Charity registration number: 1126853

The ERASE Foundation was started by Alwyn Simpson, a council and charity worker from West London.

Alwyn made his first trip to The Gambia in 2005. His aim was to avoid the traditional tourist centres and routes, and learn about the country and its people.

He was shown the Gambia Organisation for the Visually Impaired (GOVI) and met Majabou Gaye, the senior teacher at the school. Majabou talked about the school’s teaching principles, described some of the work that the school did, and explained how significant this was to the local people.

It became clear that the local teachers - although tremendously committed - faced real resource and support problems. Basic school materials were in limited supply. Computers were difficult to get hold of. Alwyn thought it would be relatively easy to provide some of these materials from London, at little cost. He was right. He made a second trip to The Gambia in 2006 and took some basic educational materials.

He also spoke to Majabou in more detail about the problems local people face trying to provide decent school facilities for their children. Many villages in The Gambia are without nursery schools and even the most basic educational facilities.

On this visit as well, Alwyn visited The Gambian Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Banjul, as well as the St John’s School for the hearing impaired and the Methodist school for people with learning difficulties and mental illnesses. All of these institutions were operating with limited resources and funds in areas that need investment and practical support.

On his third trip to The Gambia, in 2007, Alwyn donated a laptop to Majabou, and some school materials to the St Johns School and other schools in the area.

He also visited a village called Marakissa, and became involved in a local project to build a community centre. The community centre will act as a shelter and daycare for babies and toddlers whose mothers work long days outdoors. (At the moment, mothers have to take their small children to work with them in the fields, where they are exposed to the sun for hours at a time). The centre will also run after-school programmes teaching vocational skills to teenagers.

Many of Alwyn’s initial donations in the area came out of his own pocket. He wants to continue the work in The Gambia, because he has seen how much difference relatively small donations can make to the local people. The aim of the ERASE Foundation is to continue that work, and to encourage as many people as possible to get involved in helping Africa develop.