Filtermist has provided sponsorship to help purchase a motor for a fishing boat designed to help support a local community and its school in The Gambia.
The local residents of coastal town, Bakau, in The Gambia are the latest to benefit from Filtermist’s charity policy which aims to help small charities, communities and organisations that the Company has a direct connection to, via its 50+ employees.
Dominic Gomez, member of Filtermist’s Despatch department was born and raised in Bakau and nominated his hometown to receive funding as it became apparent that having a sound motor to power a fishing boat in the area would be a good investment to provide money to help feed, employ and educate people in the community.
The need for such a motor became apparent when the residents were unable to generate the funds themselves. The school children in the town were also struggling to afford basic equipment such as pens, pencils and notepads which impacted on their learning so commissioning a fishing boat was a sustainable solution to both problems.
The proceeds of the profits generated by the sales of the fish that are caught contribute to help secure employment for two fishermen in the area, provide ongoing maintenance of the boat and also to give a percentage of the profits to the local school, St Therese Lower Basic, to provide books and equipment.
St Therese’s Lower Basic School Headmaster, Francis H Faye, expressed his gratitude by commenting, “I am overjoyed and extremely grateful for the funds that Filtermist has helped to generate through the fishing boat. This will make a huge difference to all the children at the school.”
The boat became fully operational at the end of 2014 with the first fish being caught and sold in December 2014.
Filtermist’s Managing Director, James Stansfield, comments, “As an international company with employees across the world we wanted to not only provide support to causes in the UK but overseas as well. We decided to provide funding for this particular cause as we know it will make a dramatic difference to everyone in Bakau; helping to improve lives and secure a future for the local residents.”
The cause has resonated so much with Filtermist staff that some have decided to raise money individually through a sponsored weight loss and also sending resources to every child within the school including rulers, pencils, pens, erasers and notepads.
Other worthwhile organisations have also benefited from Filtermist’s charity policy throughout 2014 including
Bridgnorth’s local army cadet force who received high quality t-shirts for their uniform and
