‘ChildFund project initiated significant improvements in rural schools’

The program she added, has significantly contributed to improving access to education and student retention.

ChildFund International, The Gambia has supported some schools in rural by providing bicycles as part of their ‘Zero Out of School Children’ initiative which is aimed at eliminating school dropouts. Through the program, students who are in far flung communities are supported with bicycles with a view to enabling them access classes and on time.

“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 of the school to these communities whose children attend this school is approximately 3.5 kilometers.”

With only eight students in grade one and very few in grades two and three, the well-constructed school has a total enrollment of just 109 students, lacking even a sixth grade, with school authorities attributing this to the distant nature of the school to their communities.

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 the school.”

In light of this, she said they do not have an Early Childhood Development (ECD) program in place, adding that currently, there are only eight pupils in grade one, with fewer pupils in grades two and 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 stated.

“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 in the area, 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 lamented parents continue to struggle with sending their children to school due to the distance and the challenging terrain leading to the school.

“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,” she stated.

"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.”

She revealed that pupils, who have benefited from the initiative are excelling in school, noting that they've also 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-grader at the school, emphasised the importance of the initiative, recalling that before this program was implemented, he 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.”