12/10/2025
From Walking Distances to Learning Spaces: Faraba Sutu Inaugurated a New School
By: Ebrima A Jallow- Atlantic TV Gambia .
The community of Faraba Sutu in the Kombo East District, on Saturday, 11th October 2025, celebrated a milestone with the inauguration of its first-ever Lower Basic School. The initiative, spearheaded by the Alkalo, Alieu Sanyang, addresses the community's long-standing education challenge. Previously, students had to walk long distances to neighboring communities like Sohm, Kafuta, or Tumani Tenda to access education.
Speaking at the event, the Alkalo, visibly emotional, said the school would serve as a platform for kids to generate knowledge, skills, and attitude. He revealed that fulfilling his late parents' dream of building a school in the community brought him immense joy. The Alkalo also highlighted that the school would create employment opportunities for teachers and contribute to the community's development.
Ousman Kah, a representative of the Regional Director for Region 2 East, described the achievement as a milestone, noting that the school would reduce absenteeism and dropout rates. He emphasized that taking care of the school is a shared responsibility and challenged parents to ensure their children are guided positively at home. The representative also urged teachers to work tirelessly to help students realize their dreams and achieve their expectations in education.
The representative extended gratitude to the NGO that built the school, Gammol Foundation, and all individuals involved in making the project a success. The NGO's representative Omar Saidy, speaking at the event, attributed the project's success to the community's responsible handling of previous initiatives. He revealed that the school was built within three months and expressed his organization's happiness in being part of this milestone project.
Addressing the students, the guest speaker of the event, David Gomez, Director of Good Governance at the Ministry of Local Government and Lands, encouraged students to set a good record as the first students of the school, emphasizing that this would be a celebrated achievement. He challenged parents, as partners in education, to enroll and assist their children in accessing the school and further urged teachers to do their utmost best to provide the best to students.
A woman councilor, Binta Bah, head of a ward in the district, also donated a dustbin to the school. The event was attended by the Chief and some Alkalos in Kombo East, officials from the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, the Ministry of Local Government and Land, Ward Councillors, and officials from Brikama Area Council.
