PSTS website is online

P.S.T.S. is online: www.ppsts.com.  We did it, of course with a ‘little bit’ of help (thanks for that)! For the project it is a big step in the right direction and I hope the funding starts coming in now. We have achieved a lot over the last months and funding is important to continue. The research and development of the oil press and the cooking stove is the next money consuming project. We found a wonderfull press at the German Bosch/Siemens website http://www.bsh-group.com/index.php?page=109906 and they made a good looking stove, I think everybody wants to cook on this beautiful stove. I’m going to contact them and see how we can work together and share knowledge.

 

If you like to help the project grow, please contact us through the www.ppsts.com website and have a tree with your name on it (your name will be mentioned in the site), make a link to the psts website on your own website or blog (we will link back), start avertising the project at your school, work or business or just send us a donation so we wil be able to promote the Jatropha and to make Gambia green again. We are all looking forward to hearing from you!

 

Meeting the US Peace Corps

We are invited for the regional meeting of the US Peace Corps in Wellingara to inform the Peace Corps workers, that are working in the country at the moment about Jatropha. This is an excellent opportunity to reach  a lot of people, since the Peace Corps is covering the whole country and they are always looking for small projects to work on together with the villagers. A few weeks ago I was talking to one of the Peace Corps Officers and he was very interested in our project. The good thing is that we will not only meet Peace Corps people that are working in The Gambia, but also from the surrounding countries. I think it’s good news!

 

THE FIRST FUNDING HAS ARRIVED

 

The costs for traveling and printing are rising and the money is coming from our business Global Energy but help came around: we have received the first donation from the German Dresden – Banjul rally. http://www.rallye-dresden-dakar-banjul.com/news.php  We would like to thank all participants to the 2008 Rally for their contribution: they are all helping to make Gambia green again.

 

PSTS IS AN OFFICIAL CHARITY NOW!

PSTS Certificate of IncorporationPSTS Certificate of Incorporation

How happy we are to tell the world that we have reached a new status: a charitabel organisation. Under the name: PSTS (Plants Stop The Sahara) we are now a legal entity, with special thanks to the hard work and efforts of Seedy Jarju, now the official Project Manager. Now we can start with the real work, providing funding is coming in. Apart from planting Jatropha we are including other indigenous trees into our projects as well as fruit trees. From now on you can expect more regular updates on this site, now we are ready for action.

 

Progress report from ambassadors of Jatropha on the exhibition of the national energy show. Held at GREC on the 28 to 30th December 2007

Jatropha has considerately gain lot of attention by visitors who were very interested to start growing it. A lot of people considered the Jatropha as a wild plant but during these 3-days show we made the visitors understand that it is the most important plant that would create income generator as well as reduce poverty  50 Copies of the brochure were given to individuals, institutions example school and woman groups. The ambassadors were very happy for your contribution in making them attend the show to sensitize the public about the importance of Jatropha, which could not have been possible without your humble and extinct office.  The energy companies on this show also organized themselves to establish an association called: Gambia Association for Water and Energy Service (GAWES).  Ambassadors will also disseminate the information to the rest of their partners who were unable to attend the show. The concision of the association will be communicated to you through your email address by Kemo Ceesay.

The association is continuing with Jatropha – Fuel Gambia to attend the trade fair at the Independent Stadium from the 1^st of December to the 9^th of December 2007. 

We, the ambassadors are very enthusiastic to establish the Jatropha oil for the Gambia as a charitable organization together with your ideas and aspirations to boost the production capacity of this plant. We really want to work hand in hand with all the support you can render to the ambassadors. Thank you very much Ceedy Jarju        9701062 Musa Samora      9980795 / 7331307    

 

THE PROMOTION OF GROWING JATROPHA IS GOING WELL

  Over the last weeks so much has happened that I don’t know where to start. The exhibition was a big success, there ware so many positive reactions that even our own ambassadors were kind of surprised about it, but also again convinced that they are putting all this energy in a good future for their country. At the exhibition we received an invitation for the 9-days Trade Fair. The EU had a table for the Jatropha project reserved, normal this would costs D 15,000, to be able to promote the growing of Jatropha in Gambia. We were so happy about this. The fair was an even bigger success. The Vice-President stopped at the Jatropha table for more then 10 minutes and this is special knowing that the other stands only had 1 minute of her time. She asked so many questions to Mr. Seedy Jarju (tel: +220.9701062) and Mr. Musa Samura (Tel: + 220.9980795 or 7331307) and she was so interested in the information that she even decided to come back after seeing some of the other stands. Radio and television interviewed our Seedy and Musa and they also promised to follow it up. At first all people are a bit reluctant. They all know the plant and they are all so surprised learning about the benefits and the possibilities it can give for the country. NGO’s are interested to support, schools are told to fence their school ground with Tabanane. Many people took seeds home for their own garden etc, etc. Mr. Seesy couldn’t stop talking and telling me how happy he was with all the positive feedback. I will post the letter with the report after the GREC exhibition and the Report after the fair here. But also we would like to thank Pierre again for bringing the information to us. Without him this would not all have happened. Thank you Pierre!!

The next step is now to have the Jatropha initiative registered as a Charity organisation so they are able to receive sponsoring for the costs for copies, travel expenses, oil press production and the devellopment of cooking stoves etc.