The Rotary Club of Bristol Breakfast tries to encourage and support education in some of the poorest countries in the world. One of their projects has been to provide some funds for the Bakary Sambouya Nursery School in The Gambia which caters for about 200 children aged 3 – 7 years old. Surrounded by Senegal, The Republic of The Gambia is a small country located on the west coast of Africa. Bakary Sambouya was founded in 1941 and is situated just south of Birkama, one of The Gambia’s largest cities. There is no running water or electricity for the small population of 2500 people.
Unfortunately, the government does not provide funding for schooling up to the age of 7. The students rely on the community to donate land and find the money for the building and teachers. The Rotary Club of Bristol Breakfast made a donation in 2010 and in 2013 paid for the local manufacture of furniture for two new classrooms including desks, chairs and teachers tables.
Past President, David Wells, visited the school in November for the official opening of the two new classrooms. The world map, donated by Stanfords Bristol, was presented to the school during this time. It will be hung on the wall to help further the students’ education.
The Rotary Club of Bristol Breakfast are a mixed gender club with a membership of nearly 60, growing strongly each year. Members range in age from their twenties up to retirees. Club members enjoy a range of exciting activities – social, charity work and business networking. Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.2 million members of more than 34,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work improves lives at both the local and international levels, from helping families in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world.
For more information on Bakary Sambouya: http://kambengtrust.org.uk/The_Kambeng_Trust/home.html
For more information on The Rotary Club of Bristol Breakfast: http://www.rotary-ribi.org/clubs/homepage.php?ClubID=1680