Find Friends

The first school year come to an end and we have the next problem.

Lamin has no school uniform and can't go to school since more than a month.  He wrote me: "I use to borrow a uniform from a friend of mine, he took them back from me and he is using them, I have not one that's why am not going to school."
Now I try to get contact to the headmaster. I asked him, if it is possible to pay the uniform from the school fee, or how much money he need. But I get no answer. Now I try to reach contact to the German help project team - no answer. Sometimes it is not easy to help.
It can't be, that Lamin don't go to school because of missing this uniform.
The time run and run. Lamin don't visit the school and I can't find a way to help. I fear, that we lose an entire school year if no conclusion Lamin gets.

A member asked me: What's happening with Lamin meanwhile?
It is right. Since my first blog about Lamin is a bit out-of-date. I want to tell you guys how the story is going on.

I had read in the internet: In Gambia everything needs a bit longer. That is the truth. I have experienced it.

Yes, Lamin visited the new school, but it wasn't so easy to make it possible.

The first difficulty was that Lamin needed the transfer documents from his old school. It needs weeks until he can talk with the principal and get this important documents. My task was to find a way to send the money to Gambia. A normal transfer is too much expensive. Lamin's new school is a part of a German help project and these guys helped me to transfer the money to the director.

Then everything was clear and Lamin said: "I need shoes, a uniform, a bag and a bicycle." In this moment I was not sure if Lamin really wanted to visit the school.  But in the end he got a uniform and went to school by foot. And the important point is that he visited the school, but the life in Gambia is still difficult and a daily fight for future.


If anybody like to talk with Lamin, you can meet him on MSN. In a small internetcafe on the sunny side of black Africa.  

I would like to tell of my friend Lamin from the Gambia. In March 2007 I became acquainted with him. He told me that he cannot finish the school, because his family cannot pay the school money/fee longer. He would like to study and become physician/doctor. Lamin was on a very expensive privat school. So much money I could not and I want not send to an unknown person. So I began to investigate, what can I do for my friend.

Thus I advertised in the Englishbaby forum and a young woman from Germany  get in touch with me. She worked as a trainee in the Gambia and she became acquainted with the director of a school in Brikama. This man I told Lamins story. He should get to know for me whether I am to help Lamin or not. Lamin visited the director in the meantime and the history took a surprising turn.

Lamin will change the school and will go in the future into the school of the director. For this year it is too late for a new beginning, but in August he start the new school year. Lamin wants to be a good schoolboy. I let me surprise.   I will pay the school money. In the future I don't eat my meal in the enterprise and I will eat only something fruit. Thus I become slimmer and get the money for Lamins school together. I call this double benefit. I will here in the future report like history continue to go. I hope everything become good and Lamin get his graduation.