Ousman's Orphanage: The Road to Self-Suffiency

Over the past 18 months, I’ve been in regular contact with a young man named Ousman Jallow from Brikama Town, The Gambia. When he first reached out to share his story, I was stunned — not just by the hardships he’d faced, but by the compassion and strength he showed in the face of them.

Ousman lost both of his parents in a tragic car accident. This life changing event caused him to drop out of Nursing School at Batokunku Community Health Centre, for which he was doing so well until the tragedy. Since then, the little support he had from family and friends has slowly disappeared. But instead of giving up, Ousman stepped into the role his father once held: caring for a group of over a dozen young orphans, aged just 4 to 10.

Despite having so little himself, Ousman has shown incredible generosity. With the small contributions I’ve been able to send, he’s bought food and clothes, and even pays for access to clean water — which he freely shares with his wider community.

But I can’t do it alone. What I send is just enough for a bag of rice each month — and while it helps, it’s not enough to give Ousman or the children any real stability. What he truly needs is a chance — the opportunity to earn a living and support the children in his care.

There are opportunities for young men like Ousman to work abroad — in Spain or Portugal, for example, where manual labour roles are available in areas like farming, construction, or environmental work. But to even begin this process, Ousman needs support: for visa fees, travel to an embassy, documents, food, temporary accommodation and basic supplies.

I will be helping directly put these things in to place, the money is in my safe hands, I will ensure it will be spent in the right places, ensuring that he gets the best chance.

This fundraiser is to help cover those costs. Our initial goal is £1500 — enough to give him a real shot at building a future. Any additional funds will go toward the children’s food, medicine, and daily needs.

We can help Ousman become self-sufficient, so he can provide for himself and the growing number of orphans in his care, as well as his community at large, who are all living incredibly hard lives, day to day. If you want to make a real difference, in real time, please donate to his cause.