Our mission is to provide educational opportunities for the Gambian girl-child at every level of her academic life while at the same time providing international service opportunities for our participants. We are prioritizing the education of girls because as the primary educators of the next generation, their education guarantees the excellence of future society.
Project 1: Dimbalanteh (“Helping One Another“)
The program involves two 4-week intensive summer school sessions called Dimbalanteh (“Helping One Another“) at St. Peter’s Senior Secondary School in Lamin Village, The Gambia, West Africa.
Goals:
*To provide classes for 200 girls at St. Peter’s Senior Secondary School in Lamin Village. There
will be 3 classes in a morning session and 3 classes in an afternoon session. The morning
sessions will consist of remedial classes in Mathematics, English, and Science and the
afternoon sessions will consist of classes in Art, Health, and Career Development.
*To provide a scholarship fund for scholarships that cover the minimal cost of school fees,
uniforms, and other school supplies for our 200 girls’ kindergarten, elementary, middle,
and high school education.
*To put the finishing touches on the library we built last summer by adding electricity, a ceiling
and a floor, additional shelving and books, a bathroom, and a community room.
*To facilitate workshops that supplement the summer classes and deal with issues that are
equally important in determining our students’ academic success including: Nutrition, Disease
Prevention, Pre- and Post-Natal Health, Puberty, and Womanhood.
*To provide teacher-training workshops for Gambian Math, English and Science teachers.
*To work alongside the Starfish Girls as they carry out their service projects within their
neighborhoods. Some of the service projects already identified include: Establishing
Community Gardens, Erosion Prevention Projects, First-Aid Training, and Public Health
Advocacy.
*To expose our volunteers to Gambian culture and foster a sense of mutual appreciation for
cross-cultural exchange.
Facilities:
Classes will be conducted on the St. Peter’s Senior Secondary School campus in Lamin Village. Volunteers will reside in housing provided by Starfish International. Each residence will have running water, electricity, and indoor plumbing. There will be a housekeeper for each residence, whose responsibility will be cooking, dishwashing, and laundry, but the rest of the household duties will be the responsibility of the household members.
Duration and Cost:
Sessions 1: June 28th - July 23rd
Session 2: July 26th - August 20th
Volunteers can serve for any number of weeks during the program. The program fee is $500.00/week and covers, accommodations, meals, weekly program excursions, project related transportation, and shuttle service to and from the Gambian airport. Participants are responsible for airfare and any personal travel within The Gambia.
Volunteer Information Packet with Application:
The Volunteer Information Packet include important information for prospective volunteers. If you have any further questions, please contact us at: admin@starfishinternational.org.