CREATING OPEN MINDS

The Gambia is a small country in West Africa, among the worlds poorest, and with few natural resources except its people.

Most are subsistence farmers, although the cities and townships are growing. The country has an extensive public school system, and classes are taught in English (there are 5 primary native languages spoken in the country). Although the quality of education has room for improvement, education is the key to opportunity.

Unfortunately school is not free. Apart from the cost of receiving education, the students must also buy uniforms, buy their own books and supplies, and may also be asked to pay a variety of small fees.
Therefore, despite a big improvement in school enrolment, the very poorest (including many orphans) cannot afford school.

As children advance, costs increase, until the dropout level in Senior Secondary school (grades 10,11,and 12) has eliminated the majority.

Education in The Gambia is a costly experience for most citizens. In the past the government assisted by paying for girls school fees but this is no longer the case. Boys were far more likely to be sent to school if their parents had a bit of money. Before the 1988-2003 Education policy was formulated, less than 50% of Gambian children went to school.

The formal system of education in The Gambia consists of six years of primary (lower basic) and three years of upper basic education. These two levels together constitute 9 years of uninterrupted basic education.

Children usually start school at age 7 and complete basic education at age 16 at which point they are ready to enter Senior Secondary schools or other vocational training provisions depending on their performance in the terminal examination offered at grade 9.

Overall the gross enrolment rates now stands at 97% including the Arabic language Muslim schools.

Gender parity in primary school enrolment was reached in 2007 and has been sustained since. The ratio of boys to girls attending primary school is 103 girls for every 100 boys, however, the completion rate is about 74 girls for every 100 boys.

WASH in school

Safety and hygiene is an important factor to ensure girls enrolment and to keep girls in school. A child that is well nourished, has access to safe drinking water and feels protected is more likely to attend and learn in school.

The UNICEF sponsored Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) project provides hand pumps and separate blocks of ventilated improved toilet facilities and hand washing facilities. Children are taught the importance of hand washing in order to maintain good health.

The cost of all expenses for an elementary education for a child for a whole year is approximately £100 minimum for the the very youngest of the children. This cost will increase as the child moves through the education journey. This does not include uniform, books, lunches, travel costs or any other expenses.

Multiply this cost by several children within a family and it becomes clear to see how families cannot always afford to send an orphan that they may have taken’ user their wing’ when they already have added costs to feed and clothe the child.

Our charity will be fundraising, with the aim of raising fees to offer education to some of these orphans. This will enable them to have a better start in life and to ultimately improve their chances to develop future work opportunities.