By Aminata S Kuyateh
In a heartwarming tribute to the late Robert Jarjue, Mary’s Little Lamb Nursery school, in partnership with Swim For Life the Gambia over the weekend celebrated the achievements of 50 swimmers.
This momentous event marked the successful completion of 16 days swimming training program for children aged 9-16, underscoring the enduring impact of Jarjue’s dedication to education and sports activities.
The ceremony, held at Joint Officer’s Mess in Kotu, brought together families, community leaders, a representative from the MoBSE, students and volunteers to honor the young swimmers. Robert Jarjue, whose memory remains beacon of inspiration, was a beloved figure in the Gambian community known for his unwavering commitment to his fellow children’s education among other things. His legacy lives on through initiatives like this, which continue to empower and nurture the children.
Over the 16 days of training, the children have not only learned to swim but also gained crucial water safety skills. The intensive program covered various aspects of swimming, from basic techniques to advanced strokes, ensuring that each participant gained confidence and competence in the water.
The trainers, a mix of local and international expert, were impressed by the enthusiasm and progress of the young swimmers.
Speaking at the event, the head teacher of the school, Lisong Alison Bah Nee Chapman, expressed pride in the students’ achievements. “Our objective for this initiative is to advocate for swimming lessons to be part of the extracurricular activities in schools, not only swimming lessons but also water safety because the Gambia is covered by water. This is to prevent and limit the incidents of drowning and to save the lives of our children,” she stressed.
Sang Mendy, a representative from Swim For Life the Gambia, highlighted the importance of the initiative. “Such initiatives must be sustained and emulated so that we can tackle drowning-related deaths,” Mendy stressed.
Mendy urged the government to introduce swimming in school curriculum because most
drown-related cases in the Gambia are mostly children.
Mendy added that the schools should invest in swimming pools and incorporate swimming in their physical education activities. Equally, he urged the local councils to build public pools to combat drown-related cases.
Alasan Sey from MoBSE underscored the importance of the initiative as timely and urged the organisers to extend it to other schools across the country.
