The School for the Blind

At Kanifing, just outside the main town of Serrekunda, Gambia's largest town, a purpose built school for the blind has been built. Until the building of the new school, GOVI's school for the blind and visually impaired consisted of two classrooms and a head teacher's office. This was situated beside the Campama School, Banjul. Conditions at the old school were woefully inadequate, with a leaking roof and very little equipment, but the drive and commitment of the staff and the enthusiasm of the children were wonderful.

It was during a visit to the old school that Phillip and Joan Feller received a plea from the Head Teacher for help. After returning to the UK and making many telephone calls the were able to return to the Gambia with David Pointon, a professional in the needs of the visually impaired, now a fellow Trustee. The Friends of GOVI was inaugurated and officially registered as a UK Charity in 1998. At this time GOVI had received a large plot of land at Kanifing and dreamed of building a school for the visually impaired children of The Gambia, but owing to lack of funds no progress could be made. The Friends of GOVI took over the raising of funds and with the support of The Lions, Rotarians, Church Groups, wonderful ongoing fundraising by Fairway First School, Eaton, Norwich, large donations from Muslim Aid UK and help from many individuals the school was completed. It was officially opened by her Excellency AJA Isatou Njie, the Vice President of The Gambia on December 3rd 2002.

The School is the only school for the blind in Gambia. It caters for up to 100 blind and visually impaired children and includes five classrooms, a teachers office, toilets and washing facilities, a large dining hall, a kitchen and night watchman's house. A generator has also been installed to supplement the erratic supply of electricity, and this has benefitted the school tremendously, since the hall can now be rented out almost continuously after hours and at weekends.

Education in the Gambia

Schools in The Gambia rely on the efforts of their teachers not just to teach, but also to raise money for building materials, wages and everything else a school needs. Some do better than others, but none do well. Some have desks and chairs but most have benches; most have a board of some sort on the wall but some have nothing; some have toilets for the children but others just have holes in the ground. The quality and facilities depends on the luck that the school has had with sponsorship and that often depends on the enterprise of the head and their staff.

Education in The Gambia is not free. Costs include basics we take for granted in the UK such as school uniform, school shoes, a bag, books and pencils. However, fees, uniform, equipment and midday meals may be provided free if the school is sponsored by Gambian businesses, tourist organisations or charities. The Gambian Government and its partner agencies (such as the United Nations World Food Programme) run schemes focusing on particular areas of concern, for example providing school meals in ‘food insecure’ areas and sponsoring secondary school fees for girls.

Gambian children start school between the ages of 4 or 5 and attend Primary School (Lower Basic). Most parents do their best to send their children to all 6 years of primary school. All schooling (except in Islamic schools) is carried out in English. In primary classes children learn their numbers, how to count, learn the days of the week the months of the year. Towards the last years of primary most of the children can read and write. The year is arranged in three terms. At the age of about 11 Junior School (Upper Basic) starts, but because of costs some never go on to junior school. From the age of 13/14, families that can afford it (less than 50%) send their children for the three final years of Junior Secondary School ending in exams where children get the equivalent of ‘O’ levels or GCSE.