Unlike the UK, children under the age of 7 in The Gambia are not entitled to a free education. Baranku School does not receive any funding from The Gambian government.

According to UNICEF (source) in the community around the school:

• 86% of children live in households with no children’s books
• 40% of children are engaged in child labour
• Half the children who did not attend Primary School marry before the age of 18
• 2 in every 25 girls marry or enter into a union before the age of 15

The UNICEF report showed that an Early Childhood Education (ECE) school like the Baranku School, which caters for 3 to 7 year olds, makes a significant difference to the lives of Gambian children.

• The proportion of 3 and 4 year olds who are developmentally on track is much greater among those attending an ECE than that of those not attending one, by a significant 17%.
• Only 14% of 3 year-olds and 35% of 4 year-olds in The Gambia attend an ECE like Baranku.
• 53% of 3 to 4 year-old children who do not attend a ECE like Baranku are developmentally not on track.

A World Bank report (source) on human capital found that:

• A child born in the Gambia in 2020 will be 40% as productive when he or she grows up as he or she could be if he or she enjoyed complete education and full health. Factoring in what children actually learn, the expected years of school is only 4.8 years.
• 1 in 4 Gambian children are stunted, and so at risk of cognitive and physical limitations that can last a lifetime.

These grim statistics point to the crucial role of schools such as Baranku to ensure the next generation of Gambians are educated so that they can continue to improve the country's economy, health system, employment and infrastructure.

The start that children get between the ages of 3 and 7 at Baranku makes a massive difference as they move through the education system, they are more likely to stay in education for longer.

Whilst some families are able to make a contribution towards the cost of Baranku School, many are not in a position to do this as they are struggling to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table.

One class no longer has a teacher, he left because he needed paid work. The school's two teachers, Christine and Harriet, do a brilliant job moving between their own class and the year group who do not have a teacher, but this isn’t ideal.

The school cannot afford to pay the teachers.  The teachers usually buy items needed to run the school, they buy the toilet paper, chalk, exercise books, pencils etc.

The UK is a very affluent country when compared to The Gambia, many people in the UK want to do something to help others who are not as fortunate as they are, but don't know how to do this. Some are concerned that money can go to a country, but does it make a real difference to people living there? Does it even reach those in need?

You can make a tangible difference by donating to the Baranku School Fundraising Charity. This is a UK-based charity, 100% of donations go directly to the school. The charity is run by volunteers, it doesn't have any overheads as these are all funded by the Trustees.

This charity was set up by Mick and Caroline Tinkler who visited the school whilst exploring The Gambia. They returned to the UK and wanted to do something to help the people of this wonderful country. They spoke further with Christine Mendy who founded the school, having purchased the land and paid for the school to be built. They agreed to carry out fundraising in the UK to help the school, so that the school could concentrate on providing an education for the children in their neighbourhood.

Please help us financially so that together we can help to give the current generation of school children the right start to their education. 

Through access to education at a young age more children will go on to access primary education and then go on to further vocational or academic education, to then go on to bring prosperity to The Gambia. Education at a young age is certainly an essential building block to help bring this wonderful country out of poverty.

Can you play your part by investing whatever you can?