The landmark event, held last Friday, brought together church leaders, government officials, and school authorities, including Dr. Ernest Aubee, President of GMLA and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the school; Dawda Badjie, Executive Director of the National Environment Agency (NEA); and Most Reverend Bannie Manga, Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, The Gambia.
Founded in 1985, the GMLA has, for four decades, championed the spiritual, financial, and social growth of the Methodist Church while making significant contributions to education and community development in Gambian society.
In her welcome remarks, Mrs. Hannah Harding, Principal of the Gambia Methodist Academy, expressed deep gratitude to the Association for choosing to celebrate its milestone anniversary with the school community in such a meaningful way.
“This gesture shows that the Association’s commitment goes beyond the church to the lives of students and the wider society,” she said.
Dr. Aubee, speaking at the ceremony, emphasised that the initiative aims to embed environmental consciousness within Methodist schools across the country.
“Our objective is to promote environmental management across all Methodist Academy schools. These donated cleaning and farming materials will not only support sustainability efforts but also instill a culture of responsibility in our students,” he noted.
The National Environmental Agency Executive Director Dawda Badjie, hailed the initiative as a model of community-led action that supports national environmental goals.
“It is the duty of all of us to safeguard the environment,” Badjie said, urging other institutions and communities to emulate the example set by the GMLA.
For his part, Bishop Bannie Manga officially launched the environmental project, commending the Association for aligning their anniversary celebrations with stewardship of the earth.
He highlighted the Methodist Church’s ongoing efforts in environmental protection, revealing that “over 250,000 trees have already been planted nationwide” with commitments from community members to sustain the initiative.
As part of the day’s program, the Banjul Declaration Portrait was formally presented to Bishop Manga, symbolising the church’s renewed dedication to environmental advocacy.
The event concluded with the symbolic handover of the donated materials to Principal Harding, followed by a lively tree-planting exercise led by dignitaries, students, and Association members.
