Kotu Kids- Helping Gambian Families Combat Poverty

Donate to help out.  In return you will be sent a link to a private Download playlist with 12+ hours of amazing DJ Mixes



Kotu Kids is a small private charity run by myself, Jeanette Hodgson, helping poor families and children in Gambia, West Africa. It has been in existence for over 12 years and you can see further details and many photographs documenting our work there on kotukids 

Covid means our help is needed even more urgently than usual as curfews and restrictions in Gambia have drastically affected the livelihoods of those already living on the breadline.

Normally funds are raised annually through a dance night held in Brighton but, due to current circumstances, I am raising funds in another way.

Everyone making a donation will be sent a Private link to a Soundcloud Playlist to listen/download 12+ hours of music by several great DJ’s covering a wide variety of styles from African - pop through to traditional; Cuban; Latin; Reggae; Afro Jazz; South American Gypsy; French Dub; Organic House; Glitch; Wobbly Techno; Tribal Dance; Drum N Bass

To find out more about the DJ's who have donated their time to create mixes for you to enjoy please visit:

Kotu Kids Dance Party Appeal 

Donations are on a pay as you can afford basis :)

Kotu is a particularly poor neighbourhood in the Gambia. After 18 years of regular long term stays in an adjacent area, I know many of the families living there and, in particular, the children. In fact 46 children and young people ranging from 4 years to 21 years, the majority from in and around Kotu, are sponsored at school or in further education through Kotu Kids.

Funds raised will be used in the following ways:-

-To continue the rent support we currently provide for 4 particularly vulnerable families, some struggling with severe disability, others abandoned wives with many children.

-To buy as many 50kilo bags of rice as possible to distribute to the most needy families.

-To help improve living conditions, the main aim being to support the health, longevity and well-being of the children. If we can, we will continue to provide such things as mosquito nets, decent mattresses and bedding, rat proof storage for clothes and food, medical supplies and family planning.

-Setting up small businesses. Previous successes include a coffee shop, a donkey and cart for light haulage, a roadside shop, a breakfast cafe, tie dye clothes, drum making, charcoal selling, growing vegetables, selling fish in the market, selling snacks outside school, help towards the purchase of a taxi, supplying a freezer to sell cold drinks.

-Refurbishing homes through general maintenance of walls, floors and roofs, installing new doors and windows, wiring where there is an electrical supply and general painting.

-We may even have enough money to continue some of the special activities I have set up over the years for children:- computer classes as there are no facilities in schools; dance classes; music classes, more specifically learning to pay ukelele potentially leading on to guitar lessons- all unique opportunities for children from such poor backgrounds.

Kotu Kids has no administration fees. 100 per cent of your money goes to those we help. We pride ourselves on being completely transparent and to that end all details of what is spent and how are shown on our facebook page, updated every Spring when I have completed allocating any funds raised.

Should anyone be interested in sponsoring a child at school which will cost you 50 pounds a year, please message me through Kotu Kids  or through GoFundMe.

The following images show various beneficiaries of Kotu Kids charity including Zainab Soumah and family; Ajuma Jallow and neighbours;Sadjo Jammeh with her 7th child, all living in that one room pictured with a drunkard husband;the children of Tourey Jaiteh and Maimuna Saho, deserted by their father, outside their room.