Welcome to Stichting Kambengo. "Kambengo" is a mandinka word, meaning cooperation, helping one another, in Gambian. The Kambengo Foundation is a small-scale Dutch organization that supports enterprising Gambians who are actively trying to improve their own future. Kambengo aims to ensure they can live healthily and are able to support themselves in the future. This is achieved through allocating study grants, educational material, medical equipment and other goods and materials. Kambengo supports projects relating to vocational training, healthcare, employment and agriculture. —  Professional and vocational Training —  Healthcare —  Employment —  Agriculture and rural affairs —  General Information —  Contact Information Professional and vocational Training Kambengo aims to strengthen the Gambian economy through the allocation of grants for suitable courses to help students into the Gambian job market. In principle, any underprivileged students with above average school results who wish to undertake a vocational training course will be eligible for such a grant. Kambengo guarantees a grant for the full duration of a course as long as the marks for each study year remain satisfactory (i.e. B, B+ , A- or A*). At the end of each year, Kambengo will pay the training college the fees for the following year's study as long as progress remains satisfactory. Expenses for foreign exams such as City and Guilds, are not funded. Kambengo works jointly with a number of selected training colleges in Gambia. There is a limited budget for study grants which is split between university, medical and vocational courses. A student applying for a grant should outline their reasons for following a particular course, fill in an application form and enclose a passport photograph. School results for the past two years should also be included. Healthcare Kambengo supports the Jammeh Foundation Hospital in Serekunda. Every year the Foundation sends medicines and small-scale medical equipment, enabling the hospital to offer better health care. In 2007 Kambengo furnished the new consulting rooms and in 2008 we arranged for solar panels, a battery bank and converter to be installed, ensuring the hospital has electricity both day and night as well as clean water. From time to time other healthcare facilities, including those in rural areas, are also supported. This may be through supplying medicines or by arranging for repairs to be carried out to buildings, shower units or toilets. We are very proud that to date ten nurses have graduated from the School for State Enrolled Nurses in Bansang, thanks to a grant from Kambengo. In addition, several students are reading medicine at the University of Gambia with the help of a grant from Kambengo. After graduation, they will be able to contribute to good healthcare in Gambia. Employment Kambengo helps to support employment in Gambia by ensuring that all materials used in Kambengo funded projects are sourced within Gambia and that all work is carried out by Gambian businesses. Kambengo has provided microcredit to a number of women and women's groups . With small loans of between €50 and €100, which are paid back with interest within six months, they can start up a small company or expand their own business. Agriculture and rural affairs Kambengo aims to ensure that more people in Gambia have access to sufficient, healthy food. In Brufut, Kambengo has helped to install a good working irrigation system in the women's garden. This has allowed the women to water their vegetables regularly and the harvest has greatly improved. The local people of Brufut have built a fence round the Alletenta women's garden with materials bought by Kambengo. Kambengo is working with the Department of Forestry on 'Greening the North Bank', a reforestation project. The local inhabitants have been advised by experts from this department on the negative impacts of deforestation and erosion. The prevention of deforestation and the planting of new trees will improved the fertility of the soil, which is in the best interests of the inhabitants of the North Bank. In 2008 Kambengo bought thousands of trees which were planted near the villages of Kau-ur (CRD) en Badibu Gunjur (NBD). Kambengo has also helped a number of villages in the provinces where the supply of safe drinking water was no longer functioning due to warn out parts. The replacement of old pumps and inverters with new ones was sufficient to restore the return of safe drinking water to the inhabitants of these communities General Information Kambengo was established in 2004 and has both a Dutch and a Gambian committee which work closely together in selecting and supporting projects. Kambengo is registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce with registration number 24366586. The Kambengo Foundation has a Certificate of Incorporation 71/2006 in The Gambia and is incorporated under the Companies Act, 1955 as a Charitable Company. Kambengo can help projects that fit the aims and objectives of the Foundation if there are sufficient funds available. Kambengo depends on donations from private individuals and gifts and subsidies from trusts and from other organizations. Contact Information For more information please send an e-mail to info@kambengo.nl