School Books Author Dembo Fanta Bojang Dies

Alhaji Dembo Fanta Bojang, a celebrated Gambian educationist and author, passed away yesterday. He was in his 70s.

A native of Brikama, he was widely known as an influential writer of school textbooks and folk literature.

He is best remembered for the popular “Dembo Fanta books” that prepared generations of pupils for the Common Entrance Examinations through Quantitative and Verbal Aptitude tests and exercises.

He co-authored the widely used textbooks ‘Folk Tales and Fables from The Gambia’, which have shaped the moral and cultural education of Gambian students for decades.

A graduate of Skidmore College and Roosevelt University in the United States, Dembo devoted more than 40 years to education and writing. His works include dozens of textbooks and folk tales that preserve Gambian culture and values. Among his well-known stories are “The Cow, Hyena, Lion and Hare Share a Home,” “Hyena and Hare Go in Search of Food,” and “Cat’s Pilgrimage to Mecca.”

Alkamba Times