Donkey Carts — Aylin Elçi

ECD students (ages 3 to 6) await to be taken home from the Medina Manneh school, in Northern Gambia.

Malang Demto crosses paths with older students making their way to school as he drives children from Sinchou Demben to the closest school around 3km away in Sare Babou.

Children from the Sinchou Demben village aboard a donkey cart driving them daily to the closest school offering lower basic classes, around 3km away in Sare Babou.

The headmaster’s ‘Donkey Cart’ file, at the Sare Babou school in central Gambia

A new cart and an old donkey cart.

Ali and his son Musa. Behind is the new cart (left), and the old the cart, which Ali drives.

Although more children are enrolling in schools in The Gambia, nearly 30 percent of school-aged children still do not attend classes.

The donkey cart program is a small part of the Government’s broader education strategy. In an effort to reduce inequity, the government abolished school fees and increased the number of communities that have schools within three kilometers from 83 percent in 2013 to 95 percent in 2018.

The donkey carts, which are placed in rural communities, are designed to transport children in early childhood development programs as well as first and second year students (ages 3-8).

The initiative, which is community- managed, with support from ‘cluster monitors’ who oversee groups of schools, helps ensure that children attend school daily and helps allay parents’ concerns that their little ones can make the long distance safely.

More information on here.

(2017)