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What else? Literacy & Beekeeping ( inactive)

14/11/2021

Andreas Maria Baumeister and Dagmar Knuth present their currently inactive projects here

Alphabetization courses in Sanyang from Dagmar Knuth

From December 2018 to January 2019, our member Michael, together with his wife Dagmar, visited Sanyang and had wonderful experiences interacting with the teachers of the schools and many other residents of Sanyang. During a visit to the local public lending library, Dagmar, together with the head of the library and the head of the local development committee (VDC), developed the idea of an adult literacy course. The first interested person was her cab driver, who had dropped out of school very early to earn money due to family circumstances. Quickly there was the first meeting and by word of mouth soon 11 participants were found. Together with a teacher from Mango School and the head of the library, Dagmar had developed a course plan, provided the teaching materials and negotiated a regular salary with both of them. 4 of the students took the course to the end and proudly demonstrated their reading and writing skills in May, when Dagmar flew to The Gambia for another week. The course continued until February 2020 when Corona made it impossible to teach for the time being. We hope to be able to organize this educational opportunity again in the coming winter.

Beekeeping project from our member Andreas Maria Baumeister

In 2017, we started our beekeeping project with three beehives and Buba Bah, principal of the Mango Preschool, which we supported at that time, became a member of the NBAG (National Beekeeper Association Gambia). In the meantime he has successfully participated in the beekeeping seminars organized by us and has received the necessary equipment for beekeeping from us. (beekeeping suit, smoker, tools etc.). He can independently control the bee colonies and also independently harvest the honey.


In March 2018, another seven Beehives were acquired, bringing the total to ten, and an apiary was established in a cashew grove in Sanyang.
Nine of the ten Beehives were immediately transferred to the new apiary and one colony, which was still on Buba's land, was transferred to this apiary in January 2019 with the help of Mr. Manga, NBAG.


During 2018, several colonies of bees have come to the Beehives. Some have left, while others have become firmly established.


In January 2019, a final beekeeping seminar took place at the NBAG in Brikama. The topic was also the production of ointments and soaps from wax and honey. Not only Buba Bah participated, but also two other teachers from our schools, Ismaila Jallow from Sunshine Preschool and Kalotta Bass from Mango Preschool.


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