For the inhabitants of Brikama Gidda, the opening of a school like the Marang Beyai Memorial Kindergarten has ignited a spark of hope for parents who have longed for quality education for their children. The project for the school was first launched on 1st April, 2012 and opened on the 4th of November 2014. It has been in operation for less than two years now and yet during this short period of time, it has strived to provide quality education and a conducive environment for its pupils. Their mission statement- “Education and Care For the young. Providing quality education and a Centre For Excellence.” The Marang Beyai Memorial Kindergarten was launched by The Gambia Volunteer Trust (GVT) – a registered international development organization, whose mission statement is: “To serve the causes of peaceful development by enhancing opportunities for participation and promotion of volunteer work: to include and embrace volunteer action in all it diversity. To value free will: commitment, engagement and solidarity which are the foundations of volunteerism” Roy Sanyang, the founder of the charity, recognised the need for adequate nursery schools, health centres, hospitals, sports and academies and community projects in The Gambia. So in 2009, he came up with the idea of a trust fund wherein youths and tourists coming to The Gambia could be put to use by volunteering in community projects. His aim was not only focused on building nursery schools but also enhancing the productivity and quality of existing nursery schools by providing them with the necessary school utilities and conducive environments for proper education to take place. For the past seven years in which the Gambia Volunteer trust has been in operation, they have been able to accomplish numerous projects of which The Marang Beyai Memorial Kindergarten is a part of. With the help of compatriot volunteers and volunteers from overseas, they were able to refurbish a nursery school, provide numerous education materials as well as provide skilled volunteers for schools. In addition, they have provided volunteers for hospitals and health centres across the Gambia and put together an annual marathon run in which winners would be sponsored to run in overseas marathons; namely the Sierra Leone Marathon, Sheffield, Leeds, Glasgow and Manchester in the United Kingdom. Volunteerism is no doubt integral to every society and is an honourable act that requires great sacrifice and commitment. The absence of committed volunteers has been the main hurdle for The Gambia Volunteer Trust. For this Trust fund to operate efficiently, committed volunteers are needed to foot the cost of transportation, feeding and expenses. The Marang Beyai Memorial Nursery School currently has only two classrooms as the third classroom needs sponsors to complete the concrete flooring, painting and decorating. Volunteers are also needed to teach at the school and funds are needed to pay the wages of the local teachers. These children are also in need of learning materials such as writing pads, crayons, pencils and other basic amenities such as a good and convenient source of water and food. Toys and extracurricular activities, an integral part of early childhood education, are also needed at the school. Any donations made to the Gambia Volunteer Trust as at now, would go towards the Marang Beyai Memorial Kindergarten and the funding of athletes due to travel overseas. The funds would also allow scholarship for children whose parents cannot afford the cost of education. Teachers in schools, colleges and universities can help with fundraising by using the following steps: ⦁ Link your school with theirs and fundraise at your school ⦁ Take a group of student volunteers from your school to visit the nursery and help out ⦁ Set up an online fundraising page to help the nursery project

Anyone interested in volunteering or donating funds to this course can contact the trust by: Telephone: (Tel: 00220 -9057014) Email: enquiries@gambiavolunteers.org