JACKIE CHURCH STARTED HER ‚THE GLOVE PROJECT‘ IN THE GAMBIA BACK IN 2007
With her aid organization, the dedicated Englishwoman Jackie Church spent the first 12 years of her aid organization mainly helping villages in Africa’s smallest country, for example, to get access to drinking water or that some kind of infrastructure is created there. She also saw the plight of children, especially in villages and small rural settlements. So she started in 2019 to help kids in The Gambia.
GERMAN PHOTOGRAPHER BABOUCARR HANF IS COMMITTED TO HELPING KIDS IN AFRICA AND APPEALS FOR HELP:
The photographer and Africa connoisseur, who has been vacationing in West Africa since 1996:
„Dear all, a pretty brave British woman named Jackie Church is saving children and young people in the smallest country in Africa with therapies and treatments due to illness or accidents. With her aid organization THE GLOVE PROJECT, the committed Englishwoman Jackie Church has spent the first 12 years of her aid organization primarily helping villages in Africa’s smallest country, for example, to gain access to drinking water or for some kind of infrastructure to be created there. As a longtime Gambian traveler, I know about the need in the country, and Jackie is doing everything she can to help. Who’s helping?“
SINCE 2019, CHILDREN & YOUTH FROM WEST AFRICA HAVE BEEN THE FOCUS OF HER AID EFFORTS
Since 2019, Jackie has made it her life’s goal to help children in need as much as possible and to have disabilities treated as best as possible. If a foot, lower leg or even the whole leg had to be amputated, THE GLOVE PROJECT has prostheses made according to possibilities. The shining eyes of children who have been treated in this way (*see cover photo) show very clearly that Jackie is doing everything right and is trying to alleviate the hardship. Without this treatment, many children in West Africa would die when, for example, an abrasion leads to infection after an accident on the soccer field.
MEDICAL TREATMENTS IN WEST AFRICA ARE EXPENSIVE – SO CHILDREN’S MINOR ACCIDENTS OFTEN TURN INTO AVOIDABLE CASES OF CARE
Medically necessary treatments are also all but impossible for children of most families. The money is simply not available to buy antibiotics, for example, for the child who may be affected by a disease. Even if an amputation is then threatened later, Western and usually successful treatment methods are not within the financial means of most Africans. Medicines cost a lot of money in Africa, too, but if they were taken in time, they could prevent the threatened amputation of a child’s lower leg, for example.
SCHOOL EDUCATION FOR DISABLED CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE?
Unfortunately, only in exceptional cases. Regular school attendance is usually excluded for children from poor backgrounds with obvious physical disabilities! Because education costs money in Africa. Many families have many children, but only minimal sources of income. For example, employees in restaurants or hotels earn only about 4000 Dalassi (GMD, equivalent to about 60EUR) per month.
So a poor family will rather put the little money into rice or food than to buy a school uniform for the handicapped child or even a pen or even a pad for writing. This is a vicious circle. Due to the hardship, small accidents often turn into care cases, who have no future chances at all, as they are also denied the urgently needed education – thus the chance for a better life…
MANY CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS HAVE BEEN AND ARE STILL BEING CARED FOR BY JACKIE CHURCH AND ITS DEDICATED HELP CREW
Already in 2007 JACKIE CHURCH had founded the aid organization
https://www.gloveproject.life/
in Gambia, followed by the registration in England in 2008. Jackie gets help from the British ambassador in Gambia and also from one or the other British circle of supporters.
However, this is by far not enough anymore, because more and more people from Gambia with affected kids have heard about Jackie Church and her relief organization and try to put their children in the care of Jackie Church. Ideally, a sick child can be treated completely, for example, if a sports wound does not heal without antibiotics or the necessary treatment as a result of an infection.
EXTREMELY COMPLEX TREATMENT AFTER AMPUTATION
Fitting a prosthesis to a child is extremely complex and hard work. Our example case of the child shown here is as follows:
In a child, fitting a prosthesis is extremely elaborate and hard work. Our example case of the child shown in the cover photo looks like this:
– a three-week inpatient rehabilitation with the prosthesis took place
– the complex treatment cost(s) an enormous sum of money
– In addition, protein-rich food, drinks and snacks are necessary for the boy’s muscle and weight development, and these are expensive.
– Laundry, dry cleaning, electricity, gas, clothing, shoes, toiletries, day and night staffing are also all being shouldered by Jackie’s The Glove Project.
Jackie Church:
„If we can’t fund rehabilitation, the child has little hope for the future. Unfortunately, there are many more children and teens waiting for treatment, we are trying everything we can and that’s where we need you, dear readers…!“
ALL KINDS OF DONATIONS OF MONEY & GOODS AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES ARE NEEDED
The need in The Gambia is getting bigger and bigger, more and more children with sports accidents or also infectious diseases are affected and absolutely need to be treated.So it is really high time to make more people aware of Jackie Church’s aid project and ideally also send energetic help, financial donations or also supplies to The Gambia.
Jackie Church:
„Dear readers from Europe! Disabled or injured children and young people in The Gambia have no lobby and unfortunately no support from their families, who have to fight for their survival day after day. The GLOVE Project e.V. needs every form of help and support. It would be great if we could get used children’s and youth bicycles, because we teach disabled children to ride a bicycle with their prostheses. Any form of help is requested and eagerly desired by the children, as well as children’s and youth clothing, monetary donations via PayPal or, or…. ! Sometimes I stand in front of the doctors in the hospitals and really have to cry bitterly because the doctors fail to provide the help that is so urgently needed. Many an amputation can be avoided if timely medication is administered. Because even my charges will not get help without our appropriate treatment cost transfer guarantees. Doctors or medical professionals also from Switzerland, Germany and Austria or all parts of Europe are welcome to contact us, we are grateful for any form of help. The children to be saved in The Gambia will thank you.“
SUMMARY OF THE AUTHORS AS WELL AS THE GERMAN PHOTOGRAPHER BABOUCARR HANF:
„In The Gambia, through Jackie Church and her charity THE GLOVE PROJECT, disabled children can be given an actual chance at survival that they would otherwise not be able to get. Any form of help and support is gratefully received by Jackie. Just as desired: if suitable caregivers would like to work in West Africa one day, they are most welcome. A reliable driver is also wanted – ideally with an off-road car.“
JACKIE CHURCH & THE GLOVE PROJECT CONTACT:
The Glove Project is a non-profit organization, registered both in Gambia (Reg. No. 339/2007) and in England (Reg. No. 1126810) since 2008.
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/GLOVE.Project
Website:
https://www.gloveproject.life/
Paypal:
donate@gloveproject.life
eMail:
jackiechurch2000@yahoo.com
