Planting Seeds for the Future 🌱

Every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow and reach their full potential. 

 Ebo Town Community Nursery School was born from a simple belief – that children should have access to a safe, nurturing and quality early education, regardless of their family's circumstances.

How It All Began 

Our journey began in 2014, when our founders, Dave and Paula Howells, visited The Gambia and discovered a small school in the heart of Ebo Town - Mandela School.

The conditions were extremely basic. More than 100 children were being taught in a single small room with mud floors, no windows or doors, a damaged blackboard and gaps in the roof.

Determined to make a difference, fundraising began in the UK to improve the building and, most importantly, to help provide the children with access to free nursery education.

By December 2014, the building had been improved, but the number of children had grown dramatically. Between 170 and 200 children were now sharing the tiny classroom, with just one outside toilet and no safe area for the children to play.

It was clear that something more needed to be done.

Our first school operated from the grounds of Tallinding Lower Basic School.

We had to build everything from the ground up. Tables, benches and blackboards were made locally, while generous donations from schools and supporters in the UK helped us provide books, puzzles, stationery, sandpits, rocking horses and other educational resources.

We created two classes – Rainbow, for children aged 4–5, and Butterfly, for children aged 6–7.

Our teachers were carefully selected and supported as they continued their teacher training, helping us to build a team that shared our commitment to the children.

We want our children to have the resources they need to learn, explore and enjoy their early years of education.

Each classroom has two blackboards, allowing teachers to support children with different learning abilities. We also provide cupboards and storage to keep educational resources clean, organised and accessible.

Our youngest children benefit from additional visual learning resources, which are particularly helpful because many of our children arrive at school speaking their own local tribal language rather than English.

Our aim is to make learning enjoyable, accessible and engaging from their very first day at school.

Our journey doesn't end with the opening of our new school.

We want to continue developing the school, supporting our teachers and providing our children with the resources and opportunities they need to progress into their next stage of education.

Every child who walks through our doors represents a future full of possibilities.

We are planting seeds for the future – one child, one classroom and one opportunity at a time.

Could you help us plant a seed for the future? 🌱

By joining our Sponsorship Programme, you can help provide a child with access to education, school uniform and the resources they need to learn and thrive.