The “Mboutou” Trust Fund is continuously engaged in planning various activities to generate awareness and funding in order to sustain our activities. Not only do we provide funding but we also provide leadership and soft skills couching as well as try to create employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for beneficiaries. Below are the projects/programs we are currently engaged in:

THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Between January 2015 to December 2022, ‘Mboutou’ sponsored twenty five (25) students pursing different courses at the University of The Gambia and other educational establishments within the country.  

THE HEALTH CARAVAN PROJECT  

Theme: Kerr Jarga  “Feel Better, Live Better”

Rationale

As Mboutou Trust Fund for Education and Development progresses in its scholarship and community development schemes, innovation and expanding support services across sectors becomes increasingly important. This is more so in the health sector where there is urgent need to accelerate progress on the most pressing issues affecting; women, children and the elderly; especially those residing in the rural communities.

Children who are given a fair start in life – nurturing care, access to nutrition and basic health services and education – are more likely to fulfill their potential as adults and make their societies richer in every sense. ‘That is why ‘’Mboutou’’ is starting today and not tomorrow! An obvious role of adults and organisations such as “Mboutou” is the corner stone to achieve positive results for children. Our journey towards building a just and equitable society for children starts at home and is our responsibility to provide favorable healthy conditions for children to excel and prosper.

Overview:

In December 2019, this project with the slogan “Feel Better, Live Better” was conceived and implemented by Mboutou Trust Fund for Education and Development as an instrument of contributing to Gambia’s quest for better health services delivery. The idea was to organize a one-day engagement that offer free health services to the people of Kerr Jarga and its neighboring villages who might be interested in accessing the offer.

Mboutou beneficiaries, Doctors, Nurses, Public Health Officials and other volunteers with technical expertise towards implementing this project were invited. On the overall, three (3) medical doctors, five (5) nurses and two (2) public health officials volunteered to participate.

Benefits:

With an investment of  about D100,000 ($2,000), over 500 beneficiaries from the village of Kerr Jarga and its satellite settlements were reached and supported with diagnosis and provision of basic medical services. Activities also included home-based care and psychotherapy for those patients residing in Kerr Jarga and cannot reach the venue of the event. Patients diagnosed with critical heath conditions were further referred to other medical facilities for treatment.

THE ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROMOTION PROJECT

In 2018, the Trust Fund provided revolving fund to women as livelihood opportunity aimed at increasing their income. With initial financing of D50,000 ($1,000), four (4) women were supported to engage in petty trading of commodities of high demand within the community. Additionally, funds were also used to buy agricultural produce (groundnut, maize and millet) during time of harvest at low price. The purchased products are stored and later on sold at higher prices when they are less available in the market with increased demand.

This project has proven to be quite viable given that the four women initially supported are now able to return the investment capital to Mboutou and continue their normal operations with the profits made. Plans are being made to select the next batch of beneficiaries under this scheme.