Bakoteh Community Library

Bakoteh Community Library Project

Holiday volunteer Helen Scorer (now Helen Touray) and her brother Peter raised money to build a community library in the grounds of the large Bakoteh Proper Junior School. Kabiro Jabang, (who from July 2007 is no longer working with GETS) monitored the building progress throughout and welcomed additional donations for the project raised by Mrs. Smith who participated in a sponsored bike ride and Mr. Smith who stayed in the local pub and counted the money!

Ruth Ledger and her friend, Jo, who arrived in Gambia by car across the Sahara Desert (courtesy of the Plymouth Dakar charity Rally) raised further monies. Finally on February 23rd 2005 the Chairman of GETS members and staff joined the community's dignitaries and PTA representatives in a moving opening ceremony which was reported on Radio Gambia and Gambian Television.

The success of the Library has brought about (2007) the conversion of an old classroom adjoining the Library as a computer lab. Work is required to replace the old roofing to prevent leaks and the lab would benefit from a connection to its own metered power supply and its own phone connection for so it can be used more frequently for internet access and training.

Both Library and Computer lab require continued assistance.The library has several thousand books now on its shelves BUT many shelves are still empty and our continued task is to fill them with appropriate books and support the librarian with an assistant to run the unit effectively.

UK volunteers willing to help are most welcome.

If you are planning a trip to the Gambia please do consider bringing with you just two or three books and handing them into the GTS office in Kololi - if all visitors did this we would soon fill those empty shelves and also have stocks to supply other community libraries to be set up in the future. Books suitable for all ages are welcome as the library serves the whole community.

The school is in desperate need of full time and part time librarians and needs sponsors who will contribute to the annual cost of £900 to enable the library to be run and administered properly during the days and early evenings, as well as for study during the school holidays.

Please consider contributing sponsorship for this - it is as important if not more important than individual sponsorship as it is providing a resource for all the students and community members.