As salaamualaykum.

Once more a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has been helping Healing Hearts in the last 15 years, al Hamdulillah! This is a short description from a trip in October 2011 to The Gambia of how our projects are developing there:

Yurunku:

The village Yurunku lies 2 hours of very bumpy ride into the desert off the Northbank of the River Gambia, or, if you go by boat, 8 hours on the River Gambia. The village has around 2000 inhabitants and only one well on the outskirts of the village. The main source of water: a borehole with pipes leading to 5 water taps into the village, had broken down completely. It was built a few years ago by Italians, powered by a windmill, which from the start didn't work very well because it was situated next to some big trees and there isn't much wind in that area anyway. Since a year the whole construction has collapsed. When we were there they turned on the water, which, because it doesn't have any pressure, can only last for around half a minute.

The Elders of Yurunku inspecting the progress of the water project

It was heartbreaking to see the children like bees on honey, trying to get a drop of water out of the tap. 

We went down the River Gambia once more on a boat with a team of experts who added one more 10000 liter tank to the 7 meter wooden stand. All this has now been connected to solar energy which pumps the water into the taps and the water has now started to flow again, al Hamdulillah!

Finally! The water is running again!

MOSQUITO NETS:

The Elders of Yurunku also helped to distribute 350 mosquito nets:

KOTU CRAFT MARKET:

The Kotu Craft Market lies right in the middle of the tourist area, and it is touching to witness that everyone working there (up to 150 people), have hung on to their religious life style in spite of all temptations tourism brings. Healing Hearts built a mosque there 12 years ago and we are now planting coconut trees there at the Zikr memory bench of Ebou:

New Yundum:

Healing Hearts has started to build a new well with a pump for drinking water in the village of New Yundum. A new school and mosque is planned for the area, which will both benefit from the well. Until then many families already living there will be using the well, as it is public. 

Tanji Tijani-Naqshbandi School:

The school in Tanji has 120 pupils, we pay the salary of the teachers, uniforms for the pupils, school books and stationery. We are now repainting the school, making general repairs and getting new furniture for the teacher's room.

Farato Tijani-Naqshbandi School:

The school in Farato also has 120 pupils and here too we pay the salaries of the teachers, uniforms for the pupils, school books and stationery. We are here constructing a pipeline from the well to the ablution area of the school with a solar pump and several taps. This is to make sure that the pupils are having ablution at all times. This area can also be used by the mosque.

Farato pupils with new uniforms

Mandina Bah:

The new well in Mandina Bah was officially completed with a pump and opened for all inhabitants of the village:

Again the gap between the rich and the poor is widening more and more and more...  And the desire to want to do more also grows...

Some of our big projects, like building wells or schools, are one offs, but so many of the projects involve regular salaries. It is such a relief to be able to create jobs and not just hand out charity. So this is very much an appeal to those of you who are able to commit on a regular basis, see our donations page on the website.

Wa salaama and thank you so much, al Hamdulillah.
May Allah bless you, protect you and guide you more and more, inshaAllah...

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