FOP will sponsor a paricipant from Penyem village in the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Bridge Builders Conference to be held in Cambridge, MA from February 25 to March 3. The conference is designed to allow participants to "build bridges" with Harvard students, faculty members, development organizations and members of the public by sharing their skills, successes and struggles in international development and community organizing. Last year's participants were from Afganistan, Mozambique, Ecuador and Burkina Faso. Robin Cherry, a student at the Kennedy School and a director on the board of FOP, participated in the conference last year and nominated Nyima to be a participant in the 2007 conference.
We are very excited to sponsor Nyima Jarju at the conference this year! Nyima is a school teacher in Penyem who is the women's development liason to the Village Development Committee. She is also one of two women representatives for her area on the equivalent of the "state legislature" in her region of The Gambia.
Cutest Picture
This is Binta Jammeh's son. Binta was very kind to cook for the Friends of Penyem team during our May trip to the village.
Team Penyem - Join the Team!
On February 25, 2007, TEAM PENYEM will run the Hyannis Half-Marathon to raise money to fund scholarships awarded to Penyem residents this year and to fund future FOP projects in the village.
Runners are being recruited to join the team. Email Brae Blackley if you are interested in running: braeblackley@gmail.com.
Here is the race website: http://www.hyannismarathon.com
To DONATE to this fundraiser, visit our website hosted by ActiveGiving.com:
http://www.active.com/donate/TeamPenyem
Thanks for your support!
Runners are being recruited to join the team. Email Brae Blackley if you are interested in running: braeblackley@gmail.com.
Here is the race website: http://www.hyannismarathon.com
To DONATE to this fundraiser, visit our website hosted by ActiveGiving.com:
http://www.active.com/donate/TeamPenyem
Thanks for your support!
Mission & Vision
The mission of Friends of Penyem is to improve the health, education and economic self-sufficiency of the residents of Penyem Village, The Gambia, West Africa.
This mission is supported by several underlying tenets:
Ø By providing access to capital and project management support, Friends of Penyem partners with Village leaders to implement sustainable infrastructure projects and provide financial support for the education of Village residents.
Ø By placing strong emphasis on partnerships with Village leaders and with geographically-proximate institutional partners, Friends of Penyem has insight into the most effective way to deploy capital in a rural village setting.
Ø Enabled by a financial commitment from the board of directors and staff, Friends of Penyem operates with zero overhead costs, allowing 100% of donor project contributions to benefit Penyem and its residents directly.
Ø Volunteer-led fundraising and project management allows donors and volunteers to forge strong alliances with Village residents and promotes cross-cultural learning.
The long-term vision of Friends of Penyem is to use the lessons learned in Penyem to create an effective and tailored approach for supporting similarly-situated villages.
This mission is supported by several underlying tenets:
Ø By providing access to capital and project management support, Friends of Penyem partners with Village leaders to implement sustainable infrastructure projects and provide financial support for the education of Village residents.
Ø By placing strong emphasis on partnerships with Village leaders and with geographically-proximate institutional partners, Friends of Penyem has insight into the most effective way to deploy capital in a rural village setting.
Ø Enabled by a financial commitment from the board of directors and staff, Friends of Penyem operates with zero overhead costs, allowing 100% of donor project contributions to benefit Penyem and its residents directly.
Ø Volunteer-led fundraising and project management allows donors and volunteers to forge strong alliances with Village residents and promotes cross-cultural learning.
The long-term vision of Friends of Penyem is to use the lessons learned in Penyem to create an effective and tailored approach for supporting similarly-situated villages.
FOP Awards Eight Scholarships
On September 13, 2006, FOP awarded its first eight scholarships to the following residents of Penyem village:
Abdoulie Bah, Management Development Institute
Sukai Nyassi, Penyem Upper Basic School
Landing Nyassi, The University of the Gambia
Hawa Jallow, Management Development Institute
Amadou Badjie, Meadow Senior Secondary School
Sanna Sanyang, Gambia Technical Training Institute
Binta Jammeh, The Gambia Hotel Training School
Andrew Gomez, International Business College
The Pump Has Arrived!!!!
We just received this email today from Andrew Gomez, Friends of Penyem's representative in the village:
Hi Brae,
Thank you very much, yesterday was a day if happiness to the villages women. I wish you were there with me and see the how the women were happy. They call me and ask me if is real the pump, and whether the bole-hole will soon work. I told them it will soon work and think you will start haven water by Monday, because the engineer will work on it on Saturday morning. Prayers were coming everywhere.
Thank you to all Friends of Penyem supporters who made this huge success possible!
The pump is long and cylindrical and extends down inside the "bore hole." A turbine inside the cylindrical shaft turns and draws water up the shaft, from which it pumps throughout the pipe system extending to all areas of the village.
The men in the village, along with a Gambian engineer, work to install the pump.
Hi Brae,
Thank you very much, yesterday was a day if happiness to the villages women. I wish you were there with me and see the how the women were happy. They call me and ask me if is real the pump, and whether the bole-hole will soon work. I told them it will soon work and think you will start haven water by Monday, because the engineer will work on it on Saturday morning. Prayers were coming everywhere.
Thank you to all Friends of Penyem supporters who made this huge success possible!
The pump is long and cylindrical and extends down inside the "bore hole." A turbine inside the cylindrical shaft turns and draws water up the shaft, from which it pumps throughout the pipe system extending to all areas of the village.
The men in the village, along with a Gambian engineer, work to install the pump.
What's Next - Water Tank
While FOP has achieved a huge success for the village in bringing the water pump back to functionality, there is still more work to be done on the water system to bring it to fully capacity for use by the village. We learned that the village has outgrown the water tank currently being used to store water for use by the village. At peak usage times, the tank is drained, and, at night, when the solar power is no longer available to power the pump, the tank is not re-filled. In fact, Chief Kolley has decided to impose a rationing system once the pump is functioning again to reduce strain on the system.
Currently, FOP is investigating the best solution to this problem. Possible solutions include (1) a battery-pack to store energy during the day, allowing the pump to work around the clock or (2) a larger water tank. It is important for the health and economy of the village to have relatively easy access to clean water.
Currently, FOP is investigating the best solution to this problem. Possible solutions include (1) a battery-pack to store energy during the day, allowing the pump to work around the clock or (2) a larger water tank. It is important for the health and economy of the village to have relatively easy access to clean water.
What's Next - Scholarships
During our trip, we had many conversations and discussions about the next project for FOP. The most immediate smaller-scale project will be providing scholarships for at least 3 students from Penyem. At least one of these scholarships will be awarded to a female. Many families have only enough money to send some of their children to school, and the education of female children is often not a priority.
During our visit, FOP provided Chief Kolley and the VDC (Village Development Committee) with scholarship applications that can be distributed to worthy students. The applications will be mailed to us at the end of June and decisions will be made by the end of July. We're excited to have the opportunity to assist students in continuing their education. Penyem has many very talented students who are unable to attend school and learn marketable skills because of financial limitations.
With relatively small contributions, FOP will be able to make a relatively big difference in the lives of Penyem youth. For example:
$100 sends a student to private high school for one year (a.k.a. senior secondary school)
$40 sends a student to middle school for one year (a.k.a. junior school)
$200-400 sends a student to technical school for one semester (i.e., computer maintenance, IT, automotive engineering, electrical engineering, nursing school)
Since primary school is heavily subsidized by the Gambian government, FOP will focus scholarships on higher levels of education, where students are more often forced to discontinue schooling for financial reasons.
During our visit, FOP provided Chief Kolley and the VDC (Village Development Committee) with scholarship applications that can be distributed to worthy students. The applications will be mailed to us at the end of June and decisions will be made by the end of July. We're excited to have the opportunity to assist students in continuing their education. Penyem has many very talented students who are unable to attend school and learn marketable skills because of financial limitations.
With relatively small contributions, FOP will be able to make a relatively big difference in the lives of Penyem youth. For example:
$100 sends a student to private high school for one year (a.k.a. senior secondary school)
$40 sends a student to middle school for one year (a.k.a. junior school)
$200-400 sends a student to technical school for one semester (i.e., computer maintenance, IT, automotive engineering, electrical engineering, nursing school)
Since primary school is heavily subsidized by the Gambian government, FOP will focus scholarships on higher levels of education, where students are more often forced to discontinue schooling for financial reasons.
The Village
Perhaps one of the most important accomplishments of our team this trip was to make great connections with the village and with the Chief, Kalilu Kolley. Through many discussions and meetings, we learned about the real concerns and goals of the village. We believe that open communication and discussion with the village about its needs and solutions is crucial for the success of Friends of Penyem.
In this photo, Seth and Brae are meeting with Chief Kolley (right), Sanna (the Village Development Coordinator, center) and Andrew (FOP's local representative and our host, to the left of Sanna) to discuss the pump project and future projects for FOP.
When we first arrived in Penyem, the village gathered outside the community center for a village meeting. Seth and Brae thanked the village for welcoming us and explained the role of Friends of Penyem in the pump installation and repair. The Chief welcomed us to the village and encouraged us to get to know the people in the village. A member of the Village Development Commitee (VDC), CeeDeey Nyassi, expressed gratitute on behalf of the village for FOP's work to repair the pump - explaining that the pump provides neccessary health and economic benefit to the village. Here are the women sitting under the mango tree for our welcome meeting.
Constructing a West African Fence
The American crew has returned from our journey to The Gambia. It was a success ! While we were there, we put into place all the logistics for installing the pump, which arrived in The Gambia on June 1. We also began construction of the security fence to protect the pump house and solar panels from theft.
Russ and Marc dig a trench for the foundation of the concrete fence.
After the trench was dug around the entire area to be fenced, the villagers showed us how to mix concrete with shovels. (The concrete mixture is composed of bags of cement, sand, gravel and water.) A 1/2" foundation of concrete was spread throughout the trench. Concrete blocks made by the villagers will be set on top of the foundation by the village mason.
Because most villagers are forced to use the hand pump at the center of the village, water in the village is a valuable commodity. Oftentimes, by late afternoon, the hand pump is slow to deliver water as the well begins to go dry. For this reason, Chief Kolley has asked the villagers to halt construction projects until the solar-powered pump is repaired. Likewise, our construction project was slowed by the difficulty in obtaining water at the project site. Our makeshift solution was to fill this blue barrel and roll it down to the project site - about 200 yards away! (In case you've never tried rolling a barrel full of water, it's harder than it looks!) Even so, we couldn't use much water for fear of exhausting the drinking and cooking water supply for the village.
Board of Directors
The members of the Board of Directors of FOP are Alieu Nyassi, Seth Blackley, Brae Blackley, Russ Glass and Robin Cherry. Biographies of Alieu, Seth and Brae can be found in the post called "About Us."
Robin is a student at Harvard Business School with extensive experience with consulting for non-profit start-up organizations. Russ is a business manager with impressive accomplishments in start-up organizations and marketing. Both Russ and Robin graduated from Duke University.
The Board of Directors of any non-profit is a critical force in shaping the tenor and future of the organization. Thank you to Russ and Robin for volunteering their expertise!
Robin is a student at Harvard Business School with extensive experience with consulting for non-profit start-up organizations. Russ is a business manager with impressive accomplishments in start-up organizations and marketing. Both Russ and Robin graduated from Duke University.
The Board of Directors of any non-profit is a critical force in shaping the tenor and future of the organization. Thank you to Russ and Robin for volunteering their expertise!
The Crew
The crew for our journey has been finalized... The magnificant 7 are as follows:
1. Robin Cherry
2. Russ Glass
3. Josh Callahan
4. Patty Wu
5. Marc Balenciago
6. Seth Blackley
7. Brae Blackley
Most of the group are students at Harvard Business School, and the rest are "partners" or spouses - a.k.a. the ones who work to pay the bills! :)
We are all looking forward to a great visit to Penyem, to meeting new Gambian friends and to leaving the village a better place than when we arrived!
1. Robin Cherry
2. Russ Glass
3. Josh Callahan
4. Patty Wu
5. Marc Balenciago
6. Seth Blackley
7. Brae Blackley
Most of the group are students at Harvard Business School, and the rest are "partners" or spouses - a.k.a. the ones who work to pay the bills! :)
We are all looking forward to a great visit to Penyem, to meeting new Gambian friends and to leaving the village a better place than when we arrived!
Water Delivery System
Last week, FOP put a down-payment on the pump to be manufactured by Coralex in Arizona. The pump is currently under construction, and is on schedule to be delivered to Penyem shortly before our arrival at the end of next month.
The remainder of the payment for the pump must be paid before the pump is shipped in a few weeks. Fundraising is going well, but we still have not reached the goal. Thanks to everyone who has supported the project to this point! But we've still got more work to do.
Dennis, our pump-expert friend who currently lives in Spain, is helping to develop a pump control device, which will also be constructed and shipped to Penyem before our arrival.
The remainder of the payment for the pump must be paid before the pump is shipped in a few weeks. Fundraising is going well, but we still have not reached the goal. Thanks to everyone who has supported the project to this point! But we've still got more work to do.
Dennis, our pump-expert friend who currently lives in Spain, is helping to develop a pump control device, which will also be constructed and shipped to Penyem before our arrival.
Trip Update
The trip details are being finalized, and we are getting really excited for May. The dates of the trip have changed: May 22-June 1. We've signed up Josh Callahan, a friend of Seth's from school, to join us. A few others are still deciding, and we hope they will join the trip.
Last week, Seth organized a conference call with Ebou Nyassi in The Gambia, a pump expert in Spain, a representative from a pump company in Arizona, and us. The call was a great success in that we were able to really drill down the details of the damage to the pump and what needs to be done to repair it. The pump company representative is preparing a definitive quote for the new pump, and, prepared with a good estimate, we've launched into full fundraising mode. The goal is to raise $20,500! That's a lot of money, but the project is important, and we are going to do our best to reach that goal. (If you are interested in helping, email me at braeriggins@gmail.com.)
Last week, Seth organized a conference call with Ebou Nyassi in The Gambia, a pump expert in Spain, a representative from a pump company in Arizona, and us. The call was a great success in that we were able to really drill down the details of the damage to the pump and what needs to be done to repair it. The pump company representative is preparing a definitive quote for the new pump, and, prepared with a good estimate, we've launched into full fundraising mode. The goal is to raise $20,500! That's a lot of money, but the project is important, and we are going to do our best to reach that goal. (If you are interested in helping, email me at braeriggins@gmail.com.)
Recruiting for the May 2006 trip
As you can imagine, starting a non-profit can be a lot of work! We are all having a lot of fun with it... Here's our main project right now.
Trip to Penyem, May 18-29, 2006
This summer, a group of us will travel over to The Gambia to live in Penyem for about a week to work on repairing the water delivery system in the village that has been rendered non-functional by thieves who have stolen some of its parts.
There is a flyer going around that has more information about the trip. Currently, we are working to recruit volunteers to make the trip. We'll keep the blog updated as people sign on...
We're looking to get around 10. Email us if you are interested, and we'll send you the flyer! To sign up, you need to send a $200 deposit to:
Friends of Penyem
273 Bunker Hill St. #1
Charlestown, MA 02129
The deposit is to allow us to reserve a flight for you. That's why we need it ASAP - to ensure we get the best airfare possible.
Trip to Penyem, May 18-29, 2006
This summer, a group of us will travel over to The Gambia to live in Penyem for about a week to work on repairing the water delivery system in the village that has been rendered non-functional by thieves who have stolen some of its parts.
There is a flyer going around that has more information about the trip. Currently, we are working to recruit volunteers to make the trip. We'll keep the blog updated as people sign on...
We're looking to get around 10. Email us if you are interested, and we'll send you the flyer! To sign up, you need to send a $200 deposit to:
Friends of Penyem
273 Bunker Hill St. #1
Charlestown, MA 02129
The deposit is to allow us to reserve a flight for you. That's why we need it ASAP - to ensure we get the best airfare possible.
About us...
There are three of us on the "Board" of Friends of Penyem for Education and Development, Inc. - Alieu Nyassi, Seth Blackley and Brae Blackley. Here's a little bit about us and about some others we work with...
Alieu Nyassi is a Gambian native who currently lives outside Detroit with his lovely wife and beautiful daughters, Oumi and Binta. Alieu grew up in Penyem, and many of his family members (including his mother) still live there. Alieu works with many organizations that do charitable work in Africa and has lobbied to bring more support to Penyem. Friends of Penyem is the first organization that was organized specifically to help the residents of Penyem. With Alieu's expert knowledge about Penyem and his vision for its future, Alieu is the President.
Seth Blackley lives in Boston and is working toward his M.B.A. at Harvard Business School. He and his wife, Brae (see below), married in May of last year. Seth grew up in North Carolina and earned a bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Seth will make his first trip to Penyem in May 2006. With his keen eye for the numbers and steady control over the books, Seth is the Treasurer.
Brae Blackley also lives in Boston with her husband, Seth. Brae grew up in Jacksonville, Florida and earned a bachelor's degree from UNC-Chapel Hill, as well. After graduating from law school in D.C., Brae has begun working as a lawyer at Ropes & Gray LLP in the corporate department. Brae lived in Penyem during the summer in between undergrad and lawschool (2002) with a group from Operation Crossroads Africa. With her superior writing and organizational skills, Brae is the Clerk.
Alieu, Seth and Brae are on the Board of Directors.
Andrew Gomez is a Gambian living in The Gambia and attending computer engineering classes a at a technical school in Banjul, the capital. Andrew recently graduated from Gambia Senior Secondary School (like a U.S. high school). Last winter, Andrew came to the U.S. for the first time to visit Brae and Seth. Andrew works as the Friends of Penyem liason with the village leaders.
Ebou Nyassi is a Gambian living in The Gambia. Ebou works as a hospital equipment technician for MRC. Ebou is Alieu's cousin and also works as a Friends of Penyem liason with the village leaders.
Alieu Nyassi is a Gambian native who currently lives outside Detroit with his lovely wife and beautiful daughters, Oumi and Binta. Alieu grew up in Penyem, and many of his family members (including his mother) still live there. Alieu works with many organizations that do charitable work in Africa and has lobbied to bring more support to Penyem. Friends of Penyem is the first organization that was organized specifically to help the residents of Penyem. With Alieu's expert knowledge about Penyem and his vision for its future, Alieu is the President.
Seth Blackley lives in Boston and is working toward his M.B.A. at Harvard Business School. He and his wife, Brae (see below), married in May of last year. Seth grew up in North Carolina and earned a bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Seth will make his first trip to Penyem in May 2006. With his keen eye for the numbers and steady control over the books, Seth is the Treasurer.
Brae Blackley also lives in Boston with her husband, Seth. Brae grew up in Jacksonville, Florida and earned a bachelor's degree from UNC-Chapel Hill, as well. After graduating from law school in D.C., Brae has begun working as a lawyer at Ropes & Gray LLP in the corporate department. Brae lived in Penyem during the summer in between undergrad and lawschool (2002) with a group from Operation Crossroads Africa. With her superior writing and organizational skills, Brae is the Clerk.
Alieu, Seth and Brae are on the Board of Directors.
Andrew Gomez is a Gambian living in The Gambia and attending computer engineering classes a at a technical school in Banjul, the capital. Andrew recently graduated from Gambia Senior Secondary School (like a U.S. high school). Last winter, Andrew came to the U.S. for the first time to visit Brae and Seth. Andrew works as the Friends of Penyem liason with the village leaders.
Ebou Nyassi is a Gambian living in The Gambia. Ebou works as a hospital equipment technician for MRC. Ebou is Alieu's cousin and also works as a Friends of Penyem liason with the village leaders.
Start-up
On Jan 12, 2006, we finally incorporated in Massachusetts. Thanks to Ropes & Gray for taking on the project on a pro bono basis!
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