When Wendy Andrews lost her younger brother Christopher Mason too suicide four years ago, she and her husband Julian looked for a fitting way to remember him.

Formerly from Chelmondiston, the couple who now live in Holbrook, had been moved by a holiday to the Gambia where they saw first hand the terrible living conditions, poverty and lack of money schooling, so decided to build a nursery in Christopher' name, alongside a school in Kitty Village.

Wendy said: "We have supported the Christopher Mason Nursery, and the attached Kitty School, as much as we can. We pay the nursery head teacher's wages, sponsor one child's education, and encourage others to do so too at only £5 per month.

"We chose to support Kitty village after a holiday there, when we visited the villages and saw the extreme poverty. We decided to help with the children as they are the future."

The kind-hearted couple were presented with tops made from traditional weave, which they wore when they cut the ribbon to open the nursery. They chose Kitty village in particular, rather than sponsoring any UK schools, after witnessing events in the small African nation first hand.

Wendy explained: "We chose to support The Gambia schooling rather than some UK charity, as there are benefits here for people struggling, but nothing like that there. Many live in ways we cannot imagine, in small wooden huts with dirt floors & no running water or sanitation.

"We are unlikely to go back for a few years due to lack of money so we send our spare money out there.

"We do fund raising events to send out money for projects and building repairs at the school, and also regularly send out donations of children's clothing, toys, personal school equipment, soap, towels, etc."

Many tourists that used to visit The Gambia before the pandemic, would often take school supplies, bottled water supplies and paracetamol in the spare space in their holiday cases, but Covid-19 has meant no visitors and the disease has exacerbated the county's poverty with a lack of running water and sanitation in many villages and homes means keeping clean and virus free is very complex.

Julian and Wendy now send the items out in second-hand suitcases, which the Gambian families can then use as clean storage for clothes or food.

The Gambian government has made wearing masks compulsory from aged two and the Andrews are helping fund these at £1 each, with a local tailor in Gambia making them as quickly as he can, with the help of UK-based charity Goals For Gambia, which the Andrews are a part of.

Wendy added: "We have just started a new appeal for paracetamol, as they are in desperate need both for Covid-19, and because the malaria season is imminent.

"Times have been hard across the world with this horrid virus, but in The Gambia, where many live day to day, with very limited resources, they are desperate for help.

"Thank you for reading this. I hope it touched your heart and encourages you to share a little of the western 'wealth' we take for granted."

If anybody can bring themselves to assist in any way whatsoever, please contact [email protected] , or donate via Julian and Wendy's latest fundraiser here.