Calum's Road

Despite her devastating illness, Stella was always thinking ahead and trying to find ways to assist her local community in The Gambia. One of the things that had been bought to her attention was a stretch of road 7.5 kilometres long, which leads from the villages surrounding Stella's camp to the nearest town of Kuntaur, which is on the North Bank of the river.

The village women use this road daily to get to the rice fields, and it is the route to the nearest secondary school, health clinic and market from which they can both buy goods and sell their produce. Most of the road has been washed away and during the rains and for some months after the rains, this road is under water. This causes great hardship and people have to remove their clothes and carry them on their heads as they wade through seven kilometres of water. It is dangerous for children going to school and must be very disheartening if you are sick and need to get to the clinic. People have been known to put off the visit until it is too late and this has caused unnecessary deaths. We have also treated several horses and donkeys that have sustained injuries whilst trying to pull their carts along the submerged road.

Sadly, despite her best efforts, Stella was unable to raise sufficient funds to rebuild this road before her death and on Christmas night, though she was very ill, she asked me if we would ensure that the road was built. I made my promise, though I was rather daunted by the prospect, particularly after I had received some of the quotes for the road!

I discussed it with several people including Professor Max Murray, who is a Trustee and a friend. He had recently read a book called Calum's Road, which had inspired him, and when he heard the story of this road, he immediately said that of course it was possible and of course it could be done and he advised me to read Calum's Road.'

During our subsequent conversations the road became known as 'Calum's Road in The Gambia' and it will be built, inspired by Calum and in memory of Stella.

The road is estimated to cost £130,000 - £150,000 to build. It will be built with community involvement and we hope to start it next dry season roughly a year after Stella made her request to me. If anybody knows of any company or organisation that may be willing to sponsor a part of the road or even fund raise for it, we would be very glad to hear from them.

Donations can be made to The Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust (Calum's Road) HERE.

The rehabilitated horses and donkeys that belong to the Trust will be playing their part in fulfilling Stella's dream by helping to carry materials for the road on their carts. Calum's road took twenty years to build, let's hope that we are able to build ours more quickly.

We would like to thank the following people for their support for Calum's Road in The Gambia: