SUKA Projects

SANYANG HEALTH CENTRE SUPPORT PROJECT

Supporting our only Health Centre was agreed at all last 3 SUKA General Meetings.

We contacted the Health Centre after our October 2018 and April 2019 General Meetings to provide us with a list of items/materials or areas the Health Centre needed support. We never received this list despite several follow ups by me.
At the last General Meeting in October 2019, with guidance from the expertise of our members who work in the Health and Care sectors, we agreed to donate three brand new Blood Pressure (BP) checking machines for a start as had no list and did not know what they needed assistance with.
We purchased three new BP Machines from Boots Chemist at a total cost of £300 UK Sterling, and this was donated to the Health.
A member of SUKA also donated SUKA several Wheeled Walking Sticks for patients and these plus the BO Machines were all donated in the name of SUKA.

SUKA DONATES CHAIRS TO SANYANG MAJOR HOSPITAL

Sanyang UK Association in its efforts to improve health and wellbeing of its people have donated 26 chairs to the Sanyang Major Health Centre.
The presentation was delivered by our local rep Buba Bojang on behalf of SUKA and was witnessed by witnessed by officials of the hospital, council of elders and other local dignitaries.
The hospital over the years has many shortages of materials including seating for both patients and their families when they visit the hospital. They have raised concerns such as this and call on individuals and organisations to support the hospital in order to continue providing vital services to people.
SUKA was then able to collect these chairs from a donor in Brighton and send them to the hospital. The Charity would implore others to donate any hospital material that can make a difference in Africa. Things like beds, mattresses, surgical machines, gloves, face masks, glucometers, fracture boots, BP machines, bandages, crutches, drugs etc and any other vital items that are reusable. Please contact SUKA before sending them to the landfill.

Photo: SUKA presenting chairs to Sanyang Health Major Centre

RAMADAN SUGAR PROJECT - 2023

The Ramadan Sugar Project is now an annual project, delivering support to families during the month of Ramadan. Despite the many challenges we saw in 2023 following covid 19, multiple wars around the world and the cost-of-living crisis, Sanyang UK Association still managed to raise £700 (D50,000) towards Ramadan Sugar appeal.
Again, this amount was used to purchase over twenty bags of sugar which were distributed to the poor and needy families.
Sanyang UK Association will continue to offer such support in the coming years and to ensure we deliver to the people; the Charity is calling on all well wishers to generously donate to its future fundraising campaigns.

Photo – Ramanda sugar distribution

RAMADAN SUGAR PROJECT - 2021

Sanyang UK Association has been supporting deprived communities in Africa as part of its humanitarian efforts, providing basic food items during the month of Ramadan. The charity was well aware of both natural and human-caused phenomena around the world which necessitated the need to support people, irrespective of their background or religion.
The Corona virus pandemic has been an example when the entire world almost came to a standstill and countries tried to combat Covid 19 without movements of world’s goods and services. This has greatly impacted smaller and most deprived countries around the world and African continent was no exception.
This was why Sanyang UK Association has raised over £635 equivalent to D37,000 (Gambian Dalasis) to support the people of The Gambia during the most difficult and challenging times in our history.
The fund was used to purchase twenty-six bags of sugar which were distributed to the neediest people in communities in the West Coast Region of the country.

Photo – Ramanda sugar distribution

SANYANG MAJOR HEALTH CENTRE RENOVATION PROJECT

The Sanyang UK Association (SUKA) ensures that local needs and priorities come first. Our health programmes offer a much-desired support for people who deserve it most.
In early 2023, the Charity has embarked on a fundraising campaign to support the only Village Health Centre built by the Community of Sanyang, serving over 55,000 people in and around its vicinity.
Despite the health Centre being administered by The Gambian Ministry of Health, the centre is still experiencing some of the most severe health care pressures in modern times.
The Major health centre has lost parts of its wards due to flood caused by heavy rain, prompting urgent call for donations to re-build the already flattened walls and repair other vital materials and parts of the hospital.
The Health Centre has some extraordinarily resolute healthcare workers. While they devote their time, energy, and lives to the Health Centre, they often lack essential resources like medicines, protective gear, bed sheets, and portable vital sign monitors to record blood pressure, temperature, heart rate and oxygen saturation.
The Health Centre also needed a fit-for-purpose ambulance to help evacuate patients to other major hospitals during emergencies.
Sanyang UK Association has helped in the past on a small scale, donating BP machines, paracetamols, insulins, and other minor health items.

The Charity has raised over £770 (D60,000.00) to help rebuild, supply and re-supply fundamental materials to improve the quality of patient care and ease the burden on families and the staff. The funds were handed over to the hospital management and staff and witnessed by the Alkalo of Sanyang Mr Lamin Jabang.
The Charity continues to implore the generous donations from philanthropists and individual well-wishers to improve conditions in maternity and post-natal wards with medical supplies and antibiotics necessary in 21st-century health care to combat major accidents, malaria, and other diseases.

RAMADAN SUGAR PROJECT - 2024

Sanyang UK Association (SUKA) continuous to support communities each Ramadan. This year, the Charity has raised £1,020.00 , equivalent to ( GMD D82,987.20) and enabled our communities, families get support during Ramadan.
Our local coordinator on the ground together with his team of volunteers have distributed twenty-six bags of sugar among the needy families in Sanyang area.
This was hugely welcomed by the community leaders who continue to appreciate efforts being made by the Charity to ease the burden on families.
As a registered Charity, we cannot do this without the generous support of individuals, and we continue to ask for your generous donations in order to put some smiles on people’s faces during the upcoming 2025 Ramadan.

Photo – Ramanda sugar distribution

RAMADAN SUGAR PROJECT - 2022

The Sanyang UK Association continues to extend its helping hand to communities during Ramadan. This year too has been a success for the Charity to raise vital funds from members and well-wishers around the world to get food supplies for less fortunate people.
As the world continues to witness humanitarian crises in the form of viruses and wars, the impact has been felt greatly by the poor and underprivileged communities, hence the charities intervention to alleviate further humanitarian catastrophes in the area of hunger and malnutrition.
This year the Charity despite confronting many challenges managed to raise over £900 and presented thirty-seven bags of sugar to communities of Sanyang and its surrounding.
The Charity continue to thank all its donors for their kindness to donate to worthy causes that SUKA continues to deliver
The distribution was successfully conducted by volunteers on the ground in The Gambia to make it possible for SUKA to achieve its goals.

Photo – Ramanda sugar distribution

SUKA’s BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT FUND

SUKA Charity is well aware of hardships families endure when they lost a loved one. Coping with loss is never easy and financial worries can add to difficulties especially in heartbreaking circumstances.
Although insurance policies and other funeral plans can be an assurance, death can leave many families facing uncertainties they had not anticipated including funeral costs.
Sanyang UK Association has created this initiative to support eligible members cover such costs and give them a befitting burial.
The Association has lost one of its active members after a brief illness during the Covid19 pandemic and despite the restrictions put in place by the UK government, the SUKA Charity stood side by side with family members to see that their loved one is taken care of and given a fitting burial.
The SUKA charity covered more than half of the total funeral cost of £4,750.00. The amount contributed by the Association has no doubt immensely helped lessen the burden of funeral expenses on the family.
The Association prides itself on delivering for the public benefit but also supporting people privately to ensure they benefit from its services. Unfortunately, such help is limited to members who are resident in The UK and meet all the criteria set by the Association.

Photo: SUKA Members during the funeral service in London

DISASTER RELIEF FOLLOWING A THUNDERSTORM

One of the main reasons Sanyang UK Association existed was to compensate for the greater struggles the world has faced with and strive to help our communities stand on their feet.
We collaborate with other like-minded organisations, charities, and groups to support under privileged communities with health, education, environmental issues and try to provide relief to those in need. We strongly believe in equality, diversity, and inclusion and therefore no one should be excluded when it comes to getting basic fundamental rights and needs which starts in our communities.
One of such relief programmes was the recent hurricane Margot – a severe thunderstorm with wind speed of up to 41km/h in July 2021 which struck many homes in Kombo South and other parts of The Gambia.
The Tiny West African country is prone to such natural disasters as it has a history of such heavy rainfall causing huge problems for people. The heavy storm has affected over 900 houses, killing at least ten people.
The Sanyang UK Association has come to the aid of a former primary school’s caretaker who lost his entire house to the storm rendering it inhabitable. The Charity raised some funds to support the old man’s family rebuild their home.
The Charity strongly believe that we can even move mountains if we all do our part together to help the poor and the underprivileged around us.

Photos: Ruined houses following thunderstorm in Sanyang, The Gambia

More Social Value Projects supported by SUKA:

In a similar vein, a visually impaired and wheelchair user who dedicates his efforts to agriculture has suffered a setback after his borehole pump was stolen from his well, which he used to irrigate his garden.
The young man was inspired by a friend to venture into gardening. He initially got assistance from friends and family and was able to dig a borehole. This garden had been his only source of income to feed his young family and at the same time offering free water to other farmers nearby.
Unfortunately, his dream of self-sufficiency was short-lived as thieves broke into his house and stole his water pump.
After learning of this industrious young man’s plight, our Charity came together and donated £255.00 equivalent to D19,355.00 which bought him a new pumping machine and creating extra protection to prevent theft in the future.

As with most donations, Sanyang UK Association has set principles when it comes to supporting organisations and individuals. Donating to a cause that has wider public benefits takes priority in all cases for few reasons:
As a Charity, we want our outreach to impact many lives rather than just a few. The Charity also relies on both membership contributions as well as public and private donations and so we can only do as much as we can with the limited financial resources we have at our disposal.
As with occasional individuals who benefitted from our Charity’s support was Mr Fajatta who was also supported in 2019 with food items worth £150 (D10,000) to support his young family. Our Charity is looking for ways to support many others who are in his situation and try to uplift them, through education, agriculture or other self-help means.
If you are a Charity or Individual who would like to donate to disadvantage people in Africa whose daily spending is below £1, then do reach out to Sanyang UK Association through our website where you will find all our contact details.

Photo: Mr Fajata and his borehole well

SUKA’S HUMANITARIAN & DISASTER RELIEF PROJECTS

As part pf SUKA’s effort to ensure health is accessible not only by the wealthy but by all, our Charity has received numerous requests to assist people whose health is shaped by the world around them.
In the most deprived communities, these building blocks that could shape people’s lives include the lack of stable jobs, good homes, sanitation, clean air, good neighbourhood etc. These issues can cause huge impacts to individuals causing them to give up all hopes in life without fulfilling their potentials.
Sanyang UK Association has recently come to the aid of an ambitious young man who needed an emergency eye keratoplasty surgery abroad.
Despite the limited financial resources at its disposal, the Charity saw the need and efforts made by the recipient to make this dream a reality in order to regain his sight. Members of the Charity came together to voluntarily support and managed to raise about £500.00 (D42,290.00).
Thanks to SUKA’s funding efforts, the individual was able to have the necessary operations on his eyes. This is yet another testament of SUKA’s effort to reach out and give hope to the youths as well as creating a world of opportunities for them to flourish in life.
The Charity continues to ask for donations in order to be able to make timely interventions rather than relying on member’s voluntary donations which are sometimes hard to come by.

SUKA’ SOCIAL VALUE PROJECTS

Sanyang UK Association aim at designing and delivering greater value for our communities by creating social, economic and environmental benefits for people, local economy and the physical environment.
As with most of our previous projects, we consider and focus our priorities on what is most important to communities based on our shared community vision – whether to do with reducing inequality, promoting health and wellbeing, unlocking hidden talents, tackling environmental issues or climate change and helping local entrepreneurs.
SUKA is enabling young and old people particularly those with additional needs or requiring support to find employment opportunities. The Charity has recently supported a fish vendor who serves the entire community of Sanyang and its surrounding with a brand-new bicycle worth £150.00 (approx. D12,000 dalasi).
This came about as the community has faced numerous challenges in getting fish delivered to them causing great hardship to families. The only fish vendor who sells fish on a small scale and earns a little for his family had to do it with his bicycle.
Conscious of the vital role the vendor plays in the fish marketing system, providing access to fish for consumers and supporting their families, our Charity came to his rescue with this humanitarian assistance. This also meant that fishing households could get their fish for him to sell locally rather than selling them at landing centres.

Photo: SUKA Regional Coordination presenting bicycle to Mr Sanyang aka ‘Banjul’

SUKA EDUCATION ADVANCEMENT PROJECT

One of the main aims of Sanyang UK Association is the advancement of education and other vocational skills for public benefits by encouraging stakeholders to invest and nurture Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) education for young people.
We aim to help children realise their potential by helping them with the most basic support. We help to protect them by creating an enabling environment because no one can realise their potential if they are not safe.
The Education Advancement and Computer learning is the sixth major project undertaken by the Association in recent years which is currently impacting thousands of school-going children and young adults.
Our work supports hundreds of children in poor communities across The Gambia to acquire the knowledge and skills that will help them flourish and grow. SUKA is mindful of the fact that struggling and unhappy children lead to troubled adulthood and that is why we ensure that children who need support get the right intervention and enable them to have greater success and confidence both at home and in school.
Since 2019, the Charity has been collaborating with a good Samaritan named Mr Mekonnen Tekeste in the UK whose Multimedia IT Organisation has been donating some used computers as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility to see that they are not dumped into the landfill but used appropriately by registered charities to help young children. As Mr Tekeste had first-hand experience of the lack of educational materials when he visited The Gambia and met with a blind teacher Mr Babansu Bojang whose work inspired him greatly, this paved the way for him to discuss with his Organisation in the UK to donate used PCs through our reputable Charity (SUKA).
Sanyang UK Association has received more than three hundred high quality Computers, comprising of Dell OptiPlex 7040 PCs with 8 and 16GB and 64 bits operating systems; Monitors; Keyboards; Mice; Speakers; stands and Cables. The hard drives on all these computers had been wiped clean by the donors to ensure data protection and for them to be ready for use once shipped to Africa.
Sanyang UK Association was responsible for their shipment and therefore paid for the transportation, packaging and shipment of container which cost more than £6,000. The Computers were distributed to primary and secondary schools at a ceremony witnessed by the donor Mr Tekeste while on vacation to The Gambia together with some SUKA Executives and members of the Media outlets.
Sanyang UK Association aims to expand its outreach and support more communities by providing basic support particularly in the area of education and youth empowerment.

Picture: Computer Presentation Ceremony to Sanyang schools, Gunjur health centres and Brikama Regional Directorate

SANYANG UK ASSOCIATION DONATED STATIONARY TO SCHOOLS

Sanyang UK Association continues to champion child education initiatives and in October 2023, donated stationary materials 4 Junior and Senior Secondary Schools in The Gambia.
The schools include Sanyang Upper and Senior Secondary School, Saint Vincent De Paul BCS, Sanyang Lower Basic School, and Kobisala Basic Cycle School. The presentation was observed by representatives from the four schools and members of the community.
The huge range of stationary includes items such as notebooks, pens, pencils, rulers, among other items. Our Charity understands the hardships most families face particularly when it comes to supporting their children’s education.
It is our Charity’s ambition to nurture, grow and allow children to succeed and these can only be made possible by supporting them with learning materials and providing a supportive and nurturing environment particularly those from poorer families.
As organisations and individuals move to a hybrid and paperless way of working, our Charity is calling on everyone to donate used items in order to support schools. We understand that most businesses and organisations are likely to have thousands of surplus stationary items, our charity can make effective use of these items avoiding landfill and reducing their impacts on the environment.
SUKA is urging anyone to donate their surplus stationary to achieve its aims of ensuring children attends full time education without being left out of school.

Photo: School materials presented to 4 schools

SANYANG UK ASSOCIATION’S ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT

Sanyang UK Association has been advocating for high quality health care and sanitation in communities. In our bid for a cleaner environment, the Charity has spent considerable number of resources to campaign for clean water in our rivers and oceans, educating communities about the impacts of bush fires as well as the impact of plastic wastes on the ecosystem.
Our Charity recently campaigned for the release of youths of Sanyang following their illegal detention after challenging a Chinese fishmeal factory for its unethical dumping of toxic waste into The Gambian waters killing marine life.
Sanyang UK Association has set up a fundraising campaign which raised £1,533.00 equivalent to over D101,000.00 Gambian dalasis towards legal fees to secure the release of more than ten youths in detention at a combined cost of D620,000,00 (Six Hundred and Twenty Thousand Dalasis), equivalent to £9,500 Sterling.
In their effort to show solidarity, Jambanjelly Community resident in the UK also donated an additional £173.00 to Sanyang UK Association to see that everyone has been released to their families.
Our ambition is to be effective in the fight to prevent water pollution, global warming and ultimately bringing net carbon emissions down to zero. We believe a global effort is needed in order to achieve this and if we all put efforts together, we could make the world a better place for future generations.

Photo: Dead fishes on Sanyang beach caused by toxic waste.

SUKA DONATES COMPUTERS AND PRINTER TO SANYANG VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE (SVDC)

SUKA prides itself to supporting initiatives that are geared towards community relationships and sustainability. If these are issues that are close to your heart, you too can join in our efforts to empowering local communities achieve their dreams.

Photo: SUKA donates PC and Printer to Sanyang Village Development Committee

SUKA CHARITY DONATED COMPUTERS TO TUJERENG SECONDARY SCHOOL

The Sanyang UK Association continues to deliver vital educational support to children and young people in The Gambia. The Management and Pupils of Tujereng Upper Basic and Senior Secondary School has contacted our Charity soliciting support with computers to facilitate Computer training at their school.
The Charity was informed that the school has an IT teacher to teach pupils basic computing skills, it lacks computers, printers and other materials for the smooth running of its office works.
As there are no physical computers to put theory into practice, the school’s activities are therefore done outside of school campuses.
This prompted Sanyang UK Association to evaluate and considered their plight by donating the school with ten sets of computers to allow pupils to learn basic IT skills in a classroom environment rather that internet cafes.
As more schools lack this opportunity to train young children basic computing skills, our Charity is always looking for ways to support. However, it is the Charity’s aim that any donations to schools, hospitals or local organisations are not left idled or unused.
Early evaluation feedback show that Tujereng Upper Basic and Senior Secondary School is delivering its promise to keep the computer classroom doors open to pupils to learn and feel confident in the use of computers and ultimately enhance their performance in their working life.

Photo: SUKA officials presenting PCs to Tujereng Junior secondary school.

SANYANG UK ASSOCIATION’S YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROJECT

At Sanyang UK Association, we are passionate about the future leaders - our youths. Sports is one of the key pillars that drives our social actions as it brings community engagement, inclusion, health and wellbeing.
We understand that Sports has the potential to get the youths off the streets and engage them in something productive and that’s why SUKA’s goal is to broaden the scope of our social enterprise by leveraging our grassroots football clubs for the benefit of the sport and the community that need our support.
Our Charity’s benevolent members on several occasions have presented surprise packages to the youths of Sanyang which includes 10 new footballs, sets of football jerseys, a pump, socks, corner flags, whistle, football bibs and cones etc.
This benevolence has instilled great desire in the youths to take football seriously which led to their participation in the West Coast Zonal Championship in Brikama.
Additionally, SUKA members have supported the village team financially by donating £245.00 which was equivalent to D17,000. This support has helped the team to win its major trophy in 2023.
SUKA would like to thank individuals who supported these youths in one way or another and would like to call on other donors to emulate the good efforts by others to support the youths.

Photo: Sport materials and trophy (below) won by the village team

SANYANG SPORTS COMMITTEE ‘FANDEMA’ COMMUNITY FOOTBALL FIELD FENCING PROJECT

Sanyang UK Association has again supported the youths of Sanyang through the Village’s Sports Committee for the fencing of the Sanyang Sport’s Football Field. Finding a secured football ground for the youths was a huge challenge in the past but this was made possible following a recent transfer of a plot of land measuring 29,278.50msq (210m x 168m x 183m x130m) to the Sports Committee to advance youths participation in sports.
This transfer was approved and endorsed by the Department of Physical Planning & Housing in The Gambia, a transfer copy of which was presented to Sanyang UK Association for assistance.
This fencing project was approved at the Association’s Annual General Meeting in October 2022 where the matter was first debated. However, it was a conditional approval that the £500.00 was only to be sent when Association have clear information that the fencing works has or is about to commence.
The Executive Members on behalf of the Charity have been reliably informed that the fencing works has commenced. This allowed for the £500.00 (D42,585) funds to be transferred as agreed to carry out such works on the football field.
The Sports Committee of Sanyang welcomed the benevolent assistance from SUKA Charity and thanked the Association members for their generosity towards this worthy and life changing project, aimed at empowering the youths of Sanyang and surrounding communities.