By: Kebba AF Touray
“We World Soto koto”, is a Gambia-Swedish project, formed by Mr. Magnus Hellbom and Oko Drammeh, which aims at meeting the immense need of sanitation facilities in Africa and especially in Gambia; to assist Gambia in its modernization process by designing and fabricating a sanitary unit, which is affordable to poor people, have a hand washing basin, a shower and a more comfortable toilette than normal WCs and furthermore is easily applied in huts in the countryside as well as in cities with piped water and sewerage.
This sanitation concept presumes that local people are engaged and educated to take care of the recycling process. Such a sanitation facility according to the officials of the project is environmentally prudent and shows the desire for Gambia to enter a road to cleanness, which, we think, is a prerequisite, along with education and economic development, to do away with poverty and make Gambia a true welfare state.
Speaking in an interview, Magnus Hellbom, said his purpose of coming to the country is to assist the country in its struggle to provide sanitation to its citizenry across the country.
“In order to realize this, I have developed a Sanitation Unit, containing showers, toilettes and washing devises that could be applied in any home in The Gambia, regardless of access to electricity, water and sewage”, he said
He explained that negotiations are underway and that they have agreed with The National Youth Service Scheme to use his inventions in educating young people to be acquainted with the production and that he also has promising contacts with the Gambia Government, which is crucial in achieving their goals.
He expressed hope that they will make ends meet, due mainly to the collaboration with the government and thanked the PS Ministry of Youth and Sports, who he noted is very positive of their mission and assured them of his support.
The Gambia newly appointed Ambassador of Youth and Sports, Mr. Oko Drammeh, said to teach Gambian Youths, they will think of enterprise and profits to ensure the health need of Gambians, adding that their reason of working with the NYSS is to make sure that the young people are financially independent, so that they don’t rely on government for their prerequisites.
“He said that their company is concerned with the environs and that they prioritize peoples’ health and that of the environment and that is why they want NYSS, GTTI and other government institutions to teach the young people that can start earning and benefitting their communities.
“We are teaching Gambians to become teachers, so that our various expertise from various disciplines will teach teachers on applicable materials that can free Gambia form the use of old energy services like electricity, fossil fuel, pollution dynamism to make Gambia an environmental friendly destiny, where people are happy, healthy and intellectually pursuing science”, he disclosed
He averred that it is necessary to add value to the new change and make huge difference in the country, adding that the country has now opened its door to the outside world, allowing foreigners to come to the country and expressed hope that within five years, many entrepreneurships, teachers and scholars in science from across Africa to exhibit in technology and social media.
He said their challenges among other things include substance abuses, littering in the streets and sensitizing the people on the effects of pollution, but is of solid belief that they can overcome these challenges.
