March 14, 2004 - Metrowest Daily News: Tom and Pam Pendleton met while working in the Peace Corps in the early 1980s in Congo Kinsasha. Now they are working to establish Mango Bridge, an organization with the mission to provide educational opportunities and vocational resources to individuals and families in The Gambia.

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Gambia: Peace Corps The Gambia : The Peace Corps in the Gambia: March 14, 2004 - Metrowest Daily News: Tom and Pam Pendleton met while working in the Peace Corps in the early 1980s in Congo Kinsasha. Now they are working to establish Mango Bridge, an organization with the mission to provide educational opportunities and vocational resources to individuals and families in The Gambia.

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-13-23.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.13.23) on Sunday, March 14, 2004 - 7:49 pm: Edit Post

Tom and Pam Pendleton met while working in the Peace Corps in the early 1980s in Congo Kinsasha. Now they are working to establish Mango Bridge, an organization with the mission to provide educational opportunities and vocational resources to individuals and families in The Gambia.



Tom and Pam Pendleton met while working in the Peace Corps in the early 1980s in Congo Kinsasha. Now they are working to establish Mango Bridge, an organization with the mission to provide educational opportunities and vocational resources to individuals and families in The Gambia.

A Mango Bridge to Africa

By Theresa Edo / News Staff Writer

Sunday, March 14, 2004

HOLLISTON -- Pam and Tom Pendleton are thinking big, but starting small on a new venture aimed at aiding one of the poorest sections of West Africa.

The Pendletons are working to establish Mango Bridge, an organization with the mission to provide educational opportunities and vocational resources to individuals and families in The Gambia. They are in the process of incorporating Mango Bridge with nonprofit status, Pam said.

"More of less, we'll be providers of micro-loans, for families or artisans," said Tom. "We don't want to over-complicate things."

Pam said she is working on her first objective -- to listen to the people of the village Brikama and understand their needs and their dreams.

"They want to better their lives and they know how to do that in the con of their culture," said Pam.

But the Pendletons began building Mango Bridge years ago.

Tom and Pam met while working in the Peace Corps in the early 1980s. They were based in Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and always hoped to return to Africa, they said.

Last summer Pam's sister, Becky MacDonald of Holliston, asked Pam to join her on vacation. They chose The Gambia, a tiny British colony on the west coast of Africa popular with European tourists.

Pam said she felt an immediate connection with the country, and wanted to maintain that relationship when she returned home.

"I felt like it was a homecoming for me," said Pam.

This fall Pam wrote an appeal letter to friends and colleagues asking for donations to the Mango Bridge project.

"Through regular conversations with my Gambian friend Yusupha Kassama, I am reminded that we are more alike than different, and that we share the same hopes and dreams of living a satisfying life surrounded by people for whom we love and care most about. He is helping me come to understand his culture from the perspective of someone who has grown up there," she wrote.

By early winter Pam had raised more than $2,000 and returned to Brikama. A fourth-grade teacher at the Hopkins Schools in Hopkinton, Pam said she focused her efforts on what she knew -- education.

She began talking with Brikama's Kabafita Lower Basic School, which houses grades 1-6. The donations were enough to sponsor 10 students' tuition and uniforms and to purchase supplies for the whole school.

"Books are at a premium there," said Pam. "Every school there needs something."

She also returned to Holliston with items including tablecloths, wooden bowls and "djembe" drums. Money raised from selling the items is going right back to Brikama, she said.

"They know their culture has something to offer," said Pam.

Although it is the largest city in The Gambia, Brikama only has electricity and running water in sections, Pam said. Temperatures in December go into the 90s, she said.

"In many cases they don't need a tremendous amount of money, and realistically we can't raise a tremendous amount of money," said Tom.

She is now working with the Kassama family to help them buy a taxi. Son Ansu used to drive a bush taxi, a large van that shuttles people between towns. Then the owner of the vehicle sold it, and Ansu was out of a job.

Once Ansu can begin driving again, he can bring in money for the Kassama family, Pam said. In turn, the Pendletons are asking the family to return the money loaned to them for a taxi to be used for other projects.

Pam said much of Mango Bridge's work will likely be a combination of charity donations and small loans.

"You don't want to just give them the money. You want them to be responsible and help someone else," said Tom.

For now, Mango Bridge will focus on putting tools in the hands of the Gambian people to build a better life. Its future projects are still developing, the Pendletons said.

"What's around the corner, we don't know, but it will be something wonderful," said Pam.

For more information about Mango Bridge, send an e-mail to Pam Pendleton at ppendleton@hopkinton.k12.ma.us.

( (Theresa Edo can be reached at 508-626-3919 or tedo@cnc.com.) )




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Story Source: Metrowest Daily News

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - the Gambia; COS - Congo Kinsasha; Service; NGO's

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