The facility was eight in one with flush toilets, water and washing basins for students to wash their hands with running water after every use, according to Baboucarr Tambedou, contractor for the toilet facility.
Tambedou pointed out that the contract was awarded to him by a retired headmaster, Almamy Fadera, with whom he said he had a good working relation for years.
He advised that the toilet facility must be kept clean and tidy to ensure convenience in using it, for durability purposes.
Madam Isatou Joof, deputy headmistress of Bijilo Lower Basic School, said it all began when Jim Bell visited the school on 10 January 2011 and had a fruitful discussion with the school authorities and was later taken round to see the school premises for any possible intervention.
According to her, Bijilo Lower Basic School was established in 1977 and the latest enrolment was 1,254 students of which 663 are girls, and it operates morning and afternoon shifts.
She commended Jim and Collette for their timely intervention and appealed for the expansion of the facility to be able to meet the demand for such services.
“The old pit latrines are out of use and the concentration on the newly built modern facility will be high,” she said.
She also appealed for construction of more classroom blocks to be able to accommodate all the children in one shift because some parents still do not agree about the double shift.
Highlighting some of the intervention made by the couple Jim and Collette, Baboucarr Kijera, senior teacher, attested that they provided both financially and materially to strengthen the school garden.
Jim Bell for his part, expressed gratitude for the warm welcome accorded him and his wife Collette Senior, saying all the credit goes to the people of the UK who have been supporting to make their dream become a reality.
According to him, he works in a trade union from which some of the funds was raised and the other from individuals, to support the school.
There are many plans ahead but the school authorities must come up with their priority needs to be supported, he said, while commending Kebba Fatty and the ex-headmaster for being part of the initiative.
Assan Faal, chairman of the school’s parent-teacher association, expressed appreciation for what he described as timely intervention because it was a great concern for the school authorities.
Mariam Njasang Manneh, head girl of Bijilo Lower Basic School, said the provision of the modern toilet facility would save time and energy for their classes.
”We spent a lot of time fetching water to be used in the pit-latrines, which could have been used in class,” she added.
She said she would arrange with the school administration to conduct basic demonstration on how to use the toilet facility to ensure proper handling of the facility.
She commended the couple for their unflinching support towards their education.
Sylvester Jarjue, headmaster of Bijilo Lower Basic School, appealed for more support for the school, while showering praises of gratitude on the benefactors.
