The project focuses on providing education and training, health care, food security, housing and emergency response to Juffureh village in The Gambia’s North Bank Region.
“One of my dreams is to have a medical mission to come here (in The Gambia) to give free examination for eyes, high blood pressure…,” said Justina Thomson, CEO Global Mission Society and founder of the Juffureh Project.
“One of my cousins in Juffureh had a stroke and died, and is all because of the lack of medical attention that they have in the village, so we need doctors and nurses that will come to help them,” she said, fighting back tears.
“We need all the help from sponsors, donors who just want to give charity to wonderful people.”
On March 27, 2015, Justina handed over a truckload of goods donated to the Glory Baptist Church at Old Jeshwang and Juffureh village. The goods include computers, novels and other books, bibles, toys, clothes, shoes, medical supplies, TV sets, video home systems, radio sets, dishes, bikes among other things.
Justina, 52, also revealed that the project plans to help build a video room at the village, refurbish the ‘bantaba’ (a meeting place), and put in place toilets, solar energy and a clean water system. “This is what we are doing right now; we are trying to raise funds and finding partners to help us get these things going,” she added.
Preserving historical site
Speaking of Friday’s donation, she said it took her Mission two years to raise the money, collect goods and have them packed with the support of the Baptist Church in the U.S., her husband, personal friends and youth groups.
Justina, who traces her roots as a 7th generation African-American-Gambian of the Mandinka tribe [of Kunta Kinteh], said: “We are only three years old, we are a grassroots organisation. I decided to establish it to help Juffureh village to preserve the historical birthplace of Kunta Kinteh whom I’m a descendant of.
“The donation is important because Gambians are lovely people and I think that we at some point in life need a hand up, and that’s what we trying to do – just to give the Gambian people a hand up.”
The same heart
Rev. Felix Banson, Assistant Pastor Glory Baptist Church, said the largesse from the Juffureh Project will serve as an extension of his church’s own “lending a hand” to the needy.
“Just like Justina said, three years ago we sat and discussed how we can help the community out there because it’s work that one person cannot do, it takes a whole lot of people to come together to achieve God’s agenda,” he said.
“We just want to praise God that Global Mission has become part of what we are doing here – they have the same heart as we have – to help the communities who are in need.”
The famous Juffureh village, which remains a significant symbol of the transatlantic slave trade, was brought to the world’s attention by the late Alex Haley, Author of ‘Roots’.
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