OUR STORY
Karen and Tony
We are giving children an education that supports The Gambia’s future.
We have become a flagship school and we now want to grow this charity to make a greater impact in the country.
In 1996 we visited the village of Farato and under a mango tree saw a group of village children chanting the alphabet back to their teacher. We knew we could do something to help but never believed our journey would take off as it did.
In 1999 we decided to help build two classrooms which we have developed into a school that provides education to any student no matter their background or ability.
We now have 10 classrooms and have increased enrolment from 80 to 650 pupils between the ages of 3 to 16. Importantly, we have introduced a teacher training sponsorship programme.
All our teachers attend workshops and courses within the school but SchoolGambia also sponsors them to develop their knowledge and training through external courses; We pay extra teachers to cover members of staff who are at classes. Nearly all our teachers have worked at the school for over ten years - in some cases 20! The Head teacher, Mr. Demba, refers to his team as "our family".
What we’ve achieved
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We are very proud that 100% of our first graduate year passed their external exams achieving the second highest results in The Gambia. Each year the school is in the top 10 of exam achievements - yet we do not select our pupils.
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We are the largest employer in Farato: teachers, cooks, carpenters, builders, security, and more.
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we have sponsored all our teachers through training college, university, diplomas and further professional development.
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in 2000 we started with 80 pupils aged 3-7 years, rising in 2024 to 650 x 3-16 years olds.
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The well that we built (now solar powered) serves the community beyond the school and helps to grow vegetables in the garden
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the solar powered electricity provides light for study time at night for students from the village and enables pupils to attend computer classes and use the internet.
We’ve got a long way to go!
OUR FUTURE
We’ve come so far since 1999, but there’s so much potential to go further. By continuing to invest in the professional development of teachers and the resources of the school, we can better equip our students for the challenges of the modern world.
Our Trustees in the UK are all too aware that we don’t have all the answers. The school has always been rooted in the Village community. Leadership increasingly comes from the Board of Governors and Head Teacher in The Gambia. Building this self-reliance is key to ensuring the sustainability of the school.
Being part of the community means making sure that the wider village benefits from developments at the school. Everyone gains from our deep solar powered well, that never runs dry. And we’re starting to impact the wider community too, as we’ve been asked to roll-out our reading scheme across the country.
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