Mariama Mae Nursery School, Gunjur

The Mariama Nursery School in Gunjur (south Gambia), is the brainchild of Alison Calvert who first visited the village in 2000.

Her remit was to help teachers understand how best to help children with learning difficulties. At that time she managed to persuade the local school to accept Mariama (a severely physically disabled child) into mainstream education – a major achievement since it is commonplace in third world countries for children with physical or mental disabilities to be isolated and confined to their own homes – thus receiving no education whatsoever (click here for a 2016 update on Mariama's story).

Following extensive negotiations, fundraising and work on the ground, the Mariama Nursery School opened in September 2008, with two classrooms in the grounds of Gunjur Lower Basic School.

The nursery is now providing inclusive education for local children up to the age of seven, providing a place of learning for 14 local children aged between 3 and 6 years old and employment for three local women - a trained Principal Teacher, a trainee teacher and a caretaker.

It now has four classrooms and an outdoor learning and play area. What you see of the school today is a far cry from how it looked in 2007, and stands as testimony to a great deal of hard work and dedication from numerous people both in England and The Gambia.

Our aim is to build on this great start and ensure that the school continues to run and provide a place of education for many generations to come.

For more information on the Mariama Mae Nursery School...

Fundraising - More on the help people have already given, and what you can do to help us carry on.
Photo Gallery 1 - The Building of Mariama Mae
Photo Gallery 2 - Up and Running!
Photo Gallery 3 - Celebrating success, April 2010
Latest news - read our news update from Ali, August 2013