The Gambia Community in Bergen, Norway, on 14 September 2012 presented a cash amount of D30,000 to Muhammedan Lower Basic School for the renovation work of the school.
Speaking at the ceremony held at the school grounds, Buba Njie, representative of the Gambian Community in the Norwegian city of Bergen, in The Gambia, said the association was formed in 1985 by Gambians residing in Norway. Since then they have used to organise cultural activities yearly to support health, education, agriculture and other industries.
Mamouorndary Jobe, while chairing the occasion, said they were pleased with the gesture, adding that they did not see it as a small thing.
This will help them in their work, he added, while urging his colleagues to use the money for the rightful purposes.
If they had many of this kind, the school would have passed this level, he said, thanking the donors for the good gesture.
Ya Fatou Samba, Deputy Headmistress of the school, also thanked the Gambian Community in Bergen, Norway, and also prayed for them to have good health so they can continue supporting Gambians back home.
The money will be used for its rightful purpose, she added.
Lamin S. Touray, who spoke on behalf of his fellow teachers, said the donation came at the right time, adding that it shows that the Gambian Community in Bergen, Norway, are “patriotic citizens”.
Ousman Jobe, also a teacher in the school, said the donors did not only support Muhammedan Lower Basic School but also aid education throughout the country. Education, he noted, is the backbone of any country in liberating it from stark poverty.
This gesture can change the lives of all students and people in the school and even that of their families, he said, adding that the school is one of the oldest in Banjul.
Alagie Cham, head teacher of the school, who spoke on behalf of the Parents Teacher’s Association of the school, said the gesture shows the intention of the Gambian Community in Bergen, and their readiness to support Gambians. “Various people have passed through the school and many will still continue to pass through it,” Mr Cham recalls.
