Top class: Tujereng Nursery School inaugurated

The people of Tujereng village in Kombo South have yet witnessed another milestone in the improvement of accessibility to education for their children and the surrounding community, as a new nursery school called the “Crown Nursery School” was built by Walter Hardenbery of Holland.

The inauguration ceremony was held last Saturday at the Tujereng Lower Basic School in Kombo South, Western Region. The school which will go a long way in making education accessible to the children less than 7 years old is also tasked with the responsibility to prepare them to have a good foundation before joining the lower basic school.

In his welcoming remarks, the Alkalo of Tujereng village, Karamo. S. Bojang thanked Walter Hardenberg for the initiative; noting that education is the most important key to one’s success in life. He then added that education can help to eradicate poverty. According to him, the cause of fighting hunger in Africa is a result of low level of education. He therefore urged the people of his village to send their children to a formal education and he also expressed his people’s gratefulness to the donor for what he described as an extraordinary gesture.

He further disclosed that, the school is well equipped, which he said, can be compared to the schools in the Greater Banjul Area. He further seized the opportunity to advise the incoming administration of the new school to fulfil the purpose of establishing the school. For his part, Hon. Paul Mendy, the National Assembly Member for Kombo South, in his speech cited the need for people to join the government so as to develop the country, noting that the government alone cannot do everything.

He therefore expressed his overwhelming appreciation to the donors and on behalf of the government and people of the country; he thanked Walter Hardenberg for the initiative. Lamin Jarju, the head teacher of Tujereng Lower Basic School thanked the donor and everybody who contributed to the erection of the nursery school. In conclusion, he thanked Isatou Joof who he said, is the backbone of all these achievements and thanked her for the generosity she had rendered to the community of Tujereng.

In his speech, the donor of the project Walter Hardenberg described the ceremony as a special one, as it marks the inauguration of the Tujereng Crown Nursery School. According to him, this is their first project in the Gambia from Holland and hopes that the second phase of the project will start soon. He cited the importance of education, adding that it is never bad to start learning at the upper grade. “I hope that the school will contribute a lot to the brighter future of these children,” he said.

The Dutch philanthropist assured the community of Tujereng of his continuing support to the school. In her keynote address, Mrs Isatou Joof, the headmistress of Sanchaba Lower Basic School, explained the crucial role of education in national development. The children, she noted, need to be educated as they are the future leaders.

He urged everyone to contribute their quota to the development of quality education for the children. She further called on the parents to send their children to school especially the girls and encourage them to maintain their education.