The villagers of Batokunku were overwhelmed with joy on Friday as businessman Abubakary Jawara’s GACH Mining Company donated 150 street lights worth nearly one million dalasis to them to light up the Kombo settlement. The items were received by the leaders of the village led by alkalo Jerreh Jatta, councilor Boto Jatta and Village Development Committee (VDC) chairman Mustapha Kandeh in a colourful ceremony. The streetlights are expected to be spread across the village.
The cumulative monetary value of the streetlights is D825,000. Meanwhile, GACH Mining has also agreed with the community of Bato Kunku to provide health facilities, streetlights, and fencing of the community’s football field.
The GACH mining site manager Amadou Manneh said the villagers have also appealed to the company to enable it to also appealed an appeal to the company to enable it to access potable water as Bato Kunku has yet to gain access to running water.
“Though this did not form part of the MoU, we will bring the matter to the attention of Abubakary Jawara. He’s generous and kind-hearted and we hope that we will render his support,” Manneh said.
According to him, despite the MoU, GACH Mining will not limit itself to the terms of the document in terms of interventions.
“That’s how GACH operates. Even when we were mining in Sanyang, the police station was not part of the MoU but because of his generosity, he volunteered to help the community rebuild the station after it was set alight,” he added.
A hospital and a clinic with a maternity ward also form part of the MoU, this medium was informed.
The village alkalo and the VDC chairman expressed gratitude to Abubakary Jawara for his generation and assured him of the village’s continued support and partnership.