The Challenge.
The Gambia is a country of young people.
More than half the 2.6 million Gambians are children 17 years or younger. Only 4:10 can read and write.
Attending school is not compulsory, and just one child out of ten completes primary school.
Before completion of The Eva Memorial Learning Center, students had to walk 3 miles to and from school in temperatures over a 100 degrees. Our hope is the tutoring sessions will help keep the children of the community in school.
Our Solution:
Eva Memorial Learning Center
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2023
A new two-room Kids’ Learning Center is built and student’s desks made, thanks to generous support from a donor.
Meat birds are sold during Ramadan and the revenue earned helps to cover salaries for two teachers – math and English – tutoring 30+ children.
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2024
Shelburne Farms donates computer to the kid’s learning center
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2025
Currently 45 students attend tutoring at the learning center. The center offers tutoring in the morning and afternoon 5 days a week. Thanks to donations we were able to buy age-appropriate workbooks for all the students at EVA’s.
Future Plans.
Currently, the Eva Memorial Kid’s Learning Center is at capacity. With continued support from amazing donors we would be able to expand the tutoring program from more students in the local community. As well as, have funding for the tutors, books, and more technology for the center.
The Gambia ranks 174 out of 191 in the Human Development Index (2022.) This is very low. The VGGP will continue to work with strategic partners to reverse this trend aligned with the national goal of increasing primary school education. VGGP gardens will provide food for the school feeding program. Poverty reduction activities prioritize those with the greatest high potential to be sustained by the local community. Investments in women-owned businesses continue, as do improvements to the garden including a Kiva & storage shed ($10K). Plans are drawn for several small units to house program partners and volunteers.