Earlier in the year we received a letter from clients of The Gambia Experience telling us about a nursery school that they had visited that was in desperate need of assistance.
As it happened I was visiting The Gambia myself the following week and took the opportunity to pop into the school. We weren’t exactly sure where the school was… somewhere in a district of Brikama called Dairuharu but after asking around we were taken to a family compound. What I found really shocked me. I was shown into a dark, tiny room with one of the walls looking as if it was about to collapse. My lower lip started trembling as I made out 15 children, with their teacher Amie, sitting amongst the rubble. I’ve visited many schools in The Gambia but I have never reacted like this before. Pulling myself together, I had a long chat with Amie and the children and, although I didn’t make any promises, I said I would try to help.
There are over 100 children in the area that need a school. The villagers had built the original building in mud bricks but did not have the money to finish it before the rainy season and the school fell down.
All that's left of the original building
Amie, Fatou and the headmistress, Yama, are trying to continue with the school in the room I saw which is in someone’s compound but apart from the terrible conditions the owner now wants the space back.
Me and the teachers
As chairman of a community group called “Nyodema” (which means “Helping each other” in Mandinka) I told the rest of the committee about the school. They were just as concerned as I was, however, we do not have anyone based in The Gambia and have never been involved in a building project before. We felt it was too much for us to take on alone. What to do?
We approached the charity, Karmic Angels, and when we told them about the school they selected a project manager to oversee the building work if we could raise the funds.
In April Shelagh (Nyodema’s treasurer) and I returned to The Gambia and met up with the Alkalo (village head), teachers and parents as well as Lamin and Pa Louis from Karmic Angels.
Pa Louis, Amie, Yama, Fatou and Lamin with the children of Dairuharu
I’m happy to say that we have already started fund-raising and so far have collected over £2,000 thanks to the generosity of our supporters and the Gambia Experience’s clients who first told us about the school. Our aim for 2010 is to build the first classroom (with proper foundations and cement rather than mud blocks) and purchase the necessary desks and chairs etc.
Next month Nyodema is holding their annual festival “Nyodema by the Sea” – all proceeds from the raffle will go towards re-building the school.
More information on the festival, Nyodema’s weekly African drumming workshops and Gospel Choir, as well as their on going health and education projects in The Gambia can be found on their website www.nyodema.org
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We are so proud to be associated with you and that our boys Pa Louis Gomez and Lamin Njie of Karmic Angels are dedicating their free time to help project manage your school build and get you the best prices for your materials.
We know that this link with you will be just the beginning. We know how hard it is to do such a project as we have 7 school projects ourselves in the Gambia.
Best of luck in everything you do.
Stephanie & Alan
Karmic Angels UK
UK Charity No 1130347
International Charitable No 496/2008
Good afternoon
I am very impressed with what you have achieved so far. I plan on visiting The Gambia next month, early August and would like some information regarding setting up an educational institute there.
In November 2009 we visited The Gambia and it was during that holiday we were introduced to the Nursery School at Dairuharu. At that time the children were being taught in very primitive conditions, and such was our concern that on returning to the UK we approached The Gambia Experience, sending photographs of the school.
We were put in touch with Kathy Burrington, who visited the school on her next trip to The Gambia. She also was shocked at the conditions in which the children were being taught and on her return to the UK contacted us to say that the charity Nyodema would be willing to make arrangements for funds to be set aside to rebuild the school. Naturally, we were delighted that something was being done to rebuild the school and provide better conditions for the teachers and pupils.
Kathy has kept in touch by e-mail and we have followed the progress of the re-building with keen interest.
Our second visit to The Gambia was in March this year, when we again visited the School, and received a very warm welcome. At that time the classroom which was being built was not quite finished, and the children were still being accommodated in temporary accommodation – 30 children in an area of approximately 9’0 x 9’0 – very cramped conditions in the heat of The Gambia.
We have recently returned from our third visit to Dairuharu School. The new building is now complete together with desks, blackboard, etc and is in use. We arrived on a public holiday, but Yama, the headmistress, opened the school for us, whereupon a number of pupils rushed to their desks and began singing for us. A very moving experience.
Although the classroom is now in use there are still improvements to be made – the floor needs a final finish, since it is sandy and dusty; the storeroom needs a secure door together with shelves and a toilet block needs to be installed. We understand Nyodema have these improvements in hand, together with the building of a second classroom when funds allow.
We are very humbled to be associated with providing such a much needed facility in an impoverished country and congratulate the committee of Nyodema, who can be very proud of what they have achieved for the children of this community.
Dear David and Mary,
Thank you so much for your kind comments. It is thanks to the two of you starting the ball rolling that the school has been built. I am very much looking forward to seeing the school myself next week. Kathy (graphic designer at The Gambia Experience and Chair at Nyodema)