As I explained in my last post, The Gambia has lots and lots of children. A vast number of them do not attend school, mainly because their families simply can’t afford it.
School is not compulsory in The Gambia, but, as in most societies in the world, parents aspire to get an education for their children. Many, many charitable organisations operate within the country, setting up schools and trying to persuade westerners to sponsor a child. The cost is very low and it is a way for tourists to make a real difference to the country in which they are spending their holiday. Imagine if every holidaymaker sponsored one child! How quickly would literacy rates rise? How soon would the effects be seen in The Gambia’s prospects for growth? I don’t know the answer to these questions, but I was convinced enough by what I saw in one Gambian school to sign up for sponsorship.
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| Queuing for lunch |
The owner of the hotel we were staying in is involved with a local prep school, the Jofi School, and she took me along to see how it all works. On that first visit, we arrived at meal time and it was lovely to see all the pupils queuing up, one class at a time, for their food. They each collected a sandwich, a piece of fruit, some cake, and a drink and went off to find somewhere to sit and eat. I noticed that many of the children put at least one of these items in their pocket or bag. I was surprised because I’d been told that for many of them, this would be their only meal of the day. Despite this, they were saving something for their friends or siblings who weren’t lucky enough to attend school and who would be waiting for them outside the gate when they left to go home. This sharing culture is evident all over The Gambia and is very humbling to see.
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| Reception class |
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| Enjoying the playground! |
Only the poorest children can go to the Jofi School. Most of them, when they join at the age of 4, can’t speak English, having only spoken their tribal languages at home. The challenge for the headmaster and his team of local teachers, is to get the children ready, with a good standard of English and a basic knowledge of maths and general subjects, to progress to primary school at the age of 8 or 9.
The atmosphere in the school is very conducive to learning. The staff are committed and the children eager. Donations, mainly from guests at Luigi’s, mean that the school is well-equipped, bright and welcoming. The aim over the next few years is to move to bigger premises and expand the school to include primary-age children as well.
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| Fatou |
Having seen all of this, Mark and I sponsored Fatou, a delightful little girl. For £120 a year, she will be able to attend school every day, get two complete school uniforms, have a meal every day, and be given all the books and stationery she needs.
I returned to Jofi a couple more times before returning to the UK. I went to watch the nativity play, which was just magical, and I also attended the Christmas party where I was roped in to be Santa’s not-so-little helper and distribute sweets to all the children!
I was very impressed and can’t wait to go back and see how all the pupils are getting on, especially Fatou! If you are inspired to sponsor one of her classmates, you can find all the information you need here.
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| Nativity play |
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| Christmas party |
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| Santa! |
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| Christmas cake |
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| Cheeky chappie! |
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| Smiler! |
