Frequently Asked Questions - things you need to know about Pageant - all on a single page.

Find out more about The Gambia, its education system, and about the charities which work there. We provide these links as a service to our users, and not as part of a link exchange to promote higher search engine ranking. Inclusion of a link does not imply any recommendation by Pageant, and we take no responsibility for the contents of any website we link to.

The links were updated and checked on 13 March 2019. Please let us know if any link fails to work, or if you would like to suggest new links.
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Our aim is to find and link to as many charities and aid organisations as possible, so providing an overall picture of who is providing help in The Gambia. Inclusion of a link on this page does not mean that Pageant recommends or approves of that organisation. For registered UK charities, we recommend that you make further checks with the Charity Commission or the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator. To help you do this, simply click the link [UK Charity] just after the charity name.

Some of these charities may be 'in competition' with Pageant, but the important thing is to get as much help as possible to the people of The Gambia by whatever means. However, we would like to stress that Pageant covers ALL of its overheads from members' annual subscriptions, and that all our volunteers pay their own expenses. This means that 100% of any donation to us goes to help children and communities in The Gambia. Pageant thus represents excellent value for your money when deciding which charity you should support. So if you wish to help us, you can donate to Pageant from this page.

• Action Aid [UK Charity] The Gambia information page for a world wide aid organisation
• Afrikaya [UK Charity] Their first project was to build a nursery school at New Yundum in The Gambia.
• Ardingly Old Jeshwang Association [UK Charity] based in a small West Sussex village, they have built and equipped a health centre in Old Jeshwang in The Gambia.
• African Oyster Trust [UK Charity] dedicated to relieving poverty and sickness in the former British colonies of Africa, particularly The Gambia, where they support 3 nursery schools and 2 clinics.
• Castellan African Trust [UK Charity] working in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Senegal and The Gambia, to advance education, promote health, and relieve poverty and distress.
• Child Africa - a Norwegian non-profit organisation helping disadvantaged children in East Africa to enhance their lives through education.
• COCO [UK Charity] helping children affected by poverty, famine, war, illness and disease. Concentrates on educational projects, and raises much of its money through sponsored runners, known as Team COCO.
• FirstAid 4 Gambia [UK Charity] Gambia's primary health care is basic. Cuts or grazes can lead to serious conditions. FirstAid 4 Gambia provides first aid kits and training for nurseries and primary schools.
• Friends of Fajikunda [UK Charity] provides support for the Roots Daycare Centre - a nursery school in the FajiKunda area.
• Friends of Gambian Schools Pageant had worked very closely with FROGS in the past, but the charity closed at the end of 2013. The website is still there, so we have left this link in place. FROGS' founder Sally Reader received the British Empire Medal for her work in the 2014 New Year Honours [see report]
• Friends of The Gambia Association [UK Charity] helping to fund small projects in schools throughout The Gambia
• Future In Our Hands Scandinavian based charity active throughout Africa and the developing world, with particular interest in school construction
• Gambia Health and Education Liaison Project US organisation supporting educational and community projects
• Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust [UK Charity] reducing rural poverty by improving the health, welfare and productivity of working animals.
• Gambia Rising a USA charity run by ex Peace Corps Volunteers. They support Gambian students who would not otherwise be able to stay in school, by paying school fees and other expenses
• Gambia Teaching & Support [UK Charity] supporting education in The Gambia through sponsorship, teacher training and provision of educational facilities. Their flagship project is the Sunrise Centre in Bakoteh.
• Gambian Schools Trust is now called SchoolGambia - please scroll down
• GamBLE (Gambia: Building Links in Education) [UK Charity] is based in Kent and helps provide nursery and primary education in the village of Farato, near Banjul airport
• Gardens for Life is an initiative of the Eden Project [UK Charity] which promotes partnerships between schools across communities, cultures and countries, sharing learning about gardening and growing food.
• Geoseed Project non-profit volunteer organization stimulating children's desire for learning in developing countries by providing teachers with donated back issues of the National Geographic Magazine.
• Global Campaign for Education promotes education as a basic human right, with free, compulsory public basic education for all people.
• Hart House The Gambian Home For Children With Learning Difficulties in Serrekunda is the only one of its kind in The Gambia. It provides residential education and day care for children with a range of conditions including epilepsy, cerebral palsy, muteness and arthritis.
• HELPING [UK Charity] Help for Education and Local Projects IN the Gambia provides help and sponsorship for Gambian schools, children and teachers
• Hope First Foundation based in Seattle, USA, help children in Zimbabwe and The Gambia, specifically at Jurunku.
• Kambeng Trust [UK Charity] based in South Brent, Devon - supports the rural village of Bakary Sambouya near Brikama with healthcare, education and sustainable community development.
• Legs 4 Africa [UK Charity] a Bristol base charity which recycles prosthetic legs and helps support groups so amputees in Africa to live more independent, fulfilled lives.
• Life-Link - A Swedish organisation which supports schools in many countries including The Gambia.
• Marlborough Brandt Group [UK Charity] established a link with Gunjur in 1982 and is involved with development projects under the management of the Trust Agency for Rural Development (TARUD)
• Nova Scotia Gambia Association Canadian organisation supporting health and education
• Out of Afrika [UK Charity] working in Kenya to promote education to orphans, disadvantaged children, youth and women.
• Ping (People in Need Gambia) - A charity focusing on the village of Bafaluto near Serrekunda. Current projects include a water borehole with solar powered pump, and extensive  vegetable gardens.
• Re-Cycle [UK Charity] based in Essex, which collects and ships second hand bicycles and parts to Africa.
• Read to Grow A foundation based in the Netherlands (and Glasgow) which collects English and French reading and educational books and supplies them to The Gambian and other developing countries
• Reason 2 Hope a small USA volunteer organization that supports all students of Burong Lower Basic School (about 300 students) with uniforms, school supplies and a daily meal.
• Solar Aid aims to bring the benefits of solar energy to poor people across the world, and particularly in Africa. One of their programmes is setting up workshops where kerosene lanterns are converted to solar power at a surprisingly low cost of around £10 each - fighting both poverty and climate change.
• Schools for Gambia [UK Charity] helps many schools in The Gambia (When checked, we found only the home page of their website working properly)
• SchoolGambia [UK Charity] a small Kent based charity who have built and are funding a school in the village of Farato.
• Sohm Schools Support A small charity, which helps with the education of young people in schools in the village of Sohm, in the south of The Gambia.
• Sponsor a Gambian Teacher aims to provide Gambian people with the opportunity to train as teachers, work as teachers and teach local children.
• Sunshine with Smiles - a small charity started between friends, giving people in The Gambia the things that they really need and sharing knowledge, which costs nothing. (Facebook only - website on its way)
• Trinity Methodist Church, Woking - Their 'Gambia Project' has been ongoing since 1986, with Bill Lindop at the sharp end of events in The Gambia. They have strong links with Methodist Churches in The Gambia and support medical and agricultural projects there. One such projects is a dental clinic in Brikama.
• WaterAid [UK Charity] dedicated exclusively to the provision of safe domestic water, sanitation and hygiene education to the world's poorest people
• Wheels 4 Africa The Terence Mills Trust helps disabled people in Africa by providing wheelchairs and spare parts, allowing the recipient to lead a more independent life.
• Wonderyears Centre Of Excellence [UK Charity] providing educational opportunities to both children and adults

• African Women's Development Fund Supports the work of organisations working to promote women's rights throughout Africa
• IFAD loans support agricultural and rural development with access to microfinance - seeking to reduce rural poverty by improving household food security and income, especially of smallholder farmers, women and young people.
• WorkAid [UK Charity] collects unwanted tools, refurbishes them and sends them to disadvantaged people in Africa so they can learn a skilled trade and earn a living.

• Computer Aid International - The worlds largest non-profit supplier of computers to developing countries.
• Computers for Charities offers an easy way to recycle redundant computer equipment in a reliable, efficient and secure way that will help protect our environment and help community organisations
• In Kind Direct [UK Charity] A charity which organises the donation of surplus goods.
• Techknowledgy - dedicated to working with people in the developing countries of Africa, helping them to benefit from modern technology and the knowledge to use it effectively

• Bishops Waltham Junior School in Hampshire has links with several Gambian schools. (Pageant page)
• Bramley School, Tadworth, Surrey, have donated furniture and nursery toys to schools in The Gambia
• Centre Academy East Anglia fundraising for Unity Nursery. (Pageant page)
• Chestnut Grove Academy in Wandsworth has close ties with Banyaka LBS. (Pageant page)
• Christ's Hospital, near Horsham, West Sussex (Pageant page)
• Collyers is a sixth form college in Horsham, which has provided both equipment and funding for schools in The Gambia. Head of Science, Joe Brock, has developed science teaching resources and has run seminars for science teachers in The Gambia. (see this news page and this news page)
• Dame Tipping School, Havering-Atte-Bower, Essex (Pageant page)
• Downsend School, in Leatherhead has been active in fundraising for Pageant.
• Gallions Mount School, in Plumstead, S E London, has links with Saloum Nursery School.
• Green Lane Primary, Worcester Park, London KT4 8AS have donated two lots of classroom furniture so far and promised more in time for next summer's shipment.
• Manor Green Primary School in Crawley has links with Campama Lower Basic School
• Ringwood School in Hampshire has links with Bakalarr Basic Cycle School.
• Warnham CE School, near Horsham in West Sussex - new website soon!. (see Pageant page)
• Whipton Barton Junior School, Exeter - has links with and fundraises for SHM Nursery in Gunjusr
• All Saints Junior School, Fleet, Hampshire - linked with Soma school in The Gambia.

• EIN Gambia Newsfeeds continuously updated Gambian news stories from a US based news service
• Gambian Radio and Television Services (GRTS) details of TV and radio programmes
• IRIN News Latest news about The Gambia provided by UN Office for Coordination of Human Affairs
• The Point online news from an independent Gambian daily newspaper

• Access Gambia a web portal of over 120 pages of Gambia's websites.
• Encyclopedia of the Nations The Gambia entry provides lots of useful information
• Plymouth-Banjul Challenge The original challenge was to drive from Plymouth to Banjul on a limited budget, with the principle aim of helping some charitable causes. This spawned several other similar challenges to Timbuktu, Nouakchott, Dakhla, Murmansk, St Louis etc.
• The Gambia Resource Page An impressive collection of facts and resources. The education/schools menu gives a complete list of all Gambian schools

• Access Gambia - their large website has a collection of eleven general maps and eight maps showing hotel locations.
• Ezilon Maps - three maps of the whole country, showing towns, roads and administrative regions.
• GTS Maps Gambia Tourist Support produced these maps, and since their website has closed, copies of the maps have been published on our website.
• Falling Rain Directory of Cities, Towns, and Regions in The Gambia - maps, weather, etc.
• We have produced some Google Maps showing locations of many of the schools Pageant is associated with:
• Banjul City - Bakau & Serrekunda - around Abuko - Brikama & South - North Bank - Up River

These links are provided for information to Pageant supporters visiting The Gambia, and do not imply any recommendation by Pageant.

• Beaches in The Gambia - Google map, with links to more information
• Bird watching in The Gambia Where to go and what to see - links to tours and accommodation
• Footsteps Eco-Lodge - The lodge is near Gunjur, set back 1 km from golden sandy beaches and next to Kunyoong Forest park. It offers photographic, birding & cultural breaks with authentic intelligently designed cool accommodation in relaxed, friendly surroundings. Footsteps Eco-Lodge supports local schools, a heritage museum and AFNOW, which looks after orphans and needy children.
• Hidden Gambia adventure holidays off the beaten track exploring up-river Gambia by boat and road
• Lonely Planet guide to The Gambia
• Stuff your Rucksack - A site where travellers can "Find stuff that's needed where I'm going" and help to transport essential items to all parts of the world. Set up by Kate Humble.
• The Gambia Experience Specialist tour operator to The Gambia
• The Gambia Tourism Authority Gambia Tourism's official web site

• djb microtech - produce cost effective equipment for the teaching of school Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology. Derek Walker of djb has generously donated over £1,000 worth of really excellent science equipment to Pageant for Gambian schools during the past three years.
• Electrostatic Solutions Ltd - a company formed by Dr Jeremy Smallwood, to provide independent advice with research and development in the broad area of electrostatics and related technologies. They donate some of their profits to charity, and Pageant is one of these.
• Glowstar lantern - solar powered rechargeable lantern, up to 6 hours of light, equivalent to 60w
• Monarch Airlines at Gatwick for very generous contributions in the way of additional free baggage allowance for Pageant members to take out sports and schools kit.
• Playpump a clever idea to use a children's roundabout to pump water
• Pyser Supplied microscopes at a special low price in conjunction with RMS (see below)
• Ram Rugby - suppliers of rugby equipment, and Ram Cricket - suppliers of cricket equipment. Supporters of Pageant, who have kindly donated sports gear to schools in The Gambia and completely kitted out the National Gambian cricket team.
• Royal Microscopical Society Sponsored the purchase of microscopes for schools which Pageant helps
• Suttons Seeds provided free seeds for Pageant's projects in The Gambia during 2003 & 2004
• Thomas Cook at Gatwick for an extraordinarily generous contribution in the way of additional free baggage allowance for Pageant members to take out sports and schools kit.
• Thompson & Morgan Seeds providing free seeds for Pageant's projects in The Gambia during 2005
• Trekker Microscope ultra-compact, portable, inexpensive, high quality microscope with precision optics. Perfect for field, classroom and laboratory study. Simple to use, and capable of delivering instant results.
• Unwins Seeds provided free seeds for Pageant's projects in The Gambia during 2003 & 2004

• BuildWebSite4u Source of our site search facility and other useful things
• Codelifter Javascript utility providing pop-up windows
• Cross-Browser Javascript utilities work with most browsers. Used to implement our float down menus
• WebMon a freeware utility which alerts users to changes in webpage content. Used by Pageant as part of our system to ensure our website is safe for users.