The School at Essau was the brain child of John and Kay Skingsley who registered their charity and raised funds for building classrooms and toilets connecting water, electrification of the school with a generator - their contact in Gambia was the Rev Jackson who they also supported personally.

Sadly the project ran into problems as the funds didn't seemnto be going where expected and finally John asked GTS to check out the electrics they had raised the money to install in the school, in the end John asked GTS to take over the schools administration in Gambia as he found it impossible to keep control from 3000 miles away.

The teachers are now paid regularly each month, the acting head Malick got food funding from the UN and GTS provided the capital to set upo a kitchen so the children can have a midday meal.

The numbers in the school have increased rapidly and totally outgrown the schools 3 classrooms - however the expansion was not agreed with GTS and the request for money for a new school room has had to be turned down.

John and Kay provided £200 to get a water connection from NAWEC but apart from registering the request which cost £4 the Rev has failed tio account for any of the other £196 - there is a water shortage on the north bank and a NAWEC embargo on new connections is now in place so staff have to carry water several hundred metres for cooking, washing and particularly for water to flush the toilets.

The toilets built by John and Kay are in urgent need of repair . . . .

. . . . as can be seen the doors are in a poor state and unless cementing is done before the rains there is a danger that the roof may come off and the walls be basdly damaged by the heavy rains.

GTS has agreed ti this work from our general funds and the community will provide the labour as their contribution.

GES is not currently funding this project - just administering it - as John and Kay still have enough to cover teacher salaries BUT in 2006 GTS will be looking for funding from GES if the school is to remain open.

We need sponsors who are prepared to help.

Essau is on the north bank and sponsors are encouraged to visit their projects if they visit Gambia - there can be no better day out than a trip to a school you are funding, the visit involves a wonderful look at Gambian life on the Banjul ferry boat and a short taxi ride to the school.

The return trip can take in the fort at Barra - actually dating back to just after the abolition of slavery, but more recently used by the Briotish during both world wars.

The Essau school will benefit from the nursery curriculum, teaching resources and teacher training we are developing for Bakoteh and we expect it to represent GES on the North bank of the Gambia as a model school.

The school, being larger than Bakoteh will require an annual budget of slightly more than £3000 - which means finding 30 people prepared to fund us at the rate of £2 a week.

Sadly plenty of funding is wasted in 3rd world countries - many charities pay their volunteers flights and accommodation, often the resources are depleted by over charging for materials or simply to bribe corrupt officials who know a school is foreign funded.

We can assure sponsors that money donated to GES is as closely monitored in Gambia by GTS as it is accounted for in the UK by GES, your money really does go to the projects.

GTS charges a 10% support charge to each projects total annual expenditure - this is used to fund the Gambian staff so they can concentrate 100% on sponsored students and projects, leaving dedicated support staff to host visitors and GTS members.