Our first project of the 2024/25 season is to help Kerr Ndongo school in the rural area of The Gambia. The head teacher, Mr Jaw, was posted here from one of the schools which the charity built and found it in need of repair. The ridge tiles on the classroom blocks had blown off, the kitchen roof was long gone, rats were living under the classroom floors and three teachers were sleeping on the floor in one of the offices.
Thanks to the amaxing efforts of Anne & Steve Worsman and their team holding fund raising events in Silsden during 2024 we have been able to commit to a project to put all these issues right. So on 14th November 2024 we visited the school and were given a patch of land next to the school by the village chief (Alkelo) where the teachers quarters could be built. The villagers were so happy that we had agreed to help their school that by the time our Trustees on the grouind in The Gambia had driven home (4 hours) they had cleared the land ready for work to start! Block making started the following week, all 2000 of them being made by hand!
By week two, the foundations had been dug for the new teachers quarters and toilets. There will be one room for the head teacher and two twin rooms for the teachers. A shower room will be added to the toilet block.
Building continued at a rapid pace throughout the following weeks and by mid January 2025 everything was completed.
The new building was officially opened in February 2025 amid much celebrating and dancing and it was great to have Anne & Steve in attendance. The new teachers block was named the "Silsden Quarters" in thanks to all the residents of Silsden who contributed to make this project possible.
