Computers and books are on their way to The Gambia to support jobs and training thanks to staff at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU).
Some 65 boxes packed with books and 20 computers have been given to the Global Hands Manduar Development Hub, built partly by DMU students.
The project is run by the charity Global Hands, created by DMU lecturer Dr Momodou Sallah. It works to tackle inequality through community engagement, running training programmes, conferences and study visits.
Global Hands Gambia works in key areas such as enterprise, education, health, agriculture and the environment to help people and communities develop new skills.
Dr Sallah said: “It will make a massive difference to the work people are able to do. These computers donated are faster and more advanced than anything that is available in The Gambian libraries and our students have helped lay the foundations for a library which will be possibly the best equipped in the country.
“The books will be used to stock the library and to teach students studying a range of subjects including business and health; it will also house a specialist collection on Gambian literature.
“Our next #DMUglobal visit is in June and we will be able to use these new computers and books to build capacity in the Manduar Development Hub.”
Dr Alan Brine, of DMU Library, donated the boxes of text books, which are replaced when the latest editions are published while Ben Stirk, ITMS Assets manager, donated computers which are changed to ensure students always have the latest versions to work on.
Dr Brine went with Dr Sallah to visit The Gambia on a trip last year. He said: “I didn’t know quite what to expect and I must admit when I saw the library I was surprised at the lack of books and thought, we can do something to help.”
Every year Dr Sallah leads two group study visits to The Gambia through #DMUglobal. Students, many of whom study youth and community development, learn about globalisation, capacity building and addressing community need.
The donation comes after the now-annual Run4Africa in Abbey Park, supported by #DMUlocal, raised more than £4,000 in sponsorship for Global Hands. Some of the cash will be used to ship the books and computers.
Posted on Wednesday 11 May 2016