For Jankey Beyai, every day is a struggle to feed her three children, pay rent, and keep them in school.
The single mother says the rising cost of living has pushed her household to breaking point, and she now fears poverty could force her children out of school.
“I am struggling to take care of my three children. The cost of living is too much for me, and I am afraid my children will have to leave school because I cannot afford their school fees,” she said.
Beyai says finding money for food, school lunch and electricity is a daily battle. Rent arrears have piled up, and she worries about losing their home.
“I cannot even afford to eat sometimes. I have no one to help me,” she lamented.
She previously survived by selling ice. The profit was small, but it helped her meet her children’s basic needs.
That lifeline collapsed when electricity shortages caused her entire stock to melt.
“I used to sell ice, but because of power shortages, all my sales were spoiled and I lost everything. I was not making much profit, but at least it was something,” she explained.
Without capital to restart, she says she is trapped in debt and hardship.
Her situation worsened after her husband left The Gambia via the irregular “backway” route 13 years ago. She says she has not heard from him since, leaving her to raise the children alone.
“I have nobody. My mother died, and my brother, who used to help me, has also passed away. I do not know where to turn anymore,” she said.
The loss of both her mother and brother, she says, destroyed her only support system.
Despite everything, Beyai says education remains her priority. She wants her children to stay in school and build a better future.
But with unpaid school fees, mounting rent debts and scarce food, that hope is fading.
“I am tired and confused. I have been struggling for so long and my debts keep increasing. My children’s education is very important to me, but I do not know what to do anymore,” she said.
She is now appealing for support from individuals and organisations - whether with school fees, food, rent, or capital to restart her ice business.
For Beyai and her children, timely help could mean staying in school, keeping a roof over their heads, and giving a struggling mother a chance to rebuild.
Her story reflects a wider reality: behind the rising cost of living, vulnerable families are forced to choose between rent, food, and education.
