Debbie Williams

Monday 28 February 2011

GAMBIAN PROJECTS FUNDRAISING EVENING

OUR FUNDRAISING EVENT AT THE B BAR ON PLYMOUTH'S BARBICAN RAISED A
WHOPPING £1449, SO WE ARE WELL ON OUR WAY TO BEING ABLE TO SEND OUR
CONTAINER OUT TO THE GAMBIA. THE EVENING WAS THE RESULT OF A LOT OF
HARD WORK BY MANY INDIVIDUALS. BARRY EWART SET UP THE EVENT, SO
SPECIAL THANKS TO HIM FOR ALL HIS EFFORTS. DAN, COLIN AND KATIE AT THE
B-BAR (WWW.B-BAR.CO.UK) WERE BRILLIANT HOSTS AND WE WERE ENTERTAINED BY
THE TALENTED WILL MCNICOL, BENNY (GUITAR) CARR AND THE HOT RATS AND
ELVIS PRESLEY (ALIAS DUNCAN HIGHET). CATHERINE AND TIM HAMLYN AND TINA
BRECKONS WORKED HARD ALL EVENING SQUEEZING MONEY OUT OF EVERY WALLET
AND PURSE, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO ATTENDED AND SUPPORTED THIS
IMPORTANT FUNDRAISING EVENT. CHECK OUT WWW.GAMBIANPROJECTS.COM FOR A
FULL LIST OF THE COMPANIES AND INDIVIDUALS WHO GENEROUSLY DONATED
FABULOUS RAFFLE AND AUCTION PRIZES TO HELP US RAISE THIS SIGNIFICANT
SUM. RACHEL TAYLOR WORKED VERY HARD RUNNING ABOUT COLLECTING PRIZES
AND DONATIONS, REALLY PROUD OF YOU!!

A SPECIAL MENTION MUST GO TO SIOBHAN LAVERY AND HER DAUGHTER SHANNON
WHO TREKKED FROM KINGSKERSWELL TO PAIGNTON AND BACK RAISING £340, WELL
DONE LADIES!!

I WAS INVITED ONTO BBC RADIO DEVON EARLY ON SUNDAY MORNING TO REVIEW
THE NEWSPAPERS AND CHAT ABOUT GAMBIAN PROJECTS, THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THE
EXPERIENCE, MANY THANKS TO BELINDA AND DAN FOR THEIR KIND HOSPITALITY.
YOU CAN LISTEN TO THE PROGRAMME ON BBC IPLAYER, HOPE YOU ENJOY IT.

UNTIL NEXT TIME

DEBBIE

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Plymouth-born teacher Debbie Williams has given up her comfortable lifestyle to live in an African mud hut with no water, electricity or sanitation.

Debbie was born at her family home in North Hill and taught modern languages at schools in and around the city, becoming Head of Languages at Notre Dame.

For six years, she also owned a dress-hire business called One Night Stand.

Debbie said: “I had a good lifestyle: a house, a car, travel, money to spend on hairdos, pedicures, shoes, handbags and eating out six nights a week.

“But I was not able to have children, and had a dream of being surrounded by children and having a massive family.”

The trip that changed her life came in 2005 when she helped lead a trip to The Gambia with 16 Plymouth College students.

She was struck by the friendliness of the people and the poverty in which they lived: no modern facilities, insect bites and malaria, a lack of variety of food. She saw women carrying heavy pots of water on their head, and setting off for a day’s toil in the rice-fields with a baby strapped to their back.

But most of all, she realised how the people were held back by illiteracy and lack of education, and resolved to do what she could to help.

On the same trip to Kerewan Samba Sira, she met a builder called Modou Fatty, who was also involved in local projects; they fell in love and were married two years ago.

She was welcomed into his family, despite the fact they are Moslems and she is a practising Christian, and now she is a vital part of the big extended family she has always longed for.

Debbie said: “I am trying to improve literacy and numeracy in the village, which is still living in the 17th century.

“I know it’s only a drop in the ocean, but through education they can have the freedom to make choices and hope for the future.”

Debbie is trying to help in practical ways by building a classroom, a nursery and a library in two villages.

She is also providing sewing machines so women can start businesses, donating gardening equipment such as a tiller and a chainsaw and encouraging local people to set up small gardens where they can grow and sell banana plants.

In the coastal village of Mediana, 250km away, she has built a round hut for accommodation and a school costing £2,500.

She hopes it will become a base where students can come during their gap year to share their knowledge and skills with local people.

Meanwhile, in her home village of Kerewan Samba Sira, she is enjoying becoming a valued and respected member of the community.

Debbie said: “We in the educated West don’t realise how much we know, and people ask me for everything from medical advice to checking their homework.

“There are very few books here and little to read.”

Debbie’s husband speaks fluent English and three local languages, two of which she is learning – and though life is hard, there are compensations.

The lights fail when frequent petrol shortages mean the generator cannot run – but there is no rent to pay, no utility bills, no work treadmill and no stress.