, costs €37.50 per person.

We would really appreciate it if you would be so generous to help us to ensure the

children have an unforgettable holiday.

You can transfer your contribution to account number IBAN LU42 0030 6563 9934 0000 (BGLLLULL) in the name of Les Amis de Gambie or via PayPal citing ‘Happy Holidays’.

The more donations we receive for this project, the longer the well-deserved holiday we can offer the children where we can create wonderful, unforgettable memories together. Naturally, you will receive a detailed report of all their experiences.

Thank you in advance for your contribution!