This program provides educational gifts to talented students who would otherwise not be able to attend school. The annual school tuition for primary, middle and secondary level students is $150, which also covers writing tablets and a school uniform. GambiaHELP sponsored 15 students in 2005 and plans to increase student educational gifts next year. This year's receipients attend Dankunku Basic Cycle School, Mt. Carmel Primary School, Sitahuma Primary School, Daranka Skills Center and Bijulo Primary School. We have decided to place our emphasis on educating young girls because of the severe under-representation of girls in Gambian schools. Click here to see children who need educational gifts for the coming year. Click here to read about a generous youth group who sponsored a child.
Educational Funds at the Dankunku Basic Cycle School:
Grades 1-6: $140/year includes school fees, uniforms, shoes and feeding.
Grades 7-8: $160/year includes school fees, uniforms and shoes. Older children must bring their own food.
Grade 9: $180/year includes school fees, uniforms, shoes and their final examination fees for the last year of Basic Cycle School. Those exams indicate whether the student is qualified to attend High School providing there are funds available.
Educational Funds for Girls – 2008/2009
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Nday Nget – now in 9th grade in the village of Dankunku which is about 100 km from the western towns. She is tall and stately and speaks pretty good English. She comes from a poor family and is currently sponsored with educational funds from GambiaHELP which will see her through 9th grade. She is top girl student at the school and her goal is to become a nurse. Her next step is to go to high school in Serakunda (a town in the west) because there is no High School in the Dankunku area. The amount to support her for one year is $1,500. This would cover school fees, books, housing, food and transportation. |
She would supply letters to her donor several times a year and her grades would also be sent to the donor. Providing her performance remains good, she will need this support for 3 years and then will be re-evaluated to see if she can go to nursing college. |
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Younger needy girls who require support
These girls go to school in the Dankunku Basic Cycle School. The poverty background of these girls indicates that they will probably need support at least through 9th grade providing their performance remains good.
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Isatou Silla |
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Binta Jadama Grade 5 – school fees, uniforms, shoes and feeding $140/year. |
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Mariama Jaino Grade 8 – school fees uniforms and shoes - $160/year. |
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Edrisa Camara Grade 3 - school fees, uniforms, shoes and feeding $140/year. |
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A Special Request For a Sponsor
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I am seeking a sponsor for a student to attend Talinding Upper Basic School. The student is Mbayang Joof and attended Banjulinding in grade 8 last year. Once the tuition (US $120.30) for Talinding has been approved by you, the tuition can be safely be given to Mbayang and she will bring receipts. I recommend that she submit copies of report cards for each term. Ongoing support should be dependent on her grades. If they fall below an aggregate score of 30 [that would mean a score better than 30 in the Gambian grading system, where lower is better], she should not receive further tuition. I can vouch for Mbayang because I lived with her family for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer. She is a hard working girl and will not be able to go to school without this support. Sincerely, Elgn Arney (aka Ali Ceesay Joof) |
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2005: |
Isatou Jeng, Fatou Sey, Ebrima Jeng, Aminata Mboge, Abdoulie Ceesay, Lamin Camera, Kumuna Fatty, Fatou Gaye, Lamin Mboge and six children from the Sitahuma Primary School | ||
2004: |
Rose Nasalan, Isatou (Neheh) Mboge, Fatou Sey, Fatou Gaye, Aminata Fatty | ||
2003: |
Rose Nasalan, Isatou (Neheh) Mboge, Fatou Sey, Fatou Gaye | ||
2002: |
Rose Nasalan, Isatou (Neheh) Mboge, Fatou Sey, Mariama Sanyang | ||
2001: |
Mariama Jammeh, Isatou (Neheh) Mboge | ||
Kumuna Fatty,
2005 Recipient in front of the GambiaHELP outpost |
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To make a cash donation to this project use the Pay Pal link below.
Students Needing Educational Gifts
| Jarra Saidy Khan – Although new to school, Jarra is tackling her math class head-on, and loves it! She’s the first one to laugh or smile in her group of friends. Although small for her age, she loves to eat, and benechin is her favorite. Her preferred sport is Rounders (Volley Ball). Jarra is the 2nd of 5 children. She has 1 elder brother, 1 younger brother and 2 younger sisters. Age 10; Grade 2. |  |
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Jarra Jadama – Jarra Jadama is a tall girl, who starts every sentence with a smile. She loves Rounders (Volleyball) and is the middle child of 5 (2 older brothers and 2 younger sisters). She loves to eat Domoda (peanut sauce with rice) and is very good at (and enjoys!) math class. Age 12; Grade 6. |
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| Hassan Mboge – Hassan is a well-mannered boy. His favorite subject in school is Social Environmental Sciences, and he truly enjoys his homework. Hassan loves football (soccer) and his favorite team is Manchester United (he informed me of this with a huge grin, followed by a resounding “Yes!”). His favorite food is anything you put in front of him (says his mother), but he loves chicken most of all. His mother describes him warmly as “a good boy”. In his spare time he is active in the Boy Scouts. (not pictured). Age 12; Grade 7. | ||
| Aminata Fatty – Aminata is quiet and shy, the 4th of 5 children. Her favorite subject is English, and she loves to play "Rounders", which we call volleyball. Her favorite food is Domoda (peanut sauce with meat and veggies over rice). She's the strong silent type – an 'old soul', and stands watch over her little sister. Age 6; Grade 2. Recently Sponsored. |  |
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| Lamin Mboge – Lamin is an active young man. He loves to run and play, and shows off his skill in the 100-yard dash on the track team at school. He eats Benechin (like a spicy rice/veggie/meat casserole) whenever he can. He’s excited to learn, but loves his math class most of all. Lamin is the middle child of 5 (two sisters, two brothers) and is quite a jolly child. (not pictured). Age 9; Grade 3. Recently Sponsored. | ||
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| Santan Touray – Santan is quiet like her brother, and looks to him for many answers, including her favorite food (Domoda). She’s very shy, but usually wears a small smile, even when sitting quietly alone. Deep in thought, it took her a long time to answer my question about her favorite game, which is Rounders (Volleyball). She loves learning English and is doing well in her second year of school. Age 9; Grade 2. |  |
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North Queens Drill Team
Kim Looney
Lynnwood, WA 98036
June 2, 2005
Dear Gambia Help Organization,
My name is Kim Looney and I am the Drillmistress of the North Queens Drill Team. We are a non-profit youth group that participates in parades and competitions. We have 45 members on our team currently. We travel all over Washington, Oregon and to San Francisco. Resides learning about semi-military style marching we also teach our members discipline, leadership, sportsmanship and friendship. The most important thing we strive to teach our girls is community support. We donate to the American Cancer Society, Northwest Harvest, Clothes For Kids, women’s shelters and missions. Since we know Joanna Soderlund and have heard her speak about the youth of Gambia we thought our team members would enjoy sponsoring a girl in Gambia for a year. I think it would be a positive experience for the girls. If possible we would like to correspond with the girl you choose for us. Since we are an all girls drill team we would prefer to sponsor a female but if that is not possible we understand! Our team members are really excited about this and looking forward to writing back and forth! Enclosed you will find a check for $150.00.
We look forward to hearing back from you!
Sincerely,
Kim Looney
Urgent
Request for Educational Gifts
GambiaHELP is
partnering with the Peace Corp to assist students in The Gambia in
dire need of funds to continue their education. The goal of this
new Volunteer Educational Fund will be to provide tuition, supplies,
uniforms, etc. to students that would otherwise be forced to leave
school. The Peace Corp will identify the students. Letters regarding
the first two students are below.To
make a cash donation to this project use the Pay Pal link below.
Volunteer Request #1 October 24, 2007 Kelipha is 15 years old. He was adopted 12 years ago when he was 3. His adopted father has 7 children going to school right now, 4 boys and 3 girls. The girls go to school for free, but the boys don’t. The father has a decent job (for Gambia) but is still having hard time covering expenses (even a decent job is not very good in The Gambia.) The father’s sister just died, who had 4 kids. Two were supposed to come live with the Kelipha’s family but the father just doesn’t have the money so he’s trying to get them a place at S.O.S. (an orphanage). You can tell it makes him really sad to be doing that, but he doesn’t have any options. A Peace Corps volunteer who knows the family well approached GambiaHELP about helping with Kelipha’s education. The family has printed letters and gone around to different organizations on their own asking for help with Kelipha’s education. When Kelipha was in school, he got good grades. He passed all his classes except math last semester, which is pretty outstanding in the Gambia educational system. He would like to write periodic letters to whoever supports him, both to thank them and to improve his English. Danielle, a Peace Corp Volunteer, in Basse |
Volunteer Request #2 Charles
Fowlis Senior Secondary School 24 October 2007 Request for Assistance I shall be grateful if you can assist me financially to enable me to complete the twelfth grade in the above named Institution. I am a Gambian boy and nineteen years old. I was living with my parents, unfortunately my father fell ill and my mother cannot work because she nurses him I am very worried because a part from the fact that I am the eldest child who should care for them. In future it will be a disaster for me to leave school at this stage. It will seriously hamper all my plans for the future. Please I don’t want to become a dropout in society. My father sent me out of our compound he want me to go and work carpentry, I don’t say no but I just want to finish my grade 12 and go and learn carpentry. If you see all these things happen since he is an iman, and now I am staying with my friends, because my father tell me out of the compound, my friend is helping me the transport I am coming to school. Now my career, since I plan to be an accountant, please help me to finish my schooling, because if I don’t complete this level it would be difficult for me to aspire for further education. In this regard I shall be very happy if you can grant my request. Yours faithfully, UPDATE:
Basiru Choi, recently graduated from the Charles Fowlis, Jr. Senior Secondary School where he received his diploma and an award. He was one of the recipients of funding made last year through the GambiaHELP, Peace Corps - The Gambia Partnership and is an excellent example of the positive results that are achieved by funding educational programs for students. -Shelby |
