How to Help
We have already achieved a great deal, with the help of many people who have made kind donations, but building the school is only a beginning.
Whilst it is wonderful to see the children happy and working hard in their new school the list of needs to ensure the schools continuance is very long: not only the supplying of equipment but also to make sure the school is maintained in a good condition.
The harsh sun and heavy summer rains requires the school to be constantly painted and the general day to day repairs all require a stable and regular supply of funds to give the school a secure financial foundation.
For information about different ways to help please explore the tabs below.
Become a Friend of GOVI
The most effective way to help is to become a Member of Friends of GOVI.
Your Membership fees will be used wisely for the benefit of all the children in the school, and will help to pay for specialist equipment, supplies such as braille books and stationery, healthy meals at lunchtime, uniforms and ongoing maintainance of the school buildings, grounds and water supply. Joining will also allow you can stay in touch as the school and its pupils make progress. In the Spring you will receive The Annual Report of Friends of GOVI, which will include a full financial statement. You can also confirm our status on the Charity Commission’s website.
The Membership Form is part of our A4 brochure which you can download here or you can open the file in your browser here.
It is enormously helpful to Friends of GOVI when members pay by Standing Order, as it saves us the time and expense of sending out reminders. If you would like to pay in this way, please remember to complete the relevant section of the form.
You will need Acrobat Reader to view the form. If you do not have Acrobat Reader you can download it from Adobe's website free of charge.
Alternatively you can download the appilcation form and standing order form in Microsoft Word format here.
Make a Donation
Make a secure donation with your Credit Card by clicking the spinning icon. Please note that 100% of all funds donated or raised are spent in The Gambia on behalf of GOVI. All administration and transport costs are covered by the Trustees. We are a charity eligible to take part in UK Gift Aid. We can reclaim basic tax on all donations.
A new browser window will open at a secure website. All payments are made via charitychoice.co.uk and securely processed by The Cooperative Bank plc.
The money we collect from donations will be used to pay for all the things which are needed at the school. Specifics will vary from year to year as requirements will be dependent upon government grants, other charitable donations, the ongoing maintainance of the school, and particular requests from GOVI staff. Part of the proceeds may be used for a contingency fund whenever money is required for welfare and relief in order to ensure that all the children are able to remain in education.
Friends of GOVI would like to reassure you that we will consistently do everything in our power to ensure that your sponsorship contributions are spent wisely for the benefit of all the children at the School for Blind and Visually Impaired Children. Please do not send any contributions direct to The Gambia or make independent donations to organisations or individuals. We are deeply saddened when we see people making charitable donations to The Gambia which are not directed or used to their best advantage. As with any desperately poor country, there is evidence of corruption and opportunism, but you can be confident that Friends of GOVI will not permit the mismanagement or misappropriation of your donations. Please feel free to contact the Chairman, Phil Feller, if you have any concerns about your contributions and how they are being used.
Book Holidays to the Gambia Here
If you are planning a holiday in The Gambia why not make your booking though us. Click the icon for further details:
Send Gifts to the School
Should you wish to send gifts to the school this can be arranged, but we insist that certain guidelines are followed. Firstly, please call Friends of GOVI to discuss your options. GOVI has a constantly evolving inventory of requirements, and you may be able to select something from the current list or suggest an idea of your own. Suitable gifts include educational gifts, from braille paper and tactile puzzles to Brailler machines, things to play with (e.g. plastic animals, skipping ropes, jingling footballs) and items of clothing such as T-Shirts and flip-flops. Avoid expensive or expensive-looking gifts which might arouse jealously or invite theft.
Gifts should not be posted to the school itself. Friends of GOVI will need to confirm that the gift is suitable before posting or delivering it, as appropriate, to The Gambia, and it may be more beneficial to send gifts grouped together. Sometimes it may be more economical to source your gift in The Gambia than to post it from the UK. GOVI staff in The Gambia reserve the right to exercise discretion in handing over of your gift to the school, in terms of timing, tact or privacy.
Many thanks to you all.
