Ebrima Kassama, who runs Chissay Majaw Basic Cycle School in the North Bank Region, wants ChildFund and its partners to give more money to their student cash transfer project. He hopes the extra funds will allow them to support more students.
Journalists recently talked to Kassama during ChildFund's yearly media tour. The tour checks on ChildFund's different projects to see how well they're working and helping people. The student cash transfer is part of a bigger project called Zero Out of School Children (ZOOSC).
ZOOSC receives funding from Educate A Child. UNICEF Gambia, the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, ChildFund, and Efanet all work together to run the project. They aim to bring over 66,000 children who dropped out back to school, including kids with disabilities. The project also tries to keep students who might drop out of school.
Principal Kassama believes they should focus more on helping children in grades 1 to 3. He thinks this would encourage more parents to send their kids to school. Kassama said if the cash transfers work well, they could eventually include upper basic schools.
The principal knows the money has already made a big difference in keeping students in school, especially those from families without much income. "More than 50 students at my school currently receive these cash transfers. It has truly boosted how well students do in school and how often they attend," he added. Kassama thanked ChildFund and its partners for starting the project.
Bintou Panneh, a student who receives the cash transfer, said the money helps families in need provide for their school-age children. She noted that the project especially benefits single mothers.
Abdoulie Jallow is the head teacher of Kumbija LBS in the Upper River Region. He emphasized how much the cash transfer matters and the huge impact it has had on his school.
"Before we started the program, we had 255 students enrolled. But now, about 354 students attend our school. We've worked hard to spread the word about how important education is. Along with the cash transfers ChildFund and its partners set up, that's why our enrollment has grown so much," Jallow explained.
Journalists recently talked to Kassama during ChildFund's yearly media tour. The tour checks on ChildFund's different projects to see how well they're working and helping people. The student cash transfer is part of a bigger project called Zero Out of School Children (ZOOSC).
ZOOSC receives funding from Educate A Child. UNICEF Gambia, the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, ChildFund, and Efanet all work together to run the project. They aim to bring over 66,000 children who dropped out back to school, including kids with disabilities. The project also tries to keep students who might drop out of school.
Principal Kassama believes they should focus more on helping children in grades 1 to 3. He thinks this would encourage more parents to send their kids to school. Kassama said if the cash transfers work well, they could eventually include upper basic schools.
The principal knows the money has already made a big difference in keeping students in school, especially those from families without much income. "More than 50 students at my school currently receive these cash transfers. It has truly boosted how well students do in school and how often they attend," he added. Kassama thanked ChildFund and its partners for starting the project.
Bintou Panneh, a student who receives the cash transfer, said the money helps families in need provide for their school-age children. She noted that the project especially benefits single mothers.
Abdoulie Jallow is the head teacher of Kumbija LBS in the Upper River Region. He emphasized how much the cash transfer matters and the huge impact it has had on his school.
"Before we started the program, we had 255 students enrolled. But now, about 354 students attend our school. We've worked hard to spread the word about how important education is. Along with the cash transfers ChildFund and its partners set up, that's why our enrollment has grown so much," Jallow explained.
