An Educate for Service partnership with the community of Pirang   •   Etown CGUP × Pirang

Building the Big Tree EcoLodge

Fifteen years of Partnership in Pirang

For more than a decade, the people of Pirang Village in The Gambia, led by community partner Nyamo Sanyang, have welcomed Elizabethtown College students and faculty with extraordinary generosity, openness, and partnership, including collaboration during the 2010-11 academic year and student visits in 2011, ’13, ’15, ’17, ’19, ’23, and ’25. Those experiences have shaped students in powerful ways and forged a strong partnership with our friends in Pirang.

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Why now

This sustained presence has built trust, mutual respect, and authentic partnership with community leaders. Now, we have an opportunity to give back in a meaningful and lasting way.

The Big Tree EcoLodge is a community-led initiative launched in partnership with Elizabethtown College’s Center for Global Understanding and Peacebuilding (CGUP). It will serve as a welcoming base for student learning, cultural exchange, birding excursions, and community programming in Pirang—while providing sustainable income and opportunity for local residents.

Student reflection: I believe that going with the intention to learn and meet people made a bigger impact on my life and allowed for authentic relationships to form. This experience reinforced my passion for improving healthcare access and showed me the importance of truly understanding a community’s needs before trying to make a difference.
— Hailey Bishop, 2025 participant
2019 Group
The Big Tree

An investment in the people of Pirang

The Big Tree EcoLodge is a long-term investment in community leadership and sustainable economic opportunity.

  • Local construction and site development
  • Hosting student and educational groups—guest fees provide income for local hosts and funding for expansion, improvements, and maintenance
  • Guided birding and cultural excursions
  • Ongoing operations and maintenance led by community members
This model prioritizes dignity, partnership, and local ownership—aligning directly with Elizabethtown College’s motto Educate for Service and CGUP’s mission of global understanding, peacebuilding, and responsible international engagement.

Phase 1: Fully fund the foundational site

Phase 1 establishes the essential infrastructure needed to support safe, sustainable educational programs and community engagement.

  • Electric infrastructure upgrades
  • Water system improvements
  • 4 guest huts
  • The Bantaba (traditional gathering and meal space)
  • 2 washrooms
  • Vegetable and fruit garden and bird pool
  • Any additional funds will support student scholarships

Full site vision: 12 guest huts (capacity up to 36 guests), 8 washrooms in 2 bathhouses, and a host family residence.

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Phase 1 Goal

$17,000
AI-generated rendering of the Big Tree EcoLodge site
AI-generated rendering

Naming & giving opportunities

Founding Partner — $10,000+

Leadership recognition for a lasting foundation

Bantaba Sponsor — $4,000

Central gathering space

Infrastructure Sponsor — $3,000

Supports utilities, gardens, and bird pool

Guest Hut Sponsor — $2,200

Funds one guest hut

Washroom Sponsor — $2,200

Funds one washroom

Friend of Pirang — any amount

Every gift builds relationships and opportunity

Together, we are not just building structures. We are building relationships, opportunities, and a lasting foundation for global understanding and peacebuilding.

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