GambiaRising was formally organized nearly nine years ago.  A lot has happened since then.  

We did not want to be one of those western charities that come and go in west Africa, that bring assistance then disappear with no explanation.  (I call that "drive by philanthropy.")  We chose to focus on scholarships because they allowed us to scale up (or down, if need be) incrementally; if all our donors stayed with us we could keep supporting our students year after year.  If new donors joined us, we could help more kids.  And if some of our donors increased their donations, we could help more kids and support them in school not only through 12th grade, but for the truly exeptional ones, into college.  Best of all, the education we would enable young Gambians to get would never fall into disrepair, and could never be taken away. 

Nevertheless, when you tell a young Gambian they can get support to start school, or stay in school, you want to have a reasonable chance of staying with them at least through their 12th grade graduation.  That's why we didn't seek scholarships from foundation grants that are inherently short term, but instead sought to build a network of highly committed donors, each giving what they could.  We never asked anyone to stretch to a higher donation level, although we are so grateful when they do.  But we do ask everyone to stretch to a long duration level.  That's why our monthly donations are so valuable, and so are those who donate every year.  These allow us to make those commitments.  And that allows these kids to re-think what life may hold for them.  Here are two examples:

Cecilia J.

 Cecilia was in 6th grade in Fula Bantang when we began supporting her.  A few years later, she asked if she could still get support if she moved to the city to study.  We said she could if she could find a place to stay.  She attended St. Joseph's in Banjul, then asked for support to do an extra year at St. Peter's Technical Senior Secondary School in Lamin.  And it was at St. Peter's that Cecilia discovered a love for technical drawing. When she then got 7 credits on her WASSCE exams, she asked if there was any chance she could continue; she wanted to study architectural technology at GTTI (Gambia Technical and Training Institute).  GTTI is only about double the cost of St. Peter's, and we were able to say "Yes."

Hawa J.

Hawa lived in the Kombo until her parents divorced and her mother brought her to Sare Fally, 2.5 km from Fulabantang to stay with her grandparents. Every day Hawa would follow the children from Sare Fally to school only to be sent home because she was not registered. She kept coming to school and finally the school's Principal (who was also GambiaRising's UpCountry Coordinator) told her come with her parents.  The next day, her grandmother came to the school, apologizing and saying she told Hawa not to come to school but Hawa would not listen.  Kebba asked her why she would not allow the child to come to school, and she said she "has no support".  She "does everything all by herself," struggling just to feed the girl, and cannot meet Hawa’s educational expenses.  Kebba asked if she would allowed her to come to school if someone could support her education, and she said of course, adding  that she has always regretted not being given the opportunity to go to school by her own parents.  Once we set our budgets for the school year, our Coordinators have broad discretion over adding students to the program within those budget limits. So Kebba instantly started the process of getting Hawa uniforms and books. 

It is hard to over-state how different these girls' lives will be because they had the chance to get an education.  Not only do they get that education, but they also avoid child marriage, get a chance to grow up, and meet young people from other villages and other tribes.  Perhaps most importantly, they began to consider a different story about themselves; they change their view about what their lives can be.  Cecilia has already decided what she wants to be.  Hawa will tell you that she wants to be a doctor.  Who knows how that might change between now and 12th grade, but the point is: she's thinking about it and she feels some agency about the subject.

How many young Gambians we are able to help is 100% a function of the number of donors who join us in a school year and the generosity of their donations.  With our zero overhead organization, just $3 per month can fully support a young Gambian's education for one year.  And although at the high end, the University of The Gambia can cost up to $1,500 and is one of the world's great bargains.  We have to pause here to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has donated during this Back-to-School campaign.  So many lives are being changed with your support and our team's tireless effort. 

And then to remind everyone who has not yet contributed this year, that between now and January is the crucial period when either children will either go back to school, or not, and when colleges and trade schools will start "sending out" those who have not paid their tuition.  There is so much at stake.   Please join us and give more kids like Cecilia and Hawa a chance.

Mike McConnell

Managing Trustee
GambiaRising
www.gambiarising.org
www.facebook.com/gambiarising

1500 Park Ave Apt PH503
Emeryville, CA  94608-3578