Upper Nuimi Residents Urge Stronger Government Support as Rural Education Sponsorship Ends

By Alieu Jallow

Residents across Upper Nuimi are calling for stronger government intervention in rural education after several children were phased out of the ActionAid International Gambia sponsorship programme. For many families, the support had been a lifeline, and its withdrawal has reopened long standing gaps that rural households struggle to bridge.

For decades, communities in rural Gambia have faced deep challenges in keeping their children in school. Parents often rely on irregular farm income and have to choose between daily survival and buying basic school supplies. The cost of shoes, bags, exercise books and other learning materials may look small in urban areas, but in rural settings it can push children out of the classroom. As a result, children from underprivileged families fall behind while their peers from better resourced homes continue uninterrupted.

This is why the ActionAid rural sponsorship scheme became a crucial support system. For many, it was the only reason their children stayed in school.

Musa Jatta from Touba Kolon, whose son was among those phased out, explained how difficult it is for parents like him to keep all their children in school without support.

“for someone like me who doesn’t have the means to support my children, the Action Aid support has contributed to the welfare of my children, imagine buying shoes for D350, a bag for D300, books and other materials and taking care of other family needs for someone like me so I’m grateful”.

In Nuimi Lamine, Sira Jaiteh shared a similar concern. She said many rural women struggle quietly to meet their children’s school needs.

“This sponsorship means a lot to me as a mother because for 13 years, he has been a beneficiary this has helped us a lot and we want to call on the government to equally intervene”.

For some students, the intervention did much more than keep them in school. It opened paths they never imagined possible. Isatou Cham from Mbantang Kiling, now a student at the University of Education, said coming from an underprivileged family made her academic journey nearly impossible without the support.

“I can say that my parents were unable to afford most of my educational needs as they are extremely poor but with Action Aid’s support in the form of books and other materials, it motivated me a lot to complete my educational career up to this stage”.

Lamin K. Darboe also described how the sponsorship changed his life, saying education would have been out of reach without it.

“When I was young my family couldn’t afford learning materials but with this intervention, I am here pursuing my dreams”.

With the programme now ending for many households, residents are urging the government to step in and ensure that rural children do not lose the momentum gained over the years. They argue that sustained investment in rural education can help break the cycle of poverty and give every child, regardless of background, a fair chance.

The call from Upper Nuimi is clear, rural children cannot be left behind.

 By Alieu Jallow Residents across Upper Nuimi are calling for stronger government intervention in rural education after several children were phased out of the ActionAid International Gambia sponsorship programme. For many families, the support had been a lifeline, and its withdrawal has reopened long standing gaps that rural households struggle to bridge. For decades, communities The Fatu Network