Our Involvement - progress, to date

• We visited Sohm for the first time in 2011, and began assisting the schools the following year, by donating some books and stationery and teaching materials, to both schools. We found sponsors for a dozen local youngsters, to enable them to receive a decent education.
• We began serious fund raising in 2012, and through the generosity of family and friends raised about £5,000 for the schools.
• We arranged the twinning of Sohm Lower Basic school with Derwentwater primary school, in Acton
• In 2013, during an extended stay in The Gambia, we spent the money that we had raised in Sohm, in ways that you can read about elsewhere on this website.

Sohm Lower Basic school has twinned with Derwentwater Primary school, Acton.
Sandra with Lower Basic head, Gibril Bojang.

• The Jersey Start - early beginnings
• Our Involvement - progress, to date
• All Above Board - our legal status
• Local Ownership - all together

Supported Projects - recent achievements

The Gambian government provides almost free schooling for pupils from the ages of  5 - 11 - but the youngsters and their families still need help with staionery and items like school lunches and uniforms. From age 11, school fees are charged, and pupils have to pay for their own books, equipment etc.

Sohm is a small village, consisting mainly of poorly educated, subsistence, farmers and their families. But they are proud people and desperate to get their young people an education.  This is where we come in - trying to help.

Educational posters supplied for every classroom in the schools

So far, we have:

• arranged for the sponsorship of a dozen pupils, paying their education and some related social costs;
• established a Book Fund, so that all older students have access to key textbooks for all subjects studied;
• encouraged a school twinning project between the Lower Basic school, and Derwentwater Primary school in Acton, London;
• provided teacher training support in English, sports development and child protection for both schools;
• supplied a limited number of laptops, to help with ICT teaching and school administration;
• paid for a school trip for all 150 years 5 and 6 pupils, getting many of them out of the village for the first time in their lives, to visit their capital city, airport, zoo, ancient monuments and Atlantic coast;
• arranged a whole day visit by 50 volunteers from British charity, Football Gambia, to offer sports training for all the village's children, and donate 40 football kits and associated play equipment;
• donated enough educational posters for at least one to be displayed in every classroom;, in each of the schools
• created a Bike Fund, to provide money to repair the bikes of students riding many miles each day, on untarmaced roads, to and from school.

• Introduction - about us
• Supported Projects - recent achievements
• Sohm - where we're at

Who's Who - Partners

We work with a range of partner bodies and organisations in Africa and Europe, in helping to improve education matters in Sohm.

First and foremost is the Jersey Gambia Schools Trust, whose principals, Robin and Carol Mallet, were the inspiration in establishing the Senior Secondary School, a decade ago.

Partners, Football Gambia

We are also working with Football Gambia and Kit Aid to deliver an exciting football training projects in the village.

For the future, we hope to be working with Jole Rider to help acquire additional bikes, as school transport for the expanding school.

• Sohm
• UK
• Partners
• Contact us

Who's Who - UK

Trustees Sandra Walker (secretary), Rose Phillips (chair) and John Walker (treasurer)

The trustees are London-based and can be contacted via info@sohmschoolssupport.org.uk.  They simply front a much larger group of sponsors, donors and supporters, without whose help the charity could not exist.

If you would like to find out more about the charity, or have an illustrated talk about it, contact the trustees via e.mail and we will make every endeavour to come and discuss the charity, its successes and hopes for the future. We will also be able to show you how you can help our aims and objectives, in very practical ways.

• Sohm
• UK
• Partners
• Contact us

Who's Who - Sohm

We enjoy the closest support of Babucarr Suwareh, the Regional Director of Education and the two school heads, Ismail Sambou, (Senior school) and Gibril Bojang (Lower Basic) . We work closely with the staff and PTAs of both schools and ensure that all of our plans meet with their prior approval and agreement.

Regional Education Director, Babucarr Suawreh with Sandra
on his inspection of the school, in February 2012

We work very closely with Gibril Bojang,  the head of the Lower Basic School, his staff and PTA.

Sohm Lower Basic School head, Gibril Bojang

• Sohm
• UK
• Partners
• Contact us