Emergency rice

This section is recorded here as a vital part of the origin story of The African Village Dream — a movement rooted in compassion, resilience, and community action.

In February 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a distress call reached us from the remote village of Kerr Layen in The Gambia. Crop failure had left nearly 1,500 villagers facing extreme food poverty. In response, a swift humanitarian initiative was launched — initiated by Friends of Kerr Layen, led by Bryan Osborn, and supported by Lee Glasgow, Founder of The African Village Dream.

A fundraising campaign was set in motion to purchase and deliver emergency rice supplies, the staple food of the village. Thanks to the generosity of supporters, over 15,000 meal portions were delivered, bringing immediate relief to families in crisis.

By March 2021, the first phase of the project had been completed, successfully providing 100 sacks of high-quality 25kg rice — equivalent to more than 13,000 individual meals. In an extraordinary effort, food reached villagers' plates within 72 hours of the first donations being received.

This act of urgent support laid the foundation for everything that followed, marking the birth of The African Village Dream — a vision for sustainable development, dignity, and long-term empowerment in Kerr Layen and beyond.