Fanta and Jakong

Every child deserves the chance to go to school. We especially focus on supporting girls when they reach puberty, which is not only the traditional age of marriage, but also the point at which school costs start rising. But if a child doesn't start school, they will never finish, and at whatever age we start supporting a young person, we are determined to be willing, and able, to stand behind them at least through 12th grade.

When we started supporting young Gambians, two of the first we helped were Fanta J. and Jakong J., who were raised as sisters by a single mother in the Lower Fulladus of Central River Region. Fanta never knew her father; her mother was always her sole source of support. When her mom had a chance to move ten miles from her home in Brikamaba to take a job as an "unqualified" teacher at the nursersy school at St. Therese's in Fula Bantang, she wanted to do it. Since she had not gone to college, the unqualified teacher position would pay only $35 per month, and Fanta's mom was raising not only her but also another child she had taken guardianship for. The school could provide housing, but they turned to us to ask if we might be able to buy uniforms and school supplies so the girls could come with her. And so, among the first upcountry students we supported were Fanta and her "sister"/friend Jakong.

We knew the girls only through photos for a few years; I first met Fanta and Jakong when I came back to The Gambia in the 2011-12 school year. They were by then in third grade; both were among the top students in their class. Here are photos from those early years:

Fanta

Jakong

The following year, a position opened up in the Brikamaba school nursery school, which allowed Fanta, Jakong, and their mom to return to live in the family compound while the girls attended Brikamaba Lower Basic school.

Brikamaba Upper Basic school was nearby, so after we got them new uniforms, Fanta and Jakong continued on to Brikamaba Upper Basic school for 7th to 9th grades.

Both girls continued to be at or near the top of their class. The combination of doing well in school and realizing that they could count on our support to continue their education had an effect. Slowly but surely, they raised their sights about what their lives could be. Here is where there paths separated. Fanta moved to the Kombo (near the coast) where she boarded with relatives for three years so she could attend the excellent St. Peter's Technical Senior Secondary School in Lamin. Jakong was admitted to the best senior school in the Central River Region, Armitage, which has a boarding program for the top applicants.

Both Fanta and Jakong have now achieved what only 3% of the girls from the country's poorest families achieve: they have graduated from 12th grade. They also had excellent test result and far higher hopes than when they started many years ago. Fanta wants to be a nurse. She has been accepted into the School for Enrolled Nurses in Bansang. She is also interviewing for the School for Registered Nurses in Banjul. Either way, she will soon be studying to be a nurse.

There are not many parts of the Gambian economy that are growing. There is a great need for nurses and for teachers. And one area of growth is real estate and construction now that the rule of law has returned after the election of 2016. Expats, foreigners, and those who never left are all in the market for property. The government is also borrowing heavily to fuel a civil building and infrastructure program. Jakong loves engineering and sees a future there. She has enrolled at Gambia Technical and Training Institute (GTTI) to study Mechanical Engineering and Technical Drawing.

When you start supporting a young Gambian's education, you never know where it will lead. But you do know this: every additional year they stay in school, their future will improve. This may seem intuitive but it has also been proven in study after study. Graduating from 12th grade is a great achievement in and of itself. Not everyone can or should become nurses or mechanical engineers. But shouldn't they have a chance? That is the possibility that our donors create. Our heartfelt thanks to them. It took 14 years of consistent support to help Fanta and Jakong along their path. And they're not done yet. That consistent support, and using 100% of our donations directly to support students, is the essence of GambiaRising's program.

$3 per month will fund a scholarship for grades 1 through 9.
$10 per month will fund a scholarship for senior secondary school.
And the cost to become a nurse or study at GTTI is $40 per month.

It is hard not to feel helpless these days in the face of the cruelty and hardship washing over the world. But it is still possible to make a real difference, to change lives. If you haven't contributed recently, please do. We are going to need everyone this year.

Mike McConnell
Managing Trustee
GambiaRising
1500 Park Ave Apt PH503
Emeryville, CA 94608-3578

I'll help!