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If you count the students that my friends and I sent back to school in 2008, we've been doing this for 16 years. If you start counting when GambiaRising got its 501(c)3 letter from the IRS in 2011, we've been at it for 13. In either case, some of those who were young when we started are now all grown up. We've done the math on what it would take to fund an organization that kept track of every former student, and since most of our donations would then have to be used to pay for our offices and staff, we decided not to do so. But The Gambia is not that large a country, and so it is a delight but not a surprise when we bump into former students. Let me share two of them from my recent trip.
Pius J. was a quiet, sincere boy in 8th grade at St. Therese's in Fula Bantang when I first met him. Health issues had made his father leave his job and we offered Pius and his sister support to continue their schooling. Pius was one of the most talented artists I have met, but it wasn't clear to me that this would be enough to lead to a career. I have stayed in touch with him over the years, from 8th grade through interning at the Gambia Pastoral Institute and about to start college.
I haven't seen him recently but to my delight, Pius was visiting his home when I dropped by to see a tree nursery his father had started there.
He received his advanced diploma in graphic design from the Indian Institute of Hardware Technology (whose classrooms are in Fajara) and is now working as a graphic designer for a Gambian publishing house. We visited and he shared some samples of his work with me:
Driving down to the Kombo with Kebba Sanyang later that day, I asked him if he knew what ever happened with the girl for whom I brought running shoes some time back? "You don't know?" "She's a local hero!" Here's the story: Maimuna J. lived in Sare Futa. The children there went to the local school through 6th grade, but then they stopped. The nearest 7th grade was 1-1/2 hours walk. A donor from Seattle had provided 12 bicycles to St. Therese's School in Fula Bantang and Maimuna got one of them so she could stay in school. She also sent some soccer gear donated by the West Seattle Soccer Club, and when the donor and a friend visited the school to see the bikes and gear, one long-legged girl stood out: Maimuna J. When they asked about her, they were told that she was able to come to St. Therese's only because of the bicycle, and also that she was the fastest runner in the district. Running barefoot! (That's her in the yellow/black uniform below; wearing lovely socks, but no shoes.)
The donor's friend traced Maimuna's feet on pieces of paper, and when she came back to Seattle, she called me. Would I be able to carry a pair of running shoes in my suitcase?
Maimuna continued to excel in school, and in regional events. She was invited to moved to the Kombo (the area near the coast) to compete for a larger senior secondary school there - boarding with one of the teachers.
Fast forward to 2021 when the Gambian women's 4 X 100 meters relay team, anchored by the continent's fastest sprinter, Gina Bass, took the gold medal at the Koranic Games in Turkey, and then shocked the continent by taking the Bronze medal at the African Athletics Championships in Mauritius, behind only Nigeria and South Africa. That's Maimuna third from the left in the Turkey photo, and on the far left in the Bronze Medal photo.
Kebba and I had lunch with Maimuna and she invited me to watch her train the following morning. I'm not sure how the Nigerian and South African teams train, but I'm guessing it is different from Maimuna. She downloaded the day's instructions to her phone from a trainer in France, then headed for Kololi beach, where I had the pleasure of videoing her workouts.
We don't know what our students will do with their lives when they are given the chance to go to or stay in school. We do have a good idea of how narrow the possibilities for their lives will be if they don't have that chance. When you donate to GambiaRising, you are giving possibilities to young Gambians. Life will not be easy, but it will have so many possibilities that they would not otherwise have. For the girls, it will mean that they will not be married at puberty, that they will have a chance to grow up before starting a family, pursuing a career, or both. If you are part of GambiaRising, you are making such a difference in so many lives. Thank you.
If you are not yet part of GambiaRising or haven't donated recently, there is no time like the present; we are just starting the budgeting process for the September school year. We are truly these kids' only chance.
Mike McConnell
Managing Trustee
GambiaRising
www.gambiarising.org
1500 Park Ave Apt PH503
Emeryville, CA 94608-3578