No fewer
than twenty-six students from Camel College from England headed by Perpetual
Jones, a teacher at the college, at the weekend visited and donated learning
and teaching materials to Kitty Arabic School and Kuloro Nursery School, all in
West Coast Region.
Some of the donated items were pencils, crayons, exercise books, reading books, sporting equipment, craft materials, which worth thousands of dalasis and a cash money of over one thousand pounds to support schoolchildren in Kitty.
In presenting the materials to beneficiaries, Mustapha Jobe, the link co-coordinator who also doubles as the president of the National Tourist Guides Association, said he met Mr and Mrs Jones last year when they came to The Gambia for the third time as tourists.
He said that after several correspondence it was agreed that they would raise funds to support schools and students in The Gambia. He added: “For us, as guides, we encourage tourists to support Gambians, particularly our children who are the future leaders of the country.”
This, he said, is the reason he directed the link to support the education sector to provide learning and teaching materials to schools and sponsorship for many children.
According to him, as a tourist guide his intention is to link tourists with the local communities while ensuring that the tourism code of conduct is respected to the maximum.
During their stay in the country with them, he explained, they also encourage them to help Gambian children and always tell them good things about the country as well as appeal to them to help the local communities.
He used the opportunity to thank Mrs Perpetual Jones and the delegation for their humanitarian gesture and also commended the Government of The Gambia for creating the enabling environment for private sector involvement in nation building, while urging the beneficiaries to make best use of the materials for its intended purpose.
Eve McQueen said the donation came from the students of Camel College who contributed 250 pounds while Charlotte Henshall and her mother Caroline raised 930 pounds which they have used to sponsor a child in Kitty. He added that the donation is wonderful and students of Camel College are very happy to be here on an exchange visit and to help, saying that next year they hope to return to The Gambia to continue helping students.
Mrs Jones, a teacher at Camel College in UK, thanked the people of Kitty and Kuloro and the tourist guides for what he described as a warm welcome, adding that Gambians are very nice people and the children need more support in the education sector.
Charlotte Henshall and her mother want to sponsor a little girl in the school next year and pay her school fees.
“We have been back three times in The Gambia. I and my husband have been raising funds for the schools like pens, pencils, books, bags among other learning materials,” said Jones.
The students, Jones added, are very much excited to visit The Gambia and bring gifts for students, saying they are hoping that next year’s donation will be bigger than this year’s.
“I am a teacher at Camel College in the United Kingdom. Together with my husband, we decided to come with twenty-six students to experience The Gambia and make donation as part of our contribution,” she said.
Charlotte Henshall, a student, said: “We are very happy to be in The Gambia and help Gambian students in their education. Gambians are very friendly and nice people.”
Mr Ebrima Njie, head teacher of Kuloro Nursery School and Mr Alieu Bojany of Kitty Arabic School, described Carmel as true partners in development.
