Every year for the past twelve years, a team of Sixth Formers from Withington have taken trips to The Gambia in order to develop small-scale education projects and community based initiatives out there. This year, we propose to continue funding some improvements to one of our primary schools – Mama Tamba Nursery School located in Illiassa on the North bank of the river. The projects we intend to carry out include building an additional classroom, continuing our sponsorship of teachers’ salaries and maintaining a feeding program for the children who attend the school. We have already this year sent out over £2000 to Mama Tamba to fund the electricity installation, repairs to the school office ceiling and the roofing and tiling of the toilet block.

Over the years, the Gambia Project has proven itself to be of immense value, not only to the people and children of Illiassa, but also to the girls and teachers who have made the journey and experienced the Gambian culture. Since the trips begin in 2004, approximately one hundred and fifty Withington girls have been involved in many aspects of Gambian school and village life including the financing of the nursery school, two adult literacy centres, a poultry farm, a well, fencing and farming projects, a new computer centre and equipment for a medical centre. In country our teams paint walls and fences, plant banana trees and teach nursery aged children.

As always, this year the Gambia Team have been engaging in a program of activity to continue raising the funds we need for the projects. This activity includes cake sales, bag packs, coffee mornings and sponsored events of every description. To stand a realistic chance of hitting this year’s target of £6,000, though, is going to require donations from our supporters. If you are in a position to give, any amount will be gratefully received. A small donation from you can help create a safe educational environment for children who deserve to build their future. 

Please be assured that anything you do give will go directly to the project – it doesn’t go towards travel costs, as the girls are funding their flights themselves. You may also be interested to know that, as a registered charity, any donations to the Gambia project will qualify for tax relief if donated through Gift Aid.

Financial donations can made directly through our Support Us page, where a Gift Aid declaration form can also be downloaded. Our registered With Gambia charity number is 1109460. Alternatively, a financial donation can be made by sending a cheque made payable to Withington Girls’ School via our supervising teacher Miss K Browning at the school address.

To see how the funds have been, and continue to be, put to good use, read some of the expedition reports on our website.