By: Alieu Ceesay
Tears, laughter, and applause filled the air on Saturday as ActionAid International, The Gambia (AAITG) celebrated its first cohort of children who have been supported through the Child Sponsorship Programme for a full thirteen years – from age five until completion of senior secondary school.
The twenty-eight graduates, with bright smiles, marked the successful conclusion of a journey that began in 2012 when they were wide-eyed nursery pupils clutching brand-new school bags donated by overseas sponsors most had never met.
“Today we are not just celebrating certificates; we are celebrating transformed lives,” an AAITG official said during the ceremony in Jufureh, the North Bank Region.
For Isatou Cham, 18, from Bantangkiling Village in Central River Region, the moment was overwhelming. Now a first-year Business Management student at the University of Education, she credits ActionAid for keeping her dream of becoming a teacher alive.
“When my parents couldn’t afford books or shoes, ActionAid was there every term. That support gave me wings,” Cham said, clutching her graduation plaque.
Lamin K. Darboe, from historic Juffureh Village and now studying Commerce, aiming for an Economics degree at the University of The Gambia, echoed the sentiment. “Without this programme I might have dropped out in Grade 7 like some of my friends,” he said.
Parents spoke with visible relief. Sirreh Jaiteh, mother of graduate Ebrima Jaiteh, explained: “Every year, ActionAid brought bags, books, uniforms, even sanitary pads for the girls. I could feed my family instead of worrying about school fees.”
The graduation followed an intensive three-day career guidance and counselling retreat, during which students reflected on their journeys, explored tertiary options, and built confidence for the next chapter.
Cluster Monitor Alieu Ndow, who has tracked the cohort since primary school, noted that many would have left education early without basic stationery and moral encouragement. “When a child knows someone far away who believes in them, they fight harder,” he said.
Beyond learning materials, ActionAid supported sports, debates, and leadership training – nurturing what the organisation calls “holistic, rights-based education”.
As the new Country Strategy Paper VI (2024–2028) rolls out, AAITG vows to expand long-term sponsorship, ensuring more children from Gambia’s poorest communities complete the full education cycle.
For the graduates taking their first independent steps, thirteen years of steady support have become a lifelong foundation – proof, they say, that one sponsored child can indeed change a family, a village, and ultimately a nation.
