Education

In 2014 we have launched a new project: the construction of new school buildings on the island Jinack.

Below is a short description of our activities on the island so far:

The island of Jinack is situated in the delta of the Gambia River and has approximately 2000 inhabitants, who until recently only had access to very limited healthcare and education facilities. 

2BaB Foundation was founded in 2006 with the primary goal to improve health care on the island. We have started many activities but also receive a lot of cooperation from governmental bodies who we were able to convince to contribute to our project. By our constant presence, friendly requests and, when necessary, polite insistence, we have been able to gather the additional support to make our projects successful. 

In 2008 Jinack got a bush ambulance at their disposal. Then, at the request of our sister organization, the woman’s association Kutejumbulu, we built a health clinic (with 10 beds) on the island in the summer of 2009. The clinic is running successfully without any concerns. In 2010, we started a farm project with 15 hectares of land. We support the women on the island in growing onions. Furthermore, we supplied public bathrooms to improve the quality of the water. Last year, the first (new) closed well was sunk.

We have improved the road that leads from the highway to the island: sand was replaced by gravel. Our “own” general practitioner has been in training on the local faculty of medicine for 5 years now. We have been offering work in administration, the clinic, ambulance transportation and on the farm, as well as during construction activities, when possible all fulfilled by inhabitants of Jinack.

Furthermore, we successfully negotiated with the government about the shortage of teachers on the island and by now eleven teachers are employed, so that by now 364 pupils receive good education. A new building to house the teachers was built in 2013. 

Three new teacher were recently employed and the Full Basic Cycle of education is now a fact. After six years of Lower Basic education, the first crop of pupils will enrol in groups 7 to 9 of Upper Basis Education that were added. 

They will complete a minimum of nine years of education, which is quite an improvement compared to the scarce education that was offered in the past. And nearly all of the girls on the island now go to school, which unfortunately is not common in Africa!

What next?

Know the time has come to build decent school buildings and create more space. Unfortunately, one of the two existing buildings that is used can hardly be called a building. Also, the classrooms are used in double shifts because of the large number of pupils in the school. Nonetheless, “our” school was judged the best of the district and ranked third best of the entire province of Kerewan during a recent quality inspection!

We have come to a special agreement with the government. They have begun the construction of a building with three classrooms. In return, we will build a five classroom building. Moreover, our foundation and the government will each provide a six cubicle toilet block and the government will add a teachers room.

We estimate that the required budget will be € 62,500. If our fund raising is successful, we will also reserve money to buy school furniture and material.

We are now asking for your financial contribution to realize these plans. It is also important to know that Wild Geese Foundation has committed itself to supplement € 0,55 for every Euro we raise. Which gives even more security to our project, given that the government has already initiated the construction of the school building!

The project number of Wild Geese Foundation is: 2014.0192, the activity number is 2014.418

Also, I am willing to inform you personally about the project. I sincerely hope that you will (again) support our project.

Your contribution to this project, mentioning the above project and activity numbers, can be deposited on account nr. NL53INGB00000 40 000 in the name of Wild Geese Foundation, Hilversum.

Of course, you can also deposit your contribution on the account of our foundation, 

Account nr. NL24FVLB0260.453.315 in the name of Stichting 2BaB Foundation, Naarden.

 

This project is (and was) carried out with the cooperation of the National Commission for International Cooperation and Sustainable Development; The NCDO, Wilde Ganzen, ASN Foundation and many other foundations, businesses, organizations and individuals.