Our Consultant and Charity Lead, John Hauton, has recently returned from another impactful trip to The Gambia, where he continued his voluntary work supporting New Life Children’s Centres – a partnership that has become a core part of CPW’s long-standing commitment to meaningful charitable impact.

The visit marks John’s third trip in recent years and builds on the work highlighted in our previous news stories, including Joanna’s journey – the exceptional young student CPW supported through improved housing and educational opportunities. This latest trip once again reinforced the critical value of community-driven development and the life-changing work being carried out by the New Life team.

During his 12 day visit, John spent time on site at the third New Life school currently under construction. Located in Faraba, close to the University of The Gambia’s new campus, this school will eventually welcome up to 1,000 children and significantly expand access to quality education for families across the region.

“Seeing the rapid progress first-hand was a proud moment. Knowing we’ve played a small but meaningful part in helping this vision become a reality through voluntary work and fundraising over the years really makes you realise how much small efforts can compound,” shared John.

Supporting teaching, skills, and infrastructure

As part of CPW’s commitment to empowering young people through education, John delivered a new round of supplies to the Technical Drawing class, something that has quickly become a highlight for the students. Equipped with proper tools and learning resources, they can now practise and excel in a skillset that has the potential to open new doors to technical careers.

Alongside this, John joined local volunteers to refurbish old, unused toilets and transform them into functional new rooms for school use, demonstrating how repurposing materials and local resourcefulness can stretch even the most modest budgets into long-lasting improvements.

CPW also supported the shipment and assembly of new school furniture, delivered in a large container earlier this year. John spent part of his visit helping to assemble the furniture and prepare it for use across the schools. The enthusiasm of students who watched, and often jumped in to help, became one of the defining memories of John’s trip.

Supporting the Jeshwang community

New Life Children's Centres, John Hauton from CPW, visits the The Gambia — Another key moment of the visit was travelling to the village of Jeshwang to distribute donated goods. The village recently suffered tragedy when many local men lost their lives in a boating accident, leaving numerous families affected and without financial support.

“Meeting the community and witnessing the strength, unity, and resilience of these families was deeply moving. The donations provided practical assistance, but the connection and compassion shared left an even more lasting impact,” John shares.

One of the most uplifting moments of John’s visit was reconnecting with Joanna, the student CPW supported following his first trip. Since settling into her improved accommodation, Joanna has continued to thrive academically and personally.

She has now been appointed Head Girl at her college, a prestigious achievement and a powerful recognition of her leadership, academic commitment, and character.

Even more inspiring is her ambition for the future – Joanna hopes to begin a Degree in Engineering next summer – her story is a testament to what can happen when talent, opportunity, and support meet at the right moment.

John’s 3 lessons from The Gambia

Every time John returns, he brings back new reflections. Here are the lessons that stood out most from this trip:

“Even when we were assembling furniture, demolishing walls or simply clearing the site, the boys were eager to join in. They wanted to learn. They wanted to work. With limited welfare systems, families depend on developing skills and bettering themselves. Their motivation is truly inspiring.”
“Items that would be discarded in the UK – broken tiles, dismantled bricks, scrap materials – were collected and repurposed to repair homes or create useful spaces.
One home even had a seating area made entirely from old car seats removed from scrapped vehicles.”
“Despite limited possessions and challenging circumstances, families share what they have, support each other, and maintain a strong sense of unity.
“Many families have lost fathers, yet the wider family steps in, living together in shared compounds and lifting each other up. Their appreciation for even small acts of help is incredibly humbling and is something that will stay with me forever.”

John believes these lessons offer perspective for all of us – reminders of resilience, creativity, and community values that can sometimes be lost in more developed nations.

New Life Children’s Centres continue to transform educational access and quality across The Gambia, and we are extremely proud to support them on their mission. The organisation’s impact is far-reaching and deeply personal to the individuals it supports.

We look forward to sharing more updates as the third school progresses – and to continuing our partnership with New Life Children’s Centres in building brighter futures, one project at a time.