SchoolForAll started in 2001 as a school sponsorship program, enabling sponsors in the UK to support students in The Gambia through their education. We began helping students at Lower Basic School level, and later were able to add students at Upper Basic and Secondary School level. We now concentrate our efforts on students at these higher levels, where the fees are much more.
We aim to work in partnership with the families of our sponsor students, so that they too play a part in providing education for their children. Typically this involves the families providing uniform and basic stationery items, while we supply their school fees, book rental and examination fees. We have found that if the parents are expected to be involved to some extent, it means that they will 'own' it, rather than just feel they are helpless and don't have any hands-on involvement in their children's education.
English is the official language of The Gambia, so education is in English. However, children grow up speaking the language of their people group, so when they start school they have to read and write in a totally new language. Often there are not enough books to go round, which makes this even harder. One of the ways we have been able to help the schools in Sabi is through the provision of libraries, giving children access to much-needed reading material.
Another area which we would like to be involved in is Higher Education. University and College fees here in The Gambia are beyond almost all of our students (the cost of a year's tuition is usually in the region of several hundred pounds), so if they reach Grade 12 and then want to pursue their education further it is usually impossible for them. We have been able to help in a small way with Ebrima Bojang, Musa Jallow and Fatu Sowe but we would really like to be able to do more. If you would like to sponsor a student through university, let us know!
Read the story of Ebrima Bojang, who shares the difficulties he faced in going through school, and the desire he has to help today's students in the same predicament »