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How it all began

In 2005, BBC Scotland television presenter Rhona McLeod made a "Donkeymentary" on the work of Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust at Sambel Kunda village in the Gambia. Children at Fintry Primary School in Stirlingshire, Scotland wrote letters and donated a class set of atlases and other books for their new library. This opened a new and exciting friendship between the two village schools.

Sambel Kunda

The small village of Sambel Kunda is 8 hours travel from The Gambian capital of Banjul. It has 420 people and the heart of the community is a state school with 300 children and 6 classes. The groundnut (peanut) is the main grown local crop and the school teaches vegetable cultivation.

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Fintry

The small village of Fintry is 1.25 hours travel from the Scottish capital Edinburgh. It has 450 people, a primary school with 80 children and a nursery with 11 children. Most people have to travel to work in Glasgow (20 miles away). The village has 1 shop / post office, 3 inns/hotels which includes a 500 year old castle, a garage and sports centre. The nearest town is Balfron, 5 miles away.

 

University of Strathclyde

Fintry Primary wanted to help Sambel Kunda village by providing them with electricity. They approached the University of Strathclyde Electrical and Electronic Engineering department to see if they could help in some way. The University were eager to get involved and set up a working party to investigate the project. With the help of sponsors and other organisations, the Electrical and Electronic Engineering department will provide the village with solar electricity to power lights in the new school building. The initial ground work for this was carried out in March 2006 by Bob Currie. It is hoped that the installation can start by August 2006.

 

Visit to Sambel Kunda by Fintry

In March 2006, Staff from Fintry School and The University of Strathclyde travelled to Sambel Kunda. David & Jackie Smith from Fintry Primary School worked with the teachers and pupils in Sambel Kunda Lower Basic School. Bob Currie from The University of Strathclyde started the initial groundwork involved in providing solar electricity to the village.

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