Background

Bakalarr Basic Cycle School, in the North Bank Region, is reached from Banjul by using the ferry across the Gambia River to Barra, followed by a road journey of about 15km. [ Map showing Bakalarr BCS ] The school serves five local villages, and has Grades from 1 to 9, as well as a nursery class. Pageant began visiting the school in 2001, and has helped in many ways over the years, but much of the credit for the huge improvements achieved is down to the enthusiasm and commitment of its headmaster Mr Bakary Gitteh.

Like most rural schools in The Gambia, Bakalarr BCS has always had a vegetable plot. It is used to produce food, but also it is a teaching aid in science and agriculture. With makeshift fences the goats often ate more than the students. Now that a new wall has been erected and a larger area cleared, much more is being grown. Unwins and Suttons very generously donated seeds. Extra crops are being produced and sold to raise funds for the school.