Some schools already recieve outside funding

Many of the local schools already receive outside funding. This may be in the form of school sponsorship which is what we are trying to achieve with Hope Nursery. Others benefit from tourist visits organised by the holiday tour companies.

External funding provides better class facilities

With your help Hope Nursery can be improved to a standard similar to the school shown here. They have good solidly built classrooms. Ample use of such basic items as pencils and paper.

While Fiona was assisting the Hope Nursery the first ever tourists stopped by for a visit and gave the teachers writnig equipment. For many of the children it was the first time they had ever used a pencil and had no knowledge of how to draw scribbles let alone write alphabet letters. Fiona was able to provide a lockable metal box to keep the items safe from insects as well as teenagers who use the building during the evening.

Tourist assistance pays for three new classrooms

Without adequate funds the children have to be taught everything verbally, usually in some form of song or chant. The children often learn how to speak these lessons simply by mimicry, without any real understanding of what they are saying.

Everything needed for schools to achieve good standards and positive results is available in the country, but it all needs to be paid for, even the very fabric of the school.

Hope Nursery has the use of only one room, the two teachers have to compete with each other to teach their separate classes.




With separate rooms, or additional teachers and several rooms, the children can be streamed, according to their ability and then taught appropriately. These differences in ability are not through age, but in deference to the time they have spent at school. A three year old may go to school, if very lucky, but they may be in the same class as a child of seven years, both of whom are attending for the first time

Gambian education can be very stimulating

Not all Gambian education is classroom based, with touring troupes of performers visiting the schools to show traditional dances and customs. Traditional culture is very important to the local population, even if they are themselves urbanised.