2016 Annual Report

The year 2016 was a year of celebration for Butterfly Friends.

We sent three shipping containers to The Gambia, completed construction of our high school with vocational programs, held a grand opening ceremony for the school, and 260 students received their diplomas at the graduation ceremony.

New Jeshwang: Construction of the high school with vocational programs is complete, and the school is already in use. The vocational program has not yet begun teaching as we would like, but by September, when the new school year starts in 2017, everything will be in place. It was a tremendous day in November when we opened the new school for students, staff, and all the sponsors who were in The Gambia that day. It was a major event that we will all remember with great joy. At this school complex, which includes a primary/secondary school and a high school, 1,200 students receive instruction every day.

Ebo Town ABC No. 1. We did not enroll any new students at this school in 2016; otherwise, the school is doing very well.

Kiang Nema, ABC No. 2. Butterfly Friends has chosen to donate the school to the village. The school is located deep in the countryside and has no sponsors, so we decided to withdraw from Kiang Nema. We are focusing on the schools that are located close to one another in order to provide the students with 15 years of free education.

Bakalar ABC No. 3. We no longer have child sponsors—only school sponsors. Sponsors who were previously sponsoring individual students have been offered the opportunity to sponsor a school instead. Bakalar is a preschool only, and after three years, the students transfer to public schools. Eventually, it will become impossible to keep track of which schools the students attend. Butterfly Friends has chosen to provide our 90 students in Bakalar with three quality years of preschool because we would like to keep the school open.

Brikama ABC No. 4. The school has a preschool, elementary school, and middle school; the oldest students are in sixth grade and will take the national exam in 2017. Electricity has now been installed at the school, and a whole new world has opened up. Everything is going well in Brikama.

Madiana ABC No. 5. A small school with three preschool classes; everything is going well. This is the only school we do not own.

New Jeshwang Health Center. The center treats approximately 40,000 patients and handles about 350–400 births annually. We have completed construction of the apartment at the health center, and Johan Futsæher and Kristin Vik took care of the painting. Kristin has also furnished it with a variety of items from the container. Else Bakke and her group of women provide the greatest financial support for the health center’s operations.

The Sunflower Project. This project provides education to adult women who are illiterate. We offer them a three-year program, and in 2016–2017, we have 32 women enrolled. Ellen Langeland Horn and her husband, Trond Rasmussen, are responsible for the financial side of this project.

The containers arrived in The Gambia in November and are always well-packed by our chief packer, Hans Nes. They contain just about everything: desks, chairs, cabinets, and drawers. Lots of sponsor boxes, 15 industrial sewing machines, and kilometer after kilometer of fabric that we’ll use for our tailoring program. We had received 200 backpacks, 250 backpacks from Beckman, and 200 backpacks from Mette Holen and her father, Sveinung. There were beds, mattresses, and 100 pairs of shoes—yes, there was a lot. And we received great help from staff, students, and sponsors alike in unloading the containers in The Gambia.

But to get all of this into the container here in Norway, it has to be picked up and packed, and we have to pick up most of it ourselves. There’s no rush when it comes to packing the container, and the last container was shipped late. The schools have everything they need, and on top of that, the shipping cost has increased by many thousands per container.

The sponsor trip in February/November was also very successful this year, and in February, Håkon Jevne from Sigdal Middle School joined us. Håkon gets around with two canes—he actually has braces on his legs—but what a GUY. Everyone who meets Håkon loves him—it’s that simple. All the students from Sigdal who’ve participated could be at the front of the line for Norwegian youth, but I know they’d all say the same thing—Håkon is the best. In February, we also opened the apartment at the health center, with Håkon Guttormsen’s widow and many others in attendance. It was a solemn and beautiful moment.

In 2016, we lit candles in memory of Terje Skogsfjord, who died in Gambia. Terje had written a will, and his wish was that everything he left behind go to Butterfly Friends and toward the education of Terje’s sponsored children. We can only send our warmest thoughts and thanks to a man who simply wanted everyone to be well.

In Norway, we’re constantly hard at work. The thrift store has strong sales thanks to all our wonderful ladies who work there every week: Ellen Pandur and Aud Karin Stave—these two are also amazing at selling raffle tickets—in 2016, they sold raffle tickets worth 50,000 kroner!! You’ll also find Olaug Nes, Aud Olander, Inger Johanne Grøstad, and Berit Edquis behind the counter. They’re wonderful ladies, and we’d all like to send them a big thank you! J

We’d also like to extend a big thank you to those of you who donate “odds and ends”—without them, there would be no sales, so this is a well-oiled machine driven by a lot of kindness toward others.

Fundraiser for Butterfly Friends;

Ruth Skogsfjord, bazaar in Mandal.

Butterfly Friends bazaar at Åmot Church.

Christmas market at Reinsvoll with Stine Ulstein and her team.

Karaoke with Tove Raudi and Anne Grete Njøs at the volunteer center.

Vikersund Elementary School with a Gambia Night.

Buskerud School.

Else Bakke and her ladies hold both spring and fall markets at the store in Strengereid.

Operation Day’s Work:

Rosthaug High School.

Sigdal Middle School.

Roligheden School.

Donations:

Svanhild and Øyvind Olsen.

Inger Karin Bråthen.

Modum Glass Industry.

Modum Savings Bank.

Healthcare Workers' Union.

Siri Selbo.

Arild Fossum.

Arne Bakke.

Butterfly Friends would like to extend a big and heartfelt thank you to all the children, school students, young people, and everyone who supports our projects in The Gambia.

The grassroots contribution grows with every payment—a big thank you to all of you out there. If you’d like to help the next time you visit your lottery agent, our organization number is 985 457 840.

We are grateful for all your support—it’s good to know you’re out there.

The last school has been built; from now on, it’s important to take care of and maintain everything we’ve built in The Gambia. In total, we own both the land and seven school buildings with a combined total of 62 classrooms. The total value is 4.5 million. We do not own the health center, but we run the entire operation. We have 2,000 students, and more are coming—students to whom we will provide a good education. We will provide all school supplies, the best education, and good food every day, plus uniforms once a year. We will continue to run the health center, provide education to adult women, and pay the salaries of 230 employees.

We’ll continue the good work we’re doing—because our Coordinator and our Principal have one goal in mind: Butterfly Friends will become the best school in The Gambia.

… but no matter how we look at it, it’s you out there who are the backbone of Butterfly Friends.

You sponsors are also the ones we can turn to for help in recruiting more sponsors—a constant priority for us. There are many students who do not have a sponsor, and any help for the students is always welcome. www.butteflyfriends.no

Without you, there would be no Butterfly Friends and no poor students in school.

The Butterfly Friends Board thanks you and wishes you all a great summer!