Built on the edge of a rubbish dump, Kotusilo is a poor village without running water or electricity. The villagers live in overcrowded, basic and unsafe conditions: many of the houses are made from mud and it is not uncommon for them to fall down during the rainy season. When visiting Kotusilo, adults and children can be seen on the rubbish dump, often with bare feet, scavenging for anything they can reuse or sell. Living next to the rubbish dump means that the families who live there are extremely vulnerable to all sorts of diseases and infections. In the rainy season they are at very high risk of malaria. Annually, Project Gambia distributes clothes, shoes and most importantly, new mosquito nets, to families in Kotusilo. 

Solar Light Project - Light Up Kotu!

Imagine a world of complete darkness. Scary, isn’t it? Imagine a world where there is no switch to flick on for light. Imagine a world where at night the choice is to sit in the dark or burn candles that are both costly and dangerous. Imagine a world where to have light may result in your children getting burned and long term may cause you breathing and sight problems. We take being able to flick a switch for granted: it’s our basic human right. However, it is not for many Gambian communities, and not for the villagers who live in Kotusilo. The choice they face is to purchase candles each night with money they cannot afford to spend and put their children at risk, or sit in the darkness.Project Gambia now seeks to address this issue and ‘Light up Kotu!’Under the management of Mary Jabang who leads the village committee the ‘Light up Kotu!’ project has enabled the villagers to rent solar lights at a fraction of the price of a candle. The money raised has been used to purchase more solar lights for rent. One small solar light can change everything: no more sitting in the dark; no more dangerous candles. With hours of light in the evening families can feel safe and children can learn and play. One small lamp can transform the life of a family.Our aim: to transform Kotusilo from a world of darkness to a village of light.