Casa-Gambia, a group of youth and friends abroad committed to the development of the Gambian people, in collaboration with Aries Production and Stars Shine for Everyone, last Monday donated an SSVI Telescope to Brufut Lower Basic School.
The event was attended by the Alkalo of Brufut, elders of Bulunda, chairman – Village Development Committee, proprietor – Aries Production, friends from the Netherlands, natives and residents of Brufut including teachers and students of Brufut Lower Basic School.
SSVI Telescope is the project of the Observatory Armand Pien (University of Gent, Belgium), and the project has received international recognition from the International Astronomy Union (AIU), which has donated telescopes to over 40 different countries already.
The purpose of the Brufut donation is to help introduce Gambian children and young people to astronomy, and be inspired by the wonders in the sky like the moon, sun, planets and stars.
According to Ebrima Jatta, chairman – Casa-Gambia, having telescope within our curriculums is a way of acquiring knowledgeand making journey through time.
“With telescope young people and children can see many stars than with a naked eye.”
Ebrima also highlighted the importance of Science in our schools.
“Public policy decisions that affect every aspect of our lives are based in scientific evidence, and of course, the immensely complex natural world that surrounds us illustrates infinite scientific concepts.
As children grow up in increasingly technologically and scientifically advanced world, they need to be scientifically literate to succeed.
Ideally, teaching the scientific methods to students is teaching them how to think, learn, solve problems and make informed deductions.
These skills are integral to every aspect of students’ education and life, from school to cater,” he explained.
Mabula Haverkamp, proprietor – Aries Production, said a telescope in the school is a way to marvel at the “beautiful nature above us.
“… The starry sky is nature, which is there for all people on earth.”
Brufut Lower Basic School has undergone some major refurbishments, all of which was sponsored by Casa-Gambia with the support of their local and international partners.
This telescope project was initiated as part of their commitment towards national development.
Casa-Gambia said the donation has helped its efforts towards realising its vision in the most sustainable manner, with relentless focus on strategic and sound fundamentals.
“At Casa-Gambia, we believe that what defines and differentiates us is our approach to building genuine strategic partnership with communities in our bid to develop a sustainable future in various areas such as education.
“Africa faces a continuing challenge of addressing critical skills shortages in the education sector, therefore, there is a real need to ensure there is always a pipeline of highly qualified, experienced and skilled young people for the continued development of the sector.
“Our foundation is committed to finding practical solutions to such challenges by creating and supporting our community and beyond in various sectors.
Today we have manifested that in the education sector through this donation and more to come. This approach will ensure that our nation’s youth have access to perpetual opportunities to develop their skills and become key contributors to the future success of themselves, Brufut and The Gambia,” the organisation said in a write-up shared with The Standard.
