By Alieu Ceesay
In rural Gambia, where long distances and harsh weather have long kept children from classrooms, innovative transport solutions are driving a quiet revolution in education. Donkey carts and bicycles—provided by ChildFund The Gambia—are helping turn the tide against school dropout rates in remote communities.
In the villages of Nben Kanbi and Faraba in Central River North, the rhythmic clatter of metal wheels and the steady clip-clop of donkey hooves have become the soundtrack of hope each school morning. Dozens of pupils now ride donated donkey carts to Sare Malaw Basic Cycle School, transforming what was once a grueling daily trek into a reliable journey to learning.
For years, the distance to school—often several kilometers under the blazing sun—forced many children to arrive exhausted, late, or not at all. During the rainy season, impassable roads left some pupils entirely at home, contributing to chronic absenteeism and dropouts in these underserved areas.
The game-changer arrived through ChildFund The Gambia, which donated donkey carts tailored to ferry children safely and efficiently. The impact has been swift and profound.
Schoolmaster Demba Sowe of Sare Malaw Basic Cycle School described the change as immediate and visible. “Having these donkey carts facilitates their traveling and at the same time increases enrollment—in fact, boosts enrollment in early childhood development education,” he said. Punctuality has soared, pupils arrive less fatigued, and attentiveness in class has improved markedly. Academic performance has also seen noticeable gains.
“This donkey cart is just like a vehicle to these students, so they like riding it to come to school,” the principal added. “It has improved their regularity and punctuality.”
Parents and community members have embraced the initiative as a simple yet transformative step in the fight against zero school dropout. They express relief knowing their children travel safely to and from school each day. Beyond mere transport, the carts symbolize opportunity, community commitment, and renewed hope for brighter futures through education.
Similar efforts are underway elsewhere. In Lamin, North Bank Region, ChildFund has distributed bicycles to pupils facing mobility barriers. Over 1,000 bicycles—part of broader pledges to provide more than 3,000 to disadvantaged children—have been handed over to complement rural education access initiatives.
Principal Samba Gay of Lamin Basic Cycle School praised the bicycles for allowing pupils to reach school earlier and return home sooner, leaving more time for homework and rest. “It helps pupils to reach school earlier and reach home earlier, which makes them study at home and perform better in class,” he said.
Grade five pupil Fana Ceesay shared her story: “We used to walk from Mbantang to Lamin, and we got tired. When we are late, our teachers beat us.” Now, with a bicycle, those hardships are easing.
These developments were highlighted during a recent ChildFund media tour, underscoring the organization’s ongoing commitment to tackling barriers to education in The Gambia’s rural heartlands. By addressing transportation head-on, such interventions not only keep children in school but also empower entire communities toward lasting change.
