We have had another great trip to The Gambia, returning yesterday. A lot has been happening, and we included visits to Toniataba, Fonkoi Kunda, Badumeh Kuti and Sikunda Schools. We had two meetings with the Commissioner of the Lower River Division, spent time in the Sikunda village hall, sewing room and library, a brief visit to Soma Hospital and met up with many of our sponsored students which was one of the main focus of this trip, and found time on the last day to be interviewed on Gambia West Coast Radio along with two of our high achieving students Fatou Jammeh and Lamin Njie. We would liked to have had the time to do more, and include a school in Soma where we sent supplies last year and the local Red Cross, but that will have to be next time now. However, the main tasks we set out to do were achieved and each time we go we review what we are doing, what needs to be done, and each time somehow things always fall into place. We have learnt and experienced so much over the years, and every time I go there is something new. If anything, this trip has renewed my enthusiasm, and that is down to the current and past students I met this time who have achieved so much, and without their sponsors they would probably not be who they are now. So a very huge thank you to all of you who contribute to help these students realise their ambitions.
There is inevitably some who don't reach their potential for a variety of reasons, as is the same in any country, but for the ones who do then it makes us very proud of them. And certainly education is not wasted even on those that maybe don't make use of it straight away, they often see the need for it when they have children of their own, so will then encourage their children to learn. So if anyone reading this would like to sponsor or help at all, please contact me or anyone listed on our contacts page, a contribution no matter how small really does make a difference!

This picture is of Omar, he is 10 years old, and is doing extremely well at school, he is now a school monitor (which is like a school prefect in UK). He is given quite a lot of responsibility and takes his role very seriously. He is a fun loving boy whom we have known since he was born, he realises how important his education is to him, and his family are very supportive to ensure he makes full use of it.