The project aims to contribute directly to national priorities under the National Development Plan and to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Goals 3, 4 and 6, which places particular emphasis on Good Health and Well-being, Quality Education and Clean Water and Sanitation.
At the handing over ceremony, Francis Mendy, Director of Caritas-Gambia Office, described the solar-powered borehole and the construction of the new gender-specific modern toilets as more than an infrastructure, but an investment in dignity, health and education.
These facilities, he said, aim to ensure that children and staff have access to safe water and sanitation, while creating a healthier and more inclusive learning environment.
Mendy acknowledged that the initiative is in alignment with National Development Plan, prioritises improved access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene as essential for national progress.
He maintained that by strengthening school WASH systems, they are directly contributing to national goals of resilience, equity and sustainable development.
Director Mendy also outlined that the facilities symbolise Caritas’ Gambia shared commitment to building a future where every child learns in a safe, healthy and dignified environment.
“Together, we are advancing the mission of the Church and contributing to national and global development priorities,” he said.
This initiative, he added, forms part of their ongoing commitment to promoting improved sanitation, public health and dignity within communities, with a particular focus on vulnerable groups.
Edward Gibba, focal person for Early Childhood Development at the Catholic Education Secretariat, described the occasion as not just the beginning of a new chapter, but the unfolding of a vision that has been nurtured with dedication, passion and collective effort.
He said that St. Anthony's ECD has been grappling with the lack of such vital amenities in the form of gender-specific modern toilets and solar powered borehole for some time now.
Thus, he urged the ECD administration to jealously safeguard the facilities and collectively preserve them for future generations.
The inauguration ceremony was witnessed by parents, pupils and officials from Caritas-Gambia office and a cross section of the community of Kanilai and its environs.
