SUCCESS STORIES

HOW HELPING CREATES SUCCESS STORIES AND CHANGES LIVES

HELPING supporters already know that the education system in Gambia is very different to that of the UK.  Education is not free and therefore beyond the means of the poorest families.  Many families can only afford to send one of their children to school and have to make a decision about which child has that privilege.  If a family falls on hard times, their child may well have to leave school because the fees are unaffordable.  This situation may last for several years before the family has the resources to send their child back to school to continue their education where they left off.  Other families may be unable to send a child to school at what we would consider the 'usual' age.  They often have to wait until their finances improve, so a student may not begin their education until they are much older, possibly in their teens or twenties.

In addition, teaching is done in English although a child may find themselves returning home at the end of the school day to a family where nobody else speaks the language!  Imagine how much harder it is to learn in a second language.  Imagine trying to study when there is nobody at home who can help with your homework.  

UK visitors met some of the young people whose lives have been changed by educational sponsorship

In the UK, children progress through the school year groups regardless of the amount of progress they have made during the academic year.  This is not the case in Gambia - progression depends on achievement.  A child may have to repeat the same year of learning more than once until they reach the accepted standard.

For all these reasons, it is normal to find students of very different ages studying together in the same classroom.  It may take many more years to complete their schooling, compared with the UK. 

However, education is so valued in Gambia that, given the chance, young people will wait as long as necessary for the chance to begin, continue or complete their schooling.

In the next few Posts, we will be highlighting some of the success stories which HELPING has had a hand in.  Thanks to sponsors who paid students' school fees, we are now seeing successful young people who have been sponsored through HELPING and are working in well paid professional roles.  These young people are finding themselves in a position to support their families and pay for their siblings to be educated too.