UNISON Y&H Gambia Project Annual Report 2018/19

UNISON YORKSHIRE & HUMBERSIDE

GAMBIA PROJECT Annual Report 2018/19

Sukuta Health Centre

Growing their own food at Bijilo Lower Basic School 2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS UNISON YORKSHIRE AND HUMBERSIDE

UK INDIVIDUALS

UNISON INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE UNISON SHEFFIELD TEACHING HOSPITALS

Keith and Sheila Bolam

UNISON LEEDS LOCAL GOVERNMENT

John Ingleson

UNISON W.Y. COMBINED AUTHORITY AND TRANSPORT

Pam Sian

UNISON HARROGATE HEALTH

Pat Hilley

UNISON MID YORKSHIRE HEALTH

Collette Senior

UNISON NORTH YORKSHIRE L.G.

John Campbell

UNISON NATURAL RESOURCES WALES

Mark Telford

UNISON BURNLEY

Mick Binks

UNISON BARNSLEY

Lewis Binks

UNISON Y & H POLICY WEEKEND

Adrian O’Malley

UNISON DISABLED CONFERENCE

Mark Beacon

UNISON SHEFFIELD MET

John Woolmer

UNISON YORK CITY

Julie Sugden

UNISON WAKEFIELD MET

Damian Tuxworth

UNISON NEWCASTLE HOSPITALS

Richard Walton

UNISON LONDON AMBULANCE

John Cafferty

UNISON YORKSHIRE AMBULANCE

Wendy Nichols

ORGANISATIONS

GAMBIA INDIVIDUALS

Furniture for Education Worldwide

Assan Faal

Thompsons Solicitors

Kebba Ceesay

Synergy Health

Marie Antoinette Corr

Leeds City Council

Maty Sow

Kirklees Council

Landing Bah

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals

Baye Sowe

Leeds Teaching Hospitals Yorkshire Ambulance

T

! u o y hank 3

INTRODUCTION – JIM BELL Dear Friends of Gambia, Welcome to the fourth annual report of the Yorkshire and Humberside UNISON Gambia Project (formerly Gambia Bijilo School Project).

As the country emerges from 22 years of social, political and economic difficulties under the previous president, opportunities have now opened up for the development of truly democratic organisations such as trade unions in GAMBIA. Both Wendy and John refer to the work that we are doing with GAMTUB (Gambia Trade Union Bureau) which is a fledging equivalent of our TUC but what they don’t say is that UNISON in general and Yorkshire and Humberside UNISON in particular is the main British partner of GAMTUB and that without our support GAMTUB would not have achieved the success it has in organising affiliated unions, obtaining recognition from the government for consultation purpose and beginning to organise public sector workers who were previously barred from joining and organising in trade unions.

We have not abandoned out humanitarian efforts in the country. We continue with the support of branches, individuals, Councils, NHS Trust and the private sector to send containers of medical supplies, school supplies and office equipment to Gambia. It is our intention working with our British partner Furniture for Education Worldwide to continue this aspect of our activity. If your branches have access to any of the above that could be donated, please get in touch.

In the ten years or so that this and the previous project has operated we have seen a year on year growth and diversification of our activities. The next 12 months will be no different. Wendy has indentified the urgent need for a borehole at the school we support and John has raised the possibility of trade union exchange delegations.

Please raise these issues within your branches and if you support the international solidarity work we are undertaking in your name please consider making material or financial donations to the project.

Jim Bell Project Organiser

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Jim Bell and Wendy Nichols weeting with the Vice President of Gambia

Remarkably a doctor collapsed in the heat as we were unloading hospital equipment and the new kit was put to use immediately!

She was wheeled to the hospital and made a full recovery 5

WENDY NICHOLS Hello All As you know the Yorkshire and Humberside region have been involved in our Gambia Project for many years now.

Firstly at the Bijilo Lower Basic School, then the hospital, we have built toilets/water reservoirs for the garden, 4 new classrooms, sent 2 Yorkshire Ambulances across and many containers with medical equipment and furniture for both the school and the hospital.

I first went to Gambia to open the classrooms in late October 2016. My visit was in a period of uncertainty for the Gambian people as there were to be presidential elections, the president at the time did not look after the people. As you know the president was voted out and they have a new one who went to university in the UK and actually worked as a security guard for Argos.

I revisited Gambia in February and whilst things are still difficult I could see the changes.

We have now made links with the Gambian Trade Unions and for those of you who were at the regional policy weekend you will have met Kebba who we are working with to form the equivalent of the TUC, calling themselves GAMTUB (Gambia Trade Union Bureau). Whilst I was there I visited their office which our project is funding.

Through GAMTUB we met with the Vice President and other senior ministers, we had a planned visit to the equivalent of our parliament but that had to be cancelled because of an emergency session.

We visited the School and the Hospital. I remain very proud of our region’s continued support for our project.

The school continues to tend the garden. The classrooms still have made a difference to the children’s education but alas we have discovered another real problem for the children and staff which I am hoping that branches/ individuals can help with.

The well at the school is now not deep enough and they cannot get water during the day which as you can imagine in a climate of over 30 Degrees

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most days is very difficult to manage , teachers at this point are getting up at 3am to water the garden so that they can sustain the seeds that they plant.

As you know Jim Bell has been coordinating this project and I asked Jim to see if we could get a quote for the digging and erection of a borehole, Jim has done this and to have the work done it will cost ÂŁ6000.

I ask that you as a branch or individuals could consider making donations to The Gambia project to enable us to carry on supporting the Children and Teachers at Bijilo School.

We can make a difference by working together to make the lives of Gambians so much better. One victory for the teachers has been in achieving a 50% pay rise which now means they will be earning ÂŁ100 a month.

Wendy Nichols with Hospital Management of Kanifing Hospital (formerly Serrekunda Hospital )

Many Thanks for your support and hopefully you will be able to support our efforts in the work to get the school water.

I also want to give Jim Bell recognition for his continued work in Gambia with Jim the project would not be as successful as it is.

Best Wishes

Wendy Nichols UNISON Yorkshire & Humberside Convenor

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JOHN CAFFERTY As you will be aware, over the last eight years of our involvement in the Gambia Project, initially in the Bijilo School our efforts focused on humanitarian aid, although we did build some relations with Gambian Public Sector Trade Unions. Over the last two years our focus has changed slightly and whilst still conducting significant humanitarian support for both the School and the Hospital, we have intensified our efforts regarding support for Trade Union Organisation in the Gambia.

Two years ago there were three separate bodies representing Gambian Trade Unions, essentially three TUCs. We, along with others, have worked through Jim Bell, our Project Liaison Officer, to bring these Unions together to create a single TUC equivalent body for Trade Unions in the Gambia.

President of GAMTUB, Kebba Ceesay, visited our Regional Council in November and thanked UNISON Branches for all their help

Last year the Gambian Trade Union Bureau was formed, GAMTUB, and work goes on to encourage all Gambian Trade Unions to affiliate to the Bureau; already the three alternate bodies have agreed to disband and move their support to the GAMTUB. Part of our major project work last year was therefore to provide the infrastructure to allow the flourishing Organisation to develop and we, together with our colleagues in UNISON’s International Department, sponsored the 12 month lease of an office and helped with its furnishing and equipment in order that GAMTUB could function as the voice of the Trade Union movement in the Gambia.

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Some of you will recall that last year the President of GAMTUB, Kebba Ceesay, visited our Regional Council in November and thanked the delegates and Branches present for the funding, sponsorship and the help that had been given to enable them to undertake the work they are engaged upon. We plan to continue this work over the next few years and in particular need to raise funds to assist with the rental of the office and other development work. We also discussed with Kebba, the possibility of exchange visits where, if we planned well in advance, we would be able to send groups of Branch delegates across to assist with our projects and also to meet with and exchange ideas with representatives of the Public Services Union in the Gambia.

Any Branches who are interested in taking up this opportunity should let me know via email and I will discuss the issues with Jim Bell in order to determine the optimum time of year and the optimum numbers for any such visit. At this stage it is difficult to give an indication of the cost but once we have a clear idea of numbers and suitable dates, we can start to work on costings and I will then write again to Branches advising on costs and asking for formal bids for delegations.

Thank you to all who have contributed to the Project either by cash donations or by providing the many supplies, equipment and furnishings over the last 12 months. They were all extremely valuable and useful to our friends in both the School and the Hospital and you can rest assured that you have not only improved the quality of life for many people using the Hospital but, on the evidence supplied to us by the Hospital Staff, you have saved lives.

Thank you for your continued support.

John Cafferty UNISON Yorkshire & Humberside Regional Secretary

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Ready to load!

Working hard at the Burnley depot to load up donated equipment ready for despatch to The Gambia 10

Local haulier delivering medical supplies to the Sukuta Hospital

Wheel chair parts being loaded onto carts 11

Empty container ready to be filled!

Kanifing Hospital Anaethestists - examiming donated items 12

We have provided medical supplies to Sukuta Health Centre for the first time

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Wendy meets the Employment Minister 14

We have provided the infrastructure to allow the flourishing GAMTUB organisation to grow and develop 15

Transport Workers meeting in the GAMTUB Office

Taking time out on the balcony of the GAMTUB office 16

Delivering seeds for the Bijilo Lower Basic School garden

It is worth checking out our previous annual reports to see how the garden has developed over the years!

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Back in Yorkshire the President of GAMTUB Kebba Ceesay met with Adrian OMalley and Rebecca North from Mid Yorkshire Health Branch of UNISON to personally thank them

Kebba Ceesay speaking at Regional Council in November 2018 18

Kebba Ceesay (GAMTUB), Wendy Nichols (Regional Convenor), Gordon McKay (UNISON President) and John Cafferty (Regional Secretary).

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Your contribution to this project will make a huge difference.

Cheques should be made payable to the ‘Gambia Bijilo Project’ and sent to: Jim Bell, C/o Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Office, Commerce House, Wade Lane, Leeds LS2 8NJ.