Lan sponsors students Go for Africa project

Gambia.Journey2025

We are Tijn and Maarten, two passionate 19-year-old mechatronics students from ROC Tilburg, the Netherlands. Together, we are working on a special project for the foundation ‘Cameroon works’ (ANBI-status) in Gambia: expanding a technical school where children learn skills such as automotive technology, electrical engineering, horticulture, and woodworking. Our mission is to make a difference by bringing educational resources and modern technologies, such as 3D printers, to Gambia.

Techniek.expeditiegambia

We are Sven van Liempd and Mathijs Boogaard, both 19 years old, from Haaren and Oisterwijk. We are currently in our final year of the Level 4 Mechatronics program at Yonder. Alongside our graduation internship, we have the opportunity to travel to Gambia this year—a chance we definitely won’t pass up. The journey to Gambia excites us because it promises to be a great adventure where we can develop ourselves further while doing local volunteer work.

On February 9, we will drive to Gambia in three weeks with a car, supported by the Go-For-Africa foundation. Once there, we will stay in a village for five weeks to assist a primary/secondary school with technical developments and teach students. In addition to teaching, we will work on a project to create an irrigation system for the school’s vegetable garden, allowing them to grow their own fruits and vegetables.

At the moment, we have purchased a 2008 Ford Transit Connect and have carried out maintenance ourselves, including installing new front tires and changing the oil and filters. To protect the gearbox and engine, we have mounted a protective plate against rocks and branches. Inside the van, we will install a small fridge to keep food and drinks cooled, as well as a rack to store all our belongings.

TechGambia

We are going to the Bymyra School in Gambia to help install electrical facilities. We will mount lights and install outlets, carefully planning their placement since another Yonder program is working on setting up sewing machines, wardrobes, and a mural. There is also a lot of technical work around the school, such as repairing machines.

Our journey begins with a long drive to Gambia. To prepare, we are purchasing and modifying a vehicle—raising its suspension and adding extra roof racks to safely transport everything. At the end of our project, we will donate the car to the Bymyra School.