By Lamin Cham
A standard modern lower basic school was Monday inaugurated in Aljamdu village by the Minister of Information Lamin Queen Jammeh, representing President Adama Barrow.
The six-classroom building, accommodating 215 grades 1-6 pupils, is fitted with celling fans, floor tiles, flush toilets, furniture, solar-powered panels and a borehole.
The school, which is also connected to the Nawec national grid, is the first in the village, ending decades of pupils from the village trekking to Sita-Nunku school.
The school is funded by the Football Unlimited Foundation Netherlands (Fun Foundation) and implemented by the local charity Action for Youth Africa.
In his inauguration speech, Minister Jammeh, himself a native of the area, said the project complemented government’s development policy on education and commended the two charities for a job well done, while assuring them of government’s opened doors to them.
The founder and secretary of Action for Youth Africa, Musa Saidy, himself a native of Aljamdu, said the project is a dream come true for him and the community. He thanked the Fun Foundation, represented by its president Ron Bruower and secretary Irene De Jong, and through them all the group and individual donors to the project. He mentioned Ramon Brouwer 123Makelaar, Ronald van Teeffelen Lebo Vastgoed, Ron Brouwer Chairman Fun Foundation and others for their generous work for the charity. Saidy said the next stage of the project would be staff quarters for the school and a health center for the village.
The regional education director Region 3, Lamin FM Jaiteh, said the Aljamdu school project is uniquely successful and a delight for his institution.
”You have delivered what you told us when we were signing the MoU,” he told the two charity organizations.
Headmaster Baboucarr Sowe said the qualitative nature of the school as an excellent environment for learning makes him the proudest headmaster in the country. Other speakers included Alkalo Mo Ida Bah of Pakau Njogou representing the akalolu in the area.
The school, which is situated in a 700m x 700 fenced compound, has been provided with free hot meal service by the donors and to promote sports in the school, the donors provided 50 balls and 14 set of jerseys.
