Our Mission
BY FINDING SPONSORS FOR CHILDREN WHO CANNOT AFFORD SCHOOL FEES AND DONATIONS WE aim TO PROVIDE ONGOING SUPPORT FOR FURTHER GROWTH OF THE SCHOOL, EXTRA CLASSES AND MEDICAL CARE.
SINCE SUCCEEDING IN OUR ORIGINAL MISSION OF RAISING £10,000 TO GIVE ERENJANG THE RENOVATION IT DESPERATELY NEEDED, WE NOW FOCUS OUR ATTENTION ON SUPPORTING ITS CHILDREN AND MAINTAINING THE SCHOOL TO ENSURE IT CONTINUES TO BE A SAFE, NURTURING AND ENJOYABLE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT, ENSURING THE CHILDREN RECEIVE THE BEST EDUCATION POSSIBLE.
To find out more about sponsoring a child at Erenjang please visit our Sponsor A Child page
Why is sponsoring so important? For the majority of children in Kotu, nursery or school is their only opportunity to live a normal life.
Sadly, due to circumstances such as an extremely low family income, the death of parents and many brothers and sisters to pay for, not all children can afford to pay their education fees.
Out of education the reality of day-to-day life is tough. Gambia is one of Africa’s smallest and poorest nations, ranking 168th out of 187 countries in the UN. Children are often raised in the care of their not much older brothers and sisters and are required to help the family with tasks like cooking, cleaning or working on family stalls from a very young age.
School is their chance of a good start in life. It provides a place where they can learn, play, create, explore, grow and be children. Education sets the foundation for a hopeful and brighter future for the poverty stricken children of Kotu.
Since raising the funds needed, local workmen have been employed to fix all issues at Erenjang. Below lists the changes which will be made to make Erenjang the best possible place
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A new nursery toilet to be installed.
The septic tank is too small to keep up with waste, causing a serious health risk to children and teachers. A new larger tank is desperately needed. -
The nursery roof will be extended.
During the rainy season, water leaks into classroom windows and doors. To prevent leaking, teachers have no choice but to close the shutter windows and doors, meaning children have to work in darkness. -
Rebuilding shelter from the sun.
The outdoor shelter, which provides important protection from the overbearing mid-day sun, is in need of rebuilding. The current shelter is unsafe and filled with holes and nails, which causes serious danger to children playing nearby. -
A new school floor.
The classroom floors are broken and uneven causing potential harm to the children. A new floor will mean even working surfaces and no trip hazards.
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Electricity to be installed for the first time.
Erejang’s only source of electricity is pulled from the nearby building. Adding an electricity cash meter will bring light and power to the nursery. This opens up the possibilities of learning through DVDs or other electronic devices. -
Outdoor drainage system built to avoid flooding
The playground has been known to flood during the rainy season. By raising one side of the playground, water will be able to drain away from the school. -
All teachers to receive proper training and qualifications
Erenjang is home to 3 teachers. Only 2 are qualified to teach. The fees to put them through the correct training is unaffordable for the teachers themselves. Funding raised can cover all education and travel costs required to cover the two teachers. -
All classrooms to be repainted
Repainting of all classrooms will add the final touches in bringing a brighter learning environment to all classrooms.
