No images? Click here Just like everyone else, we have to prioritize what to do with the precious funds our donors entrust us with. We've decided to focus on education, and on those who will not be able to go to school without our help. We've also decided to focus on the areas that cost least and matter most: grades 1 to 12. And especially the young Gambians most at risk of dropping out or never starting school: girls. And even more especially on girls who have reached puberty (or "marrying age"). What then do we do when a student we have supported graduates at or near the top of her (or his class) and desperately wants to keep studying? As long as we have taken care of those younger ones on our waiting list, each year we select some of the "best of the best" of our 12th grade graduates, and help them to keep studying. The costs to attend college or university in The Gambia are many multiples of the costs of attending senior secondary school. But they are also quite low by Western standards. At the high end, the University of The Gambia tuition alone is close to $800 per year. Add to that the cost of a laptop, transportation to the various locations of the campuses, books, etc. and we try to budget up to $1500 per year. At Gambia College, whose primary focus is teacher and nursing training, the cost is less than half that per year. (Since every graduate of Gambia College is also quickly absorbed into the country's education and medical system, you will understand why we tend to prioritize Gambia College.) Last month, I was delighted to host a gathering of some of our "tertiary" students at a cafe' across the street from Peace Corps in Fajara. Let me introduce you to a few of them: Mariama Dampha's father was a nurse with many wives and even more children. When she was 8 years old, her mother died, and she moved to live with her mom's younger sister's family in the upcountry town of Janjanbureh to live with her aunt. A few years later, her father also died, and resources became scarce. Luckily, a Peace Corps volunteer was then living with that family, and contacted us about supporting Mariama to attend Armitage Sr. Secondary School as a boarding student. Mariama soon became the leader of our 20+ students at Armitage, President of the Math Club, and got the highest test scores in math of any female student in Armitage's history. When she asked for support to study Public Health at UTG, some of our donors agreed to back her. Mariama thrived at UTG, was "Minister of Health" of the Student Association of Public and Environmental Health. And this month, she graduated, cum laude. Cherno Gaye is studying law at UTG. He is from a subsistence farming family in the Upper Saloum and the first member of his family to go to school. After graduating with high marks from Kaur Sr. Secondary School, he began his studies at Gambia Technical & Training Institute in 2012, with support from his father, and then when he was not able to pay the fees, from prize money from a talent contest (he was the top poet). Cherno was elected President of the GTTI Student Union and applied to UTG for further study. Shortly after he was admitted to UTG, his father died and he could not enroll. The Dean of UTG's School of Arts and Sciences (also a poet) contacted us to ask if we could help. Cherno is now studying law, has been named a Youth Representative to the national Truth & Reconciliation Commission, and assists our Coordinator Maimuna Baldeh in videoing our students. And he continues to be a poet/orator. Coordinator Ebrima Sanneh's day job is managing the mentoring/basketball program AscendTogether. One day at St. Peter's, the Assistant Principal asked if he knew anyone who could help a girl who had no uniform or books. Ebrima met with Isatou Kebbeh, a 10th grader, and promised to help. Then he discovered that her younger sister Fatou had never been to school, and promised help for her too. But not only that; her OLDER sister Lala Kebbeh had been attending Gambia College and now had 3 YEARS of tuition arrears. Ebrima knew that he would have to tackle that one bit by bit. But thanks to our donors, Lala too is back on track. Above: We were lucky to see Fatou, home on break to see her mom, and to renew her U.S. student visa. (Successfully, phew!) Below: at Dakar Airport. Right: happy reunion with her mom and grandmom. Fatou Kineh Ndow is one of the most inspiring examples of a young Gambian making the most of the opportunities given to her. Her mother, a remarkable woman, supported her education through 12th grade by selling phone credit from her wheelchair at Westfield junction. GambiaRising then supported Fatou to study mathematics at UTG where she was Valedictorian of her class. Then when she received a full scholarship to Ohio University to study for her Master's, we covered what Ohio did not cover. And now, thanks mostly to her own efforts but with help as needed from GambiaRising donors, Fatou Kineh is studying for her PhD in Mathematics at the University of Iowa. Two more: Cecelia Jawo, studying Architectural Technology at Gambia Technical & Training Institute (GTTI) And Mamie Njie, studying Agriculture at Gambia College. "College for all" is not even a dream in The Gambia. Nor is it desirable. But for those whose minds and inclinations make it their dream, we are really pleased that our donors' generosity has enabled us to give these and others of The Gambia's best and brightest a chance to study past 12th grade. There is no doubt that these will be some of The Gambia's future leaders. Thank you to those who made it possible. Mike McConnell www.gambiarising.org |