Engagement with the Prosthetic and orthotic clinic of the Ministry of social affairs, Banjul, The Gambia

Who is affected

people with a physical handicap, clinicians, Students of Biomedical engineering school of prosthetics and orthotics (NCPO).

Narrative

The Gambia Solar Project team, comprising staff and students from the Department of EEE recently returned from The Gambia where they completed the successful installation of another PV solar system at a local school. This year it was the turn of Jamagen Lower Basic School in the village of Ker Milima. Jamagen
LBS is the last school in the regional cluster to receive lighting and power from the Gambia Solar Project. As a result of the installation around 6000 children of the surrounding villages can now attend classes at night and local villagers can charge their mobile phones at the school for a small fee. This year the team were also joined by two staff members and four students from the National Centre for
Prosthetics and Orthotics. The NCPO team raised funds for their own travel to The Gambia and also sourced and delivered valuable equipment to Gambia’s Royal Victoria Hospital (RVTH) in Banjul. They helped treat patients and exchanged knowledge and best practice with hospital staff.
It is likely that the NCPO will maintain close links with the staff of RVTH with the possibility of a return visit next year. Next year will also see the Gambia Solar Project tackle a more ambitious project – providing solar power for a health clinic serving 3000 people, where electricity is only available for 15 days of every month until the diesel supplies for the clinic generator are exhausted, meaning that medical procedures and births are conducted by candle light or torch light.

Impact status	Open
Category of impact	Quality of life and safety
Impact level	Engagement