Speaking to The Standard on site, Ebrima Tamba, councillor, Bundung Borehole Ward, said the intervention of VDF came as a surprise to the community. “Nonetheless, Turo is an action-oriented man… the road will be very beneficial to pupils of Bundung Primary School which has a population of over 4,000 students. A lot of these students use this road to go to school on daily basis, despite its bad shape. It becomes more difficult to use during the rainy season. This intervention also represents a disaster mitigation mechanism as erosion is solely responsible for its state,” said Councilor Tamba.
Alagi Janko Danso, member, VDC, Bundung Bantaba, said this is something all affluent Gambians should emulate: “It is patriotic to do this. If all the wealthy Gambians building mansions and storey buildings in their compounds are also taking up such an initiative in their respective communities, we would have a different Gambia by now. All of them should emulate Turo Darboe by using their resources to address social constraints of communities.”
Sainey Jaiteh, National Assembly Member for Serekunda Central expressed thanks to the foundation’s CEO, Modou Turo Darbe, for standing up for the needs of this beneficiary community in particular and Gambia at large. This intervention he said, complements the national development efforts of the government, and aspirations of needy communities. The foundation has done the same in Fajikunda, Tabokoto, Bajonkoto, Wellingara, Abuko, and Latrikunda over the past five months.
“It is the responsibility of every citizen to participate in national development strides using whatever resources you have. Government cannot do it alone. Youths should tie their wastes and fully participate in our collective development endeavours. When this happens, they will not be fighting to travel to Europe for greener pasture if it can be created here,” the parliamentarian said.
Modou Njie, constituency youth mobiliser, Serekunda Central, said such interventions should have been the primary responsibility of the municipal council. “If the VDF is taking up this responsibility instead of the council, it is a noble cause that needs to be emulated, especially considering the fact that the rainy season is almost here when kids have to walk in this gulley and the water to go to school,” Njie said.
For Aja Ayi Jatta, cady councillor, Serekunda Central, while many people see the intervention as easing access to market and the school, she sees it as easing access to Jammeh Foundation Hospital. “Transportation is a serious difficulty for the sick going to hospital. It becomes worse for pregnant women travelling to the hospital who may have miscarriage as a result of the bad road situation,” she said.
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