Last month our chair Diane Fisher headed out to Sinchu Alagie, Serrekunda in The Gambia to film a documentary with charitable production team Good causes, good karma about the work we are doing to build a permanent school building for Ceesay Nursery School.
During their visit (23rd April) they were entertained by Ceesay Nursery School’s Cultural Celebrations, giving them a taste of Gambian traditions. As part of the event, Diane gave a keynote speech, emphasising the importance of and her passion for establishing an effective place of nursery school education in Sinchu Alagie.
“Thanks to Almighty God, to all our honoured guests, Iman Barrow, the Ceesay board members, Mr Morrow Ceesay and to head teacher Mr Bakary Ceesay, whose more than 20 years of diligence, hard work and commitment have resulted in a solid educational foundation for literally hundreds of children. Thanks also to Miss Adama Ceesay, Head Classroom Teacher, who has worked so hard over the last three years to successfully complete her Early Child Development professional teacher training and thanks to all the parents, community members and all who have helped with yesterday’s and today’s wonderful celebrations.
“This celebration has been a long time coming. It has been 10 years since I first visited Mr Ceesay’s school in Wellingara, fell in love with the children and decided in my heart and with Almighty God’s leadership and assistance, to do what I could to help the children have a better education, a hope and a future.
“I cannot emphasise too strongly how important education is in our modern global world. My team have seen with our own eyes the certain fate of girls who are not educated. Without education, the best they can hope for is a too early marriage and life of domestic drudgery. Without education, if the girls have unwise friends and parents who love money too much, they can end up in a much, much worse situation, out at night in Senegambia, destroying their future with one stupid choice. Once a girl strays down that road, there is no easy way back. She will be seduced by quick money at the expense of long term success, happiness, respect and honour in her community. Education is also the key to nation building and the success of the Gambia. Your own proverb tells us ‘When you educate a woman, you educate a family, when you educate a family, you educate a nation’.
“Now I do NOT mean to just talk about educating girls. Education for all is even more crucial at this very dangerous time in world history. Those of you that pay attention to the news from around the world will understand that there are many forces of evil at work in our world, outside the Gambia. Fundamentalists – both Christian and Muslim, want to seize power and control the future of the world and the people. They use violence and terror to try to take over countries and impose their laws and agenda. They recruit the uneducated, young men and young women, the poor and the desperate and use them mercilessly to forward their own evil agendas.
“With education, young men and women can see through their lies and know they have choices to make life better for their families and their country in ways other than through spreading terror and violence. In addition, with an education, young men are less likely to run away from their families, leaving them destitute, to ‘take the back way’ and die in the thirsty desert or the cold Mediterranean seas or become beggars on the streets of Europe, chasing the false dream of a better life, somewhere else.
“But, you may say to me, ‘I agree with all you say, but what is the point of nursery school education? Why should I pay good money to send a small, small child to a nursery school?’ I say to you, because these small, small children are the future of your nation and your family and your security in your old age. If children learn to love learning, to respect and work in harmony with each other, Muslims with Christians and Christians with Muslims, they will not grow to be rebellious youths who become fodder for the guns and bombs of Boko Haram and other fundamentalists. Education and your trust in God is your safety.
“Let me just close by thanking Almighty God for bringing us this far together. I want to ask all of you to support Mr Ceesay as he works to build up his school and educate the future leaders, men and women, of the Gambia. We thank you all for welcoming us and for such a wonderful celebration.”
Ceesay Nursery School 