A FORMER West Devon councillor for Tavistock is appealing to residents to help raise £3,000 towards desperately needed improvements at a school in The Gambia.

Dick Eberlie is hoping to help the school replace the roof of the New Ynundum Primary School.

Dick has visited the school at New Yundum himself and is keen to help such a poverty-stricken area.

Dick will be having a stall in Tavistock Pannier Market on Saturday, August 16 to sell bric-a-brac in aid of the school's roof and is hoping it will raise a substantial sum.

He said: 'I want £3,000 or more, if I can persuade the generous folk of Tavistock and the area to contribute.

'I am in touch with the schools and the charitable organisations in the town and they are helping in their own ways, so I have made a start.'

The Gambia is in the poorest corner of the poorest continent — Africa.

It is about the size of Yorkshire and the average income is calculated at £200 per person per year.

Dick said the government provided the teaching staff ad basic facilities for primary schooling for nearly all young children, at least in the coastal belt, where the children are eager to learn and learn English from the start.

But the parents are required to provide their desks, chairs, writing materials, uniforms and a midday meal.

As soon as the children are old enough to work on the family farm many of them are taken away to work in the fields or at home.

New Yundum Lower Basic School has approximately 1,200 pupils from 6 to 12 years from two large villages. It is 20 miles from the capital and has a staff of 12 and many parent volunteer helpers.

'It is housed in three blocks of mud brick walls and corrugated iron roofs around a huge bare square. One classroom block is called Eggbuckland, built with help from that school, and the opposite block is called the Gambia Experience,' said Dick.

Both blocks have received heavy battering in the last few summers' weather and the supporting wooden beams have twisted and shattered and the corrugated iron broken.

'Both roofs have to be renewed and the wooden beams replaced by strong metal ones.

'The Gambian Government's Social Development Fund has agreed to re-roof and re-floor the Eggbuckland block and senior staff are now seeking funds to repair the other block,' he said.

Some money has been accumulated, but it is estimated more than £3,000 will be needed to complete the project.

Anyone who would like to help, would like to know more or who has bric-a-brac to sell on the stall can contact Dick Eberlie on 01822 618974.