Progress on the charity project in Kemoto
Help Kemoto
Here you can follow the progress of the project in Kemoto.
Updates will be posted here and on Seil med Larsen 's Facebook page.
At the same time, Knut Einar Sem regularly makes YouTube films. Please subscribe here.
Clothing
Big thanks to Kari Elin Sem, Knut Einar Sem, Eivind Augestad Larsen and Cecilie Kirkevoll for a huge delivery of clothes. Clothes have been collected for both boys and girls from infancy to adults. Both clothes, shoes and school bags. On the left you see the first load of clothes. Another load is on the way. Everything is unloaded aboard Odin for environmentally friendly transport under sail from Norway to Gambia.
School matters
The following school supplies have been purchased:
500 pencils
320 eraser
160 pencil sharpeners
1000 writing books
Unloaded aboard Odin for an environmentally friendly transport to Kemoto in Gambia
Thank you very much for all the donations that have helped to make this possible.
Toys and sports equipment
Big thanks to Grevskogen High School and Tønsberg Gymnastics and Handball for lots of sports equipment.
17 Handballs
1 Football
1 Volleyball
1 Basketball
3 Tennis balls
1 Baseball
3 rubber balls
25 cones
Lots of Rope
1 Inflatable goal with pump
4 bags full of layers of suits
Unloaded aboard Odin for an environmentally friendly transport to Kemoto in Gambia
Water pump for well
1 piece Pedrello KIT FLUID SOLAR 1/20 has been purchased
1 1500W water pump
1500W with solar cells
Control system
Cables
What happens now?
Odin set sail from Porsgrunn on 20.10.25.
On 05.11.25, the Odin mast snapped in a violent storm. An emergency mast was built and Odin was sailed 317nm to the nearest port. Vigo in Spain.
All equipment that has been sent with Odin has come through this undamaged. Therefore, work is underway to find a replacement mast that can take Odin on to Gambia.
Work will start continuously. The following things will happen:
Distribute clothes and equipment that have been donated to the population.
Complete the construction of the roof at the school.
Install a pump and solar cell system for the well.
Repair the pipe system for drinking water.
Everything will be filmed and documented so you can follow the entire process. Knut Einar Sem will come down in January to make a small documentary about the project.
We also really hope to be able to collect enough funds to build a new, deeper and wider well. As the current well gets very low water levels during the dry season.
A new well is estimated to cost between 150,000 to 200,000 NOK. We would greatly appreciate any help we can get on the way there.
The work had started
Odin dropped anchor outside Kemoto on January 13.
We have been very well received here, the entire population is eternally grateful for the assistance you have provided.
The school has meanwhile completed most of the roof. But still needs many improvements.
We have been met with a surprising amount of bureaucracy. Physical work has therefore been put on hold. On January 14 and 15 we had a meeting with the school and some from the village committee/board. On January 20 we had the last meeting before work started. Everyone from the village committee/board was present. We had asked them to make a list of the most necessary things that need improvement.
The priority list looks like this:
1. Improve the drinking water system
2. Electricity at the school
3. Fence around the vegetable garden
4. Complete the construction of the health center
5. Build a wall around the rice fields to prevent salt water from damaging the soil.
School and sports equipment has been distributed to the school.
Which further distributed to the students and kept a small stock for future use.
Clothes were distributed at the alkalo's compound, Everyone in the village got their share. They are all super grateful for the help they receive. They therefore made a thank you ceremony where they wished all contributors a good, blessed and long life.
Watch video below
Push the picture bellow to play the video
The work on improving the drinking water system is underway. The pump has been upgraded and the wiring is currently well underway. There were a lot of loose connections and Beres, as you can see up in the tower, is being trained to later do similar electrical installations in the village. As well as maintain and troubleshoot the system that is being installed.
Here we are changing the water pump
Push the picture bellow to play video
Nytt solcelle annlegg er innstalert. Metall fant vi fra skrot som lå i veikanten. Buba sveiseren ble leid inn for 3 dager for og bistå med sveising av ramme og feste til panelene. .
Beres har vært i opplæring på elektro.
Ellers har veldig mange vist stor innteresse og tilbrakt mye av dagene oppe ved vanntårnet.
Til venstre: Buba sveiseren, fra nabo landsbyen Janneh Kunda
Til Høyre: Mustafa, Alkaloens stedfortreder.
Her feirer Lamin at det første borrehullet er ferdig.
Ny pumpe, 4 nye solcellepaneler, ryddet opp i gammelt annlegg, byttet gamle kabler og terminert samtlige gamle koblinger på nytt.
