The Gambia

AGSP/The Gambia At a Glance:

• Program Start Date: February 2005
• Academic Focus: Junior Secondary School
• Academic Year Start: September
• Number of Local partners: 1
• Number of Scholarships to Date: 2,392 (Girls: 2,292 Boys: 100)
• Number of Schools: 12
• Number of Mentors: 10
• Geographic Focus: Western region

World Education works with local partner Forum for African Women Educationalists – Gambia (FAWEGAM) to implement AGSP in the Western Region of the country. The program is supporting 800 and 100 vulnerable girls and boys respectively in its fourth year in The Gambia with scholarships comprised of books, notebooks, school fees, bed nets, uniforms, shoes, badges and bags.

FAWEGAM continues to actively recruit mentors to provide support to the AGSP scholars. Currently, most of these mentors are teachers who will provide extra tutoring for the girls and boys and assist them in their school work. FAWEGAM also works in collaboration with the EFA Network to organize academic mentoring for scholarship recipients.

HIV/AIDS activities are implemented through another local NGO, BAFROW which partners with FAWEGAM. Activities such as sensitization on VCT and Reproductive Health Issues through Health education in schools, free physical exams for girls with doctors and community health workers on hand, a competition and film show on HIV/AIDS, and exchange visits between schools are implemented.

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Basic Information

• School year calendar: September 2006 – July 2007
• The target area of this assistance is the Education region 2 in the Western division of The Gambia
• To date, visits have been conducted to the region by IETC (World Education's subcontractor) representatives
• World Education has relationships with local organization Federation of African Women Educationalists – Gambia (FAWEGAM)

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Program Overview

In Year 1, the AGSP in The Gambia focused on putting in place the necessary structures for an effective scholarship program, beginning in September 2005. The AGSP activities in Year 1 were implemented as planned.

In Year 2, the scholarships were disbursed and the mentoring activities were launched with a high level of enthusiasm and participation on the part of the girls and the communities. Our NGO partners were able to increase the targeted number of scholars this year from 500 to 700 girls. In Year 3 the program grew further to help 799 girls attend school.

In Year four, with the addition of boys to the program, scholarship numbers in the Gambia increased to 900 (800 girls and 100 boys). With the boys' expansion, communities expressed their gratitude to the American people for hearing their concerns about needy boys being left out of the program.

Scholars are selected through a transparent process. Schools were identified upon consultation with the Regional Education Office in the Western division and scholarships were equally divided into 50 scholarships for each school. 70 applications were sent to each primary school which feed into the target upper basic school. Though there was not active participation of other community members at the local level, the initial application and first selection was done by the principals of the primary schools and community stakeholders agree that selected scholars meet the specified criteria. Applications were then reviewed by a central selection committee made up of government officials, NGO representatives, Peace Corps representative. All efforts will be made in future years to ensure even more community participation and representation during the selection process.

The scholarships are comprised of books, notebooks, school fees, uniforms, shoes, badges and bags.

Local partner, FAWEGAM continues to actively recruit mentors to provide support to the AGSP scholars. Currently, most of these mentors will be teachers who will provide extra tutoring for the girls and assist them in their school work.

HIV/AIDS activities are implemented through a partner local NGO, BAFROW implemented a Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) Survey to provide baseline data and implement activities such as sensitization on VCT and Reproductive Health Issues through Health education in schools, free physical exams for girls with doctors and community health workers on hand, a competition and film show on HIV/AIDS, and exchange visits between schools.

Mentoring activities in Gambia help to build the scholars' self–esteem and confidence, cater to their health and development needs, improve their academic performance and provide them with important life skills.

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Exemplary Practices

Practice: Free AGSP Newsletter Published by AGSP Scholars and Focal Points

A Free AGSP newsletter is published monthly to encourage reading among AGSP scholars and for sharing ideas among themselves and with other community members.

• Each AGSP school is encouraged to submit an article for publication and leadership of the editorial board is comprised of one AGSP scholar and Focal Point from each school.
• The newsletter is distributed free to all AGSP schools and copies are placed in classroom health corners, along with other health related materials. Newsletters are available in community health centers giving the publication a wider audience and impact on the community.

Practice: Suggestion Boxes Provide Safe Opportunity for Questions and Issues

Suggestion boxes were placed in some AGSP schools for girls to post questions they may not be able to ask directly during mentoring activities.

• The introduction of suggestion boxes helps demystify common social practice with women not being able to speak openly. This is a major hindrance to women's participation in development and even in matters that concern them directly.
• Suggestion boxes were placed in some AGSP schools for girls to post questions they may not be able to ask directly during mentoring activities. The NGO has also moved the boxes to more discrete places where scholars will be more comfortable to use the boxes for sharing questions.

Practice: In–School Health Education and Medical Check–Ups for AGSP Scholars

All AGSP schools and scholars have health education in the areas HIV and AIDS, sexual and female reproductive issues and have received on–site medical check–ups.

• Scholars interviewed display sound knowledge of HIV and AIDS, how the virus is contracted and prevented, and how to live with HIV positive people. Despite challenges of discussing difficult topics, scholars continue to share reading materials and new knowledge with their peers, mother's club members, and other people in the community.
• Medical checkups were conducted in all AGSP schools, and follow–up referrals are on–going for scholars that missed check–ups due to absence. Checkups included a blood test, hearing test, TB test, and vision test. Scholars responded that it was a positive experience and will do it again if given the opportunity.

Practice: NGO Alliances to Collaborate on AGSP Scholar Mentoring

FAWE Gambia has signed a Memorandum of Agreement with BAFROW and EFA NET to provide mentoring activities to the scholars.

• BAFROW is an influential NGO working in health, empowerment, and environmental awareness that is in charge of all the health related aspects of mentoring activities. An example activity form this collaboration is an organized excursion for AGSP scholars to visit the Save Our Soul orphan village and share their experiences in the AGSP newsletter.

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