Officials of the Boka Loho Foundation based in The Netherlands in collaboration with its Gambian partner, Vision Development Foundation (VDF), have visited a project intervention site in Kitty village in the Kombo South district of the West Coast Region.
The visit, which took the officials led by the Chief Executive Officer of VDF, Modou Turo Darboe, to their sponsored nursery school in the village, availed them the opportunity to assess the level of construction at the school, which is in progress.
The construction of the nursery school was funded by the Boka Loho Foundation in collaboration with VDF.
Speaking at the site, Ank Bosselar, team leader and the brain behind Boka Loho Foundation, explained that the foundation started five years ago during which it partnered with VDF working together side by side.
She revealed that the construction of the nursery school in Kitty started in January 2012 with the foundation funding the construction of five classroom blocks, one office, a store and seven toilets, as well as a septic tank which will be installed upon completion.
According to Bosselar, everything started during a holiday to The Gambia 14 years ago, during which they thought it necessary to contribute their quota to the development of The Gambia through the education sector.
This, she added, prompted them to come up with a foundation to quickly raise money to fund the construction of a school in The Gambia.
She revealed that her foundation believes that in starting any development project in a country, there is need to start with the children and give them a better education.
“The significance of education to the development of a nation cannot be overemphasized, as educating children is the best way to quickly develop a nation,” she said, noting that without education, there will be no development.
She went on to call on parents to educate their children for the good of the future, adding that plans are under way to provide furniture, tables, and other material for the school for a better learning process.
Bosselar further revealed that currently the foundation is also busy funding the construction of another school in Lamin Daranka, but the foundation wants to finish the construction of the nursery school in Kitty village first.
The purpose of the visit, she stated, was to ensure that they see for themselves whether their money is put in the right place, which is the construction of a nursery school for the community of Kitty.
Modou Turo Darboe expressed his impressions about the intervention and the collaboration between the foundation and VDF for the development of the country, particularly the education sector.
According to him, there are several plans in store for Gambian children by the Boco Loho Foundation to ensure that they have a better and quality education, as well as bringing education to the doorsteps of the children.
He revealed plans to build more schools by the two foundations.
Darboe went on to advise the community of Kitty to work hard and participate fully in the construction of the school, noting that it belongs to the community and not the foundations.
“All that we want is to ensure that the community of Kitty has a better nursery school for their children,” he said, adding that ensuring the sustainability of the nursery school and its proper handling rests entirely with the people of the community.
Community representatives who also spoke during the visit expressed gratitude to the two foundations, noting that their dreams have become realities.
