A KELLY Bray charity is recycling unwanted goods and supporting Gambian communities.

The Keen4Gambia project has two active members Jaine Keen (who set up the project) and Hilary Fairhurst.

Jaine and Hilary ‘found each other’ through their mutual passion for helping Gambian people.

The charity collect things that people don’t want that are recyclable including items such as clothes, childrens toys, educational materials, medical equipment and a plethora of other items.

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The goods are then boxed-up in banana boxes and stored at Kelly Bray in a 40ft shipping container. The 40ft container is then shipped to Banjul, Gambia where Jaine and Hilary meet the container and personally distribute the goods to families, schools and clinics.

Jaine and Hilary self-fund their trips to Banjul and can end up staying there for up to three months with the Gambian communities.

Jaine and Hilary have therefore both experienced first hand the extreme poverty in Gambia.

Hilary said: ‘When I went over there and I saw what they made do with and what they didn’t have, it gets under your skin.

‘It becomes personal and you don’t know why. It shows the injustice in life. They’ve got nothing, they are living hand-to-mouth and they are just grateful for existing. It really hits home.’

‘It makes you extraordinarily grateful for what you do have and you realise how wasteful you are.

‘When I was a child, I remember wishing I didn’t have to go to school. In Gambia, the children, without exception are desperate to go to school, desperate to learn. The desperation amongst people is scary.’

In order to send the 40ft container to Gambia, fundraising is essential and the charity have run numerous events in the past including auctions, quizzes and challenges. The cost of sending the shipping container has almost doubled recently and is now £6000-7000.

The 40ft container was sent a few weeks ago and is due to arrive in Gambia mid-October where it will be met by Jaine and Hilary.

Keen4Gambia hopes to raise more funds at the next fundraising event, ‘The Last Watch’ which is going to be a music event with an ecclectic mix of bands and musicians all performing in aid of rural Gambia.

The event will take place at St Anne’s Church, Gunnislake on Saturday October 1 at 7.30pm. Tickets for the event can be purchased from The Premier Stores or on the door.

Hilary is looking forward to the event and is grateful for the support the charity have already received. Hilary said: ‘I’m utterly delighted. Whatever we get is wonderful.’

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