Vocational Training Centre at New Yundum

(ongoing project)

Project Lighthouse Gambia is currently constructing and establishing a Vocational Training Centre (VTC) in the West African country the Gambia. The VTC aims to give young people from the surrounding communities the opportunity to gain hands on experience either on practical as well as on theoretical skills in farming and trade. The VTC is located at New Yundum close to the Banjul International Airport.

The Vocational Training and Knowledge Centre has been mainly founded by ProLightGambia’s Country Director Pamodou S. Jallow, supported by the women garden community of New Yundum and volunteer workers from Tabokoto.

It consists of a training area for mixed farming concepts and experimental cropping and a workshop area for practical applications. The different workshops include carpenter, tailor, metal processing and electrical training facilities.
Experienced specialists and technicians from the surrounding are in charge of the training of interested and motivated youth. The VTC gives them the possibility to develop their skills and get a positive direction in their life even if they were inferior to social, financial or other circumstances. 
Manufactured work pieces and provided services contribute to the revenue of the VTC and after the build-up and familiarization phase the centre will become financial independent. Thorough engagement of the community of New Yundum and a continuous readiness of volunteers from Tabokoto enabled ProLightGambia to finish the shell of VTC building in a one year period.  
Reaching completion of the training centre and for entering the operational phase the VTC project still asks for further supporting (financial as well as donations in kind, e.g. sewing-machines, tooling, machinery for divers workshops).  
In future steps the VTC will become a centre of competence concerning alternative and renewable energy generation, water management, environmental awareness and waste treatment.  
Therefore a close cooperation with the organization of Green Dessert e.V. based in Hannover, and the Jugendwerk St. Joseph in Landau, Germany, was established. At this time St. Joseph realizes and characterizes on basis of a Green Dessert concept a mechanical pump station as a pilot project.
Another example is the construction of power generating windmills consisting of locally available materials. This second pilot project is also meant to be realized in New Yundum and the gained Know How will be imparted and distributed by the VTC as open source Know How. 
A further area of competence of the VTC will concern training of specialists and transfer of Know How of operation after bringing a landfill gas Combined Heat and Power (CHP) unit and a pyrolysis plant into service (see also described projects below).
Such a centre of competence is unique in West Africa and would act as role model and lighthouse for other African countries.

If you want to support this or another project, you can donate for it, become a sustaining member or work with us as a sponsor or project promoter.
For supporting our VTC project, please visit also our donation webpage on www.betterplace.org.

Next to financial support also sponsorships of kind, goods, materials and machinery are highly appreciated. For further information, please feel free to contact us via telephone or email.

Mixed Farm Area

The mixed farm area is an experimental training field for young people. Mixed farming shall be promoted as alternative farming method for keeping the soil in balance and to extend quality of the goods. Therefore our partner organisation Green Desert is training the volunteers, e.g. in fertiliser production, seedling breeding and soil management. Also training on poultry farming is possible.

Workshop Complex

The workshop complex is still under construction. Vocational training on carpentry, sewing, electricity and mechanic skills will offer a big opportunity to the youth. Especially to those who don’t have the chance to get a proper education on theoretical and practical level. The complex includes also PLG office.

Landfill gas CHP unit in Kanifing Municipality

(Project in preparation)

As many African countries, Gambia has a waste problem, which not only threatens the environment of the West African country, but which does also affect the population’s health. Therefore, Project Lighthouse Gambia (PLG) is engaged with a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project by establishing a landfill gas Combined Heat and Power (CHP) unit, in order to make a future-oriented contribution to an ecological meaningful and sustainable waste treatment and a stable power generation in the Gambia.

Recently ProLightGambia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kanifing Municipality Council (KMC) wich is the economic centre of the Gambia representing a third of Gambia’s population. The MoU guarantees the exclusive use of Gambia’s biggest and only organised landfill. PLG wants to exploit the landfill gases to generate electricity by using a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant. This will initiate a considerable contribution to a stable power supply. Currently a big (economical) disadvantage is the nationwide lack of a stable power supply. Through profits from power generation and emissions trading (CDM project) PLG wants to develop Gambia’s waste management system further. With this engagement a major contribution to the environmental protection will be made. New jobs will be created and a know-how transfer in the field of waste management will be accomplished. These projects shall be understood as important mile stones of the national campaign "Operation Clean the Nation", which has been called out by Gambia’s president Yahya Jammeh for the sensitization of the population and for the improvement of the environmental conditions in Gambia.

If you want to support this or another project, you can donate for this project, become a sustaining member or work with us as a sponsor or project promoter. Check also planned and completed projects on the website of our international headquater Project Lighthouse Africa. For further information, please feel free to contact us via telephone or email.

Unauthorized trash mountains directly in front of your door. No rare picture in the Gambia. Therefore, the CDM projects are an important infrastructure method.

Part of the landfill in Bakoteh is covered, but still wads of smoke of the self-enflamed garbage of the open part of the landfill reach the directly neighboring SOS Children’s Village.