Kachumeh the Gambia, is an impoverished rural community, the few jobs in the area are mostly subsistence farming.

Most parents struggle to provide school fees or lack consistency in keeping up with the fees, which contribute to children not attending school. Poverty also inhibits parents from sending girls to school as they carry out domestic chores and care for other siblings instead. The Kachumeh school was in danger of closure by the education authority but was only kept open because there are no other schools within a reasonable travel distance.

Sponsoring these children helps to maintain their school attendance and to keep the school open. We believe that every child deserves access to education and no child should be left behind. The pictures above would reveal the reality that is a Kachumeh SDA Primary School.

There is a need for teachers, more Classrooms, resources for teachers and pupils, electricity and computers, library and equipment of PE, agriculture, art, music and all the core subjects: maths, english, science and RE. 

The population is 2.5million but only 300 SDAs. Islam in the dominant religion and because some parents have accepted Adventism, they we expelled for the RC school.

The finance from the Mission is below average and the staff is paid from donations made possible by concerned SDAs in the UK. The children are a delight to teach but teaching and learning resources are very sparse and in some instances, non-existent. The children are adorable but poverty is acute. 

If a plea is made that each Adventurer, each Pathfinders and all adults make a tangible contribution of £5-£10+, there will be rejoicing in KSDA primary school.

We need the prayers of those we love but pray that the prayers offered will be accompanied by very generous donations.

AC Trevor Harewood