Fourteen Withington pupils have launched a fundraising effort in the hope of being able to take part in a charitable trip of a lifetime to The Gambia this Christmas. They are attempting to reach a target of £8,000 and all the money raised will go towards updating and equipping a nursery school in the district of Illiassa on the North Bank, called ‘Mama Tamba Nursery School’.

The 2020 group are working on the assumption that the trip will be possible, but even if it isn’t they still want to ensure the support that has been provided to the nursery school for over 15 years can continue uninterrupted. Information from last year’s trip can be viewed here.

Here is the appeal in the girls’ own words:

In 2020 we propose to continue funding some improvements to the nursery school and associated multipurpose hall, which include tiling the hall floor and purchasing essential furniture and kitchen equipment. We want to build a perimeter fence around the hall and buy a projector and screen for the school and community to use. We would like to continue our support and sponsorship of teachers at the nursery school and provide much-needed stationery as well as continue to develop a feeding scheme to ensure the children have enough to eat during the school day.

The link for the GoFundMe page is: https://www.gofundme.com/f/fundraiser-to-the-gambia

The current lockdown is presenting some challenges to our fundraising efforts, so we have had to be a little bit creative in our initiatives, ensuring we keep within current government guidelines!

Therefore, as a group, we plan to spend 9,234 minutes exercising over a two-week period between 6^th and 20^th May. With two members of staff and 14 girls participating, this would equate to 577 minutes each! Any form of exercise in any combination will be allowed, for example yoga, jogging, skipping, cycling etc.

Why 9,234 minutes you may be asking yourselves? Well, The Gambia is located at 4,617 km from the UK and so we decided to exercise for the equivalent in minutes of the return distance.

We are hoping to gain sponsors from our friends, family, and the school community. The Gambia is a low-income country which relies heavily on tourism. In the current crisis, their economy will be severely impacted and educational opportunities for children compromised.

The Gambia Project has proven itself to be of immense value to not only the people and children of Illiassa but to all the girls and teachers who have made the journey over the last fourteen years.

A small donation from you will make a huge difference to the children. We realise these are difficult times, so any donation you felt able to give would be greatly appreciated.

The link for the GoFundMe page is:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/fundraiser-to-the-gambia

Yours sincerely

The Gambia 2020 Team:

Sia, Charlotte, Evelyn, Olivia, Isobel, Jasmine, Arabella, Amelia, Mayo, Niamh, Sofia, Freya, Maryam and Karma.  Staff members: Miss Browning and Miss Bruce