The program, she added, has significantly contributed to improving access to education and student retention, adding: “If you look at the location of the school, we are in a remote area, and even reaching the school is a challenge since the distance from the school to the communities whose children attend this school is approximately 3.5 kilometers.”
ChildFund International, The Gambia has supported the school by providing bicycles as part of their ‘Zero Out of School Children’ initiative which aim at eliminating school dropouts. Through the program, students that are coming from distance communities are supported with bicycles with a view to enable them reach to school on time.
With only eight pupils in grade one and very few in grades two and three, the well-constructed school has a total enrollment of just 109 pupils, lacking even a sixth grade, with school authorities attributing this to distance to the school.
The headmistress added: “The current distance to the school is significantly impacting student enrollment. Parents have raised concerns about the long journey from Ballanghar Lowen to Ballanghar Chamen, which makes it difficult for them to send their children to school.”
“As a result of this, we do not have an Early Childhood Development (ECD) program in place. Currently, there are only eight students in grade one, with very few in grade two and grade three. The trek from Ballanghar Lowen to Ballanghar Chamen is particularly challenging, especially considering that most of these young students must navigate through unsafe bush areas between the villages,” she postulated.
“Therefore, I am urging ChildFund to help us with additional bicycles, as they significantly motivate and encourage parents to send their children to school. By increasing the number of bicycles available, we can enhance student enrollment and contribute to the overall improvement of our school’s attendance.”
Despite efforts to raise awareness about the importance of education within local communities, she complained, “Parents continue to struggle with sending their children to school due to the distance and the challenging terrain leading to the school.
She stated: “My team and I have visited numerous communities, yet many parents remain hesitant to enroll their kids. The low enrollment figures at the school are disheartening. While our facilities are well-constructed and the environment is conducive to teaching and learning, we still face significant enrollment challenges.”
"We currently have only 109 students in the entire school. After visiting many surrounding communities, I have even noticed that there are children over the age of eight in nearby villages who are not attending school.”
The headmistress further claims that the pupils who have benefited from the initiative are excelling in school, saying: “We've seen a notable improvement in their attendance as they arrive in school. Previously, we often encountered them arriving late to class.”
“While we are grateful for the three bicycles we received from ChildFund, we kindly request an increase in that number to at least 50 bicycles to better support our students.”
Samba, a fifth-grade student at the school, emphasised the importance of the initiative, stating, “Before this program was implemented, I often arrived late to school. Now, that’s a thing of the past. I arrive early and make it to my classes on time. I truly hope this initiative expands so that more students can benefit from it.”
