Building Futures in The Gambia

12/05/2026

We're getting closer to completion but we still need more help to complete our brand new toilet block at BFiG Busumbala Nursery School. Take a look at https://www.bfigcharity.org/amazing-supporters-have.../ to see how we're doing.

Huge thanks to Matthew Wilmot and Sarah Pietsch for their very recent kindness. As soon as I get any kind of donation, it's spent straight away and School Manager Lamin Barrow sends me photos. I want everyone to see where the money is going.

We still have work to do to complete our brand new toilet block. Go and visit https://www.bfigcharity.org/donate/ if you'd like to help.

Thank you for all the support we've received and are receiving.

10/05/2026

Find out about Education and Gender Equality in The Gambia. And there are lots of photos and videos if you're a visual learner. 🙂

What is gender inequality in The Gambia? Discover how nursery education, inclusion and equal opportunity are helping children at BFiG Busumbala Nursery School.

09/05/2026

A journey from Banjul to Dakar in three parts culminating in a confrontation with an air conditioning unit. Read the entire Senegal adventure at https://www.bfigcharity.org/lamin-and-the-road-to-dakar/ and https://www.bfigcharity.org/lamin-and-teranga/ and https://www.bfigcharity.org/lamin-and-the-air-conditioning/

Find ALL of my 'Travels With Lamin' series (so far) at https://www.bfigcharity.org/travels-with-lamin/

08/05/2026

There’s a lot to be thankful for at BFiG Busumbala Nursery School in The Gambia ❤️

https://www.bfigcharity.org/thankful-for-amazing-progress-at-bfig-busumbala-nursery-school/

Our new toilet block now has its first fully tiled and operational cubicle 🚿

Our school garden is thriving 🌱

And our “Emmanuel Trees” are growing beautifully. Thank you, Emmanuel Sch Walsall 🌳

Huge thanks to Lamin Barrow, Mariama (Sibo) Fatty, Mariama (Aja) Jaiteh and School Nanny Mero for all their hard work.

And special thanks to Sharon Walcott, Matthew Wilmot and Stuart White for their recent incredible kindness and support ❤️

Read the full update with LOTS of photos and videos here:
https://www.bfigcharity.org/thankful-for-amazing-progress-at-bfig-busumbala-nursery-school/

BFiG Busumbala Nursery School is thankful and celebrates kindness, new toilets, growing gardens and community support helping children in The Gambia thrive.

05/05/2026

We’ve had to move fast—but we’ve done it.

Our old toilets are now out of action, so in just a few days we’ve completed and opened the first cubicle in our brand new toilet block at BFiG Busumbala Nursery School 🚽

It’s a huge step forward for hygiene, dignity and daily school life for our children—and there’s more to come, including sinks, showers and a fully tiled finish.

The school is growing. The environment is improving. But we still need your help to finish the job and support a third teacher.

Take a look at the full update and see the impact for yourself 👇

https://www.bfigcharity.org/new-toilet-block-now-in-use-at-busumbala-nursery-school/

New toilet block now in use at Busumbala Nursery School, The Gambia. Improved sanitation, hygiene and facilities are transforming daily life for children.

30/04/2026

My first visit to a police station in The Gambia...

A humorous Travels With Lamin story about peanuts, photography, a broken taxi and an unexpected visit to a Gambian police station.

27/04/2026

Boys vs girls in education in The Gambia…
It’s not as simple as you might think.

Some girls still face real barriers.
Some boys leave school early to work.

And yet—progress is happening.

In our classrooms, boys and girls learn side by side.

Because the goal isn’t equality on paper…
It’s opportunity in real life. ❤️

👉 Read more:

Are boys and girls treated equally in education in The Gambia? Explore real challenges, progress, and why early years schooling matters.

24/04/2026

A simple ramp… but a huge step forward 💙

https://www.bfigcharity.org/inclusive-education-in-the-gambia-a-simple-ramp/

At BFiG Busumbala Nursery School in The Gambia, we’ve added a new access ramp to our toilet block—helping ensure that children with mobility needs can access school facilities safely and with dignity.

This was inspired by Ebrima, a pupil who once struggled to attend school because of mobility challenges. His story changed how we think—and how we build.

We may not have a child needing it right now… but the next one who does will be ready and welcomed.

👉 Inclusive education matters. Always.

Read more: https://www.bfigcharity.org/inclusive-education-in-the-gambia-a-simple-ramp/

Accessible and inclusive education in The Gambia: see how a simple ramp at BFiG Busumbala Nursery School is breaking barriers for children with mobility needs.

23/04/2026

🌍 A normal day at Busumbala Nursery School… but nothing here is ordinary.

Go and visit https://www.bfigcharity.org/busumbala-nursery-school-a-day-of-learning-growth/ and you'll see photos and videos of:-
📚 Children learning
🌱 Trees growing
🚽 New facilities taking shape

We’re so close to our next big step—opening a third classroom in 2026.But we need your help to make it happen ❤️👉 Support a teacher. Support a future.👉 Donate: https://www.bfigcharity.org/donate/



With continuing honourable mentions to Albert Pritchard Infant and Wood Green Junior Federated Schools and Emmanuel Sch Walsall

https://www.bfigcharity.org/busumbala-nursery-school-a-day-of-learning-growth/

A glimpse into daily life at Busumbala Nursery School in The Gambia—learning, growth, new facilities, and a call to fund a third teacher for 2026.

21/04/2026

Posted this on Youtube a while back. It's a highlights video of my January 2026 visit to West Africa.

Please visit https://www.bfigcharity.org/ for the latest 'Building Futures in The Gambia' charity news and https://www.bfigcharity.org/travels-with-lamin/ for my new 'Travels With Lamin' West African travelogue. It might make you smile.

17/04/2026

🚧 Great progress at Busumbala Nursery School!

Our new toilet block is really taking shape—with recycled doors, showers soon to be installed and water access improving daily life for staff and children 💧

We still need a door for the last toilet—message me if you’d like to help.

Meanwhile, Lamin Barrow has also opened a small shop in Sankandi to support his family—just another example of his hard work and selflessness ❤️

Find out more at https://www.bfigcharity.org/busumbala-toilet-block-progress-lamins-new-shop/

Toilet block progress at Busumbala Nursery School and Lamin’s new shop show how kindness, innovation and community are building brighter futures.