Founding members of a Liverpool charity have been successful in their dream of providing education to children in the Gambia following the completion of their fourth school.
Stephanie and Alan Turner work for their charity, Karmic Angels, by raising money to make a difference and give children in the Gambia the best start in life.
Angels Sittanunku Nursery School is the couple’s latest achievement; a three-classroom school that provides education from ages three to 14. It is situated in Sittanunku, which is the poorest region of the country and is only accessible by crossing the Gambian River.
Stephanie and Alan have visited the Gambia 12 times now since Karmic Angels received non-governmental organisation (NGO) status and became a registered charity in 2009.
Through donations and grants they have built three new nursery schools and renovated a three-classroom build which in total has provided education for 450 children. The orphans who attend the schools are entitled to full-time sponsorship for their education.
The couple also work in sport and have 11 football academies and sponsor them by providing kits and football boots.
Stephanie Turner told JMU Journalism: “I was born premature in Mill Road Hospital. A priest was called to give me the last rites as they feared I would die. There was no priest but a Gambian nurse came and held me and prayed over me and even gave me my name out of the bible. So all my life I knew when my children had grown up I would go to the Gambia in west Africa and make a difference.”
She added: “The charity is called Karmic Angels because we believe karma is what you give out in life you will receive back for your highest good. And we have always believed in angels and God, so Karmic Angels seemed so right as a name for our charity.
“My husband Alan has a full-time job but every spare second apart from his job is taken up with Karmic Angels charity work. I myself dedicate every moment to the charity.
Future plans for Karmic Angels include helping to develop a crop field which is the size of eight football pitches and producing a sustainable system to ensure that this village can be self-sufficient in the years to follow. There are also plans to build a holistic health centre. Once this centre is built they will be looking for doctors, nurses and volunteers to help make a difference.