By Samsideen Ceesay
The Iceland Friendship Association- the Gambia (IFAG) has spent at least D1, 543, 779.00 in the Gambia’s education sector since its founding in the country in 2014 to date, Coordinator Fabakary Kalleh reveals.
The charitable organisation according to Mr kalleh, did this through supporting education, child protection, women empowerment and community development.
The association has also supported the education of 104 Gambian students ranging from Upper Basic to Senior Schools, tertiary and university levels.
“The project seeks to provide financial and material support to needy children in North Bank Region in order to contribute to the attainment of universal access to relevant and quality education in a bit to fulfill Goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals and the conditional provision of the Gambia i.e. making Basic Education compulsory, free and accessible to all,” Mr Kalleh said.
“The specific objective of the project is to support about a 100 needy students with financial aid in their educational pursuit; to contribute towards the improvement of the nutritional standards of the identified needy students as well as to contribute to the Universal access to relevant and quality education.”
Saying what IFAG accomplished so far is the tip of the iceberg, Mr Kalleh said the association is currently sitting on D175, 000 and that it is their intention to spend it all towards attaining relevant and quality education before the end of the academic year.
He thanked the board members of the association for taking time to come to the Gambia to see how far the association has gone with the project.
Chairman Omar Kristmundsson of the Gambia chapter, said the purpose of his visit together with his wife to The Gambia, was to gather information on the association’s operation and discuss next steps.
Chairman Kristmundsson said the initiative is on track, saying they have even exceeded expectations.
“It is well run,” a pleased Kristmundsson added.
He said they have conducted visits to the many beneficiaries and were quite impressed.
Arndis Jonsdottir, a board member, called for wise use of funds of the association.
Adama Thorp, a first-year University student and a program beneficiary said everything regarding to her education has been working fine.
She thanked the bringers, saying the project has transformed her life in “a very positive way”.
She said without the project, she would not have been able to atttend the university.
“I am working towards achieving my dream now,” Ms Thorp happily said
