The Daily Observer (Banjul)
6 July 2009
(Page 2 of 2)
Brikama Baa
Another indication of the achievement of this government in the area of education is conspicuous in the Central River Region south, where the people are also enjoying a great deal from the educational master plan of the AFPRC government.
Brikama Baa Upper Basic School, which has now been upgraded to a senior secondary school, is among the string of schools that emerged en mass right at the dawn of the July 22nd Revolution. It was built in 1995, just months into the Revolution."The need aroused for CRR South to have another high school because Armitage was the only senior secondary school on the South Bank and it was filled to capacity," said Jali Morri Jobarteh, principal of Brikama Baa Senior Secondar School.
This school is equipped with a modern computer lab, among many other facilities. The computer lab is spacious enough to accommodate 20 students at a time, and it has made it possible for people in that area to gain skills in computer which have emerged as a necessity for survival in this day and age. Enrolment at Brikama Baa SSS presently stands at 768 students & 554 students at the upper basic school. With 25 classrooms, the school covers a catchment of 27 villages, among them Boiram, Njoben, Kerewan Samba Sireh, all in CRR south.
Dankunku
Gambians in places as far as in Dankunku in Niamina West, which is 7km off the road, had difficulties accessing health facilities. Imagine the distance for a place where catching sight of a vehicle is a rarity. But today, the people of Dankunku do not need to step out of their village to access basic health services. As part of the health ministry's expansion projects to attain quality health delivery service, the people of that village benefited from a minor health centre which was built in 2005. It has facilities such as antenatal, out patient, labour, immunization and admission wards.
A team also treks up to 6 villages in the area on a weekly basis, taking health services to the people of the area. The idea is to have basic health services available to every Gambian, a direct opposite of what prevailed in the past, when people had to trek unbearably long distances for services they were hardly guaranteed to have.
Dankunku Water Project
Availability of portable running water for the people of Dankunku is perhaps the best thing that might have happened to the women of this village, who suffered so much to access drinking water.
The Dankunku Water Project was established in 2008 by the Government of The Gambia, and its sole aim was to improve on the livelihood of individuals and residents of the community of Dankunku. Omar Barrow, a resident of the village, recalled the hellish life their women went through in the past. It was a common sight to see people, especially women, scrambling for water at places like the local forestry camp, which were opportuned enough to have running water.
In fact, the people had to pay for the services of horse or donkey cart owners to transport water in as manycontainers as they could lay hands on. In addition, you had to pay D1.00 for every 20litres of water fetched from the tap. It was a life full of ridicule. And that is why the people see President Jammeh and the July 22nd Revolution as blessings. Those who spoke to the Daily Observer vowed not to ever forget the commendable effort of the president in providing them with clean and safe drinking water.
The borehole in Dankunku has 14 standpipes, networked throughout the whole community. Similar water projects are in the villages of Piniai and Mamut Fana, on the outskirts of Dankunku. A village like Piniai is popular with herdsmen. One can imagine the struggle to meet the needs of one's cattle with the family aside. Alhaji Ceesay of Mamut Fana assured the Observer crew of his people's undivided loyalty to a government they said is evidently here for their interest and nothing else.
The Observer July 22nd Bus crew will take a second night's rest in Janjang Bureh. We shall be in the Upper River Region on Tuesday.
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