Fourth grade student Maimuna (12, L) and Mariama (13, R) attend class at a ChildFund-supported school in the Western Region of The Gambia. ChildFund supported this rural school in The Gambia in a variety of ways. Before our organization stepped in, students and teachers shared their water source with the nearby community that was a 20 minute walk away and often ran dry. ChildFund intervened by installing a solar-powered borehole with two distribution taps on the school grounds. ChildFund also provided students with play equipment like a tires course, jump ropes, and monkey bars. Students in need attending here received textbooks, pencils, erasers and school bags. Boys and girls living furthest from the school also received bikes with helmets and reflecting gear for a shorter, safer commute.
“Water is the most important aspect of ChildFund’s work here. Teachers were missing classes to find water and bring it back for their students. Now there is water here at the school,” says English and Math teacher Mr. Omar Baldeh. “If you don’t drink water, you won’t survive. It’s important for our health. When you’re thirsty, you cannot concentrate on your lessons. We used to leave the grounds and trek to the village to fetch water and bring it back to the school. We used to suffer a lot because anytime the water runs out here, we leave the class and return to the village to fetch more. I would like to thank ChildFund for supporting us and making this school a place where we can come and study well and get an education. Without the water project, the school would not have continued to exist for long because we were really suffering due to lack of water in the school,” says 6th grade student, Binta (female, 13).
