The families of Gunjur are living in difficult conditions. Poverty is the norm and life can be hard. UNICEF states that even in the richest families only 4.3% of children have a book of their own and 17.7% of children are still left in inadequate care conditions daily whilst their parents work to make a living. With child labour still prevalent in the country, many children have very little consistent education and therefore their paths out of poverty are severely restricted.

 

Global research which focuses on the long-term effects of quality early learning consistently highlights the fact that under 5 years of age is when very young children are in their prime, most receptive to cognitive growth and learning. Project Gambia aims to target these impressionable early years by supporting the families in Gunjur and the surrounding areas to create and support Preschools for children aged 3- 6 years.

 

These classes actively welcome the integration of children aged 3- 6 years with disabilities and additional learning needs. Special needs integration is still fairly new in Preschool provision in The Gambia and we are committed to continuing to encourage this inclusive approach to prevent further alienation and social exclusion.

 

Collectively, Project Gambia's Trustees and supporters have professional experience of early education, charity work, project planning, health and cultural awareness and all of this complements our aims. We work hard to inform interested parties of the challenges that growing up in Africa can present and the importance of a relevant quality education that provides lifelong opportunities.

 

The ultimate aim of the charity is to contribute to creating and helping to sustain a cluster of quality Preschool provision in the village of Gunjur and its surrounding areas. This will benefit the children and their families, the communities in their endeavor to educate the young and to instill a sense of love for learning, increase employment and training prospects and further the positive influence of key health education messages. What we're not trying to do, is to create a 'British version of Preschools' in Gunjur; the curriculum was written by the Gambian Teachers and celebrates their culture, traditions and diversity.

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We currently support the curriculum delivery in 6 Preschools in and around Gunjur, with over 700 3-6year olds in Preschool on a daily basis. All of the Preschools are full and have waiting lists which positively tells us something! We listened to that message and the construction of a 7th Preschool is currently underway.

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Supporting the curriculum delivery means that we help out by contributing to the developmentally appropriate teaching resources that are needed for the children to learn such as books, toys, equipment, classroom furniture, outdoor play equipment and other aligned resources and trips. We also sustain the quality of their curriculum delivery by sponsoring early years teacher training at The Gambia College and by running professional training updates with the Teachers during our regular visits to Gunjur.

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We also meet with health team professionals and work with them to help provide treated malaria nets for families to sleep under, neem mosquito repellent cream, puppet and radio shows which spread awareness of malaria and village clean up days.

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Project Gambia also supports the salaries in some of the Preschools in order for them to be sustainable.

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Take a look below at the Preschools in our quality cluster and the location of our work........

 

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