By Omar Bah
The Jarra UK-based association Friday held a consultation workshop with chiefs, head masters and community heads in Jarra at the education directorate in Mansakonko to outline their plans to upgrade the teaching of science in schools in the area.
The association was formed few years ago by natives of Jarra residing in the United Kingdom to collectively respond to the needs of their communities in UK and back home.
According to the organizers, the project which is expected to concentrate on education, with a special target of equipping science labs in all the senior schools in Jarra to cope the migration of students into the Kombos.
In his opening remarks, a co-founder of the UK Jarra Association Mustapha Sanneh said stakeholders meeting was purposely organised to orient the association’s ideas to the communities and stakeholders.
“We have also used the opportunity to discuss with the community on how best we can together mobilize our efforts in ensuring that we provide a high standard teaching science lab in our schools,” he said.
He said the association will ensure at all means to provide all the senior schools in the area with science labs. “This move is geared towards ensuring that our children stay in the district if they finish their grade 9,” said.
Mr. Sanneh further stressed that the project which will commence its operation with schools in Soma, Pakaliba and Jarra Darsilami will contribute immensely in helping the schools upgrade their teachings, especially in the areas of science and technology.
The UK-based Gambian further stressed that the association has been intervening in many areas over the years in the district including the health sector.
He said: “But now we have come to conclusion that educating our children with the best of education is the only solution to a long term problem. We will also give scholarships to some deserving students with the aim of nurturing doctorates in the district which will eventually mean ending poverty”.
The association’s country chairperson, Ansumana Kinteh said the association has over the years invested a lot of resources in the development of the district which includes sponsoring the maternal wards of all health centres in the area.
“This latest project is triggered by the fact that the district is losing a lot of its good students to the Kombos, due to the lack of quality learning materials in our schools. We want to make a stop to this, and ensure that we achieve what Nusrat and other great schools are achieving in their exams,” he added.
Meanwhile, the vice president of the association Momodou Drammeh said the association which has its headquarters in Reading is expanding to the US and other countries with greater ambitions to invest more in the district and Gambia in general.
The chief of Jarra West, Yayha Jarjusey, SMC chair Soma Upper and Senior Lamin Kanteh, Musa Suso director region 4 all welcome the initiative and as well extolled the initiators for what they called a laudable gesture that will help build the capacities of schools in the district.
