Library Expansion:

[Can you do a book drive?  Raise funds to provide additional shelving, electricity, a bathroom, a better ceiling or flooring for the library?  Donate computers to the library?  Raise funds for internet installation?]

During the 2009 summer program, we built a children’s library and stocked it with over 3000 books collected in a book drive in Monroe, Connecticut.  These books will help the girls expand their reading skills and enlarge their imaginations to all that is possible.  Reading is freedom and with access to computers and the internet, we can assure continuity of the tutorials even after our volunteers finish their periods of service and leave The Gambia.  We are currently seeking funding to equip and expand the Library with such things as additional shelving, a bathroom, better ceiling and flooring, electricity, and computers. 

Mobile Library:

[Can you donate a bus or a van that will serve as a mobile library?  Can you raise funds that can go towards purchasing a bus or van that can serve as a mobile library?  Can you send books and other school materials for a mobile library?  Can you volunteer as a Reading Tutor in The Gambia next summer 2010?]

Currently, there is one national library located in the capital city of the country.  English competency is directly linked to reading skills.  When the majority of the children in the country neither live in the capital city nor have access to library books, their chance to succeed in English becomes minimal.  We cannot, at present, build a Reading Center in every village, but with a library bus, we can put books in the hands of children who desperately need them.  Children would meet the bus at designated villages every month and exchange books as well as be read to by reading tutors.

Teacher Training and Study Abroad Opportunities:

[Are you a teacher or head of department who can establish a distance learning course between your department and Starfish to train teachers in The Gambia?  Can you plan and execute a workshop in December, April or between May and August in The Gambia?  Are you a student or teacher interested in helping get computers and training materials to The Gambia?  Are you interested in hosting one or more Gambian trainees to come to the U.S.?  Are you an individual or a part of a group interested in raising funds to support this goal?]

Individuals who are able to establish a link between their institution and Starfish to either facilitate distance learning or study abroad opportunities are highly welcome.

In addition to establishing an Academy of Excellence, we plan on complementing it with a teacher training center.  Such a center will expand our reach in the provision of innovative educational techniques that will benefit many more children than those attending our school.  A well stocked and maintained facility and partnerships with schools in the United States that can provide distance learning classes to Gambian teachers particularly in Math, English, Science, and Environmental Studies, would be invaluable to our program. 

We plan to facilitate additional training in the United States for Gambian teachers who might need such training and cannot otherwise receive it in The Gambia.  In these cases, colleges offering work-study programs to help our teacher trainees pay for the expenses they will incur during such sojourns would also be necessary.

Finally, a study abroad collaboration where students and teachers from the United States can come to The Gambia to participate in workshops and trainings beneficial to both The Gambians and their Western counterparts would go a long way in assuring the sustainable nature of our programs.  Most importantly, it will keep our Gambian professionals in their country that so desperately needs them without their having to sacrifice a quality education and exposure to cross-cultural experiences.

Container and Shipping Costs:

We need help with shipping costs for the containers that will be carrying donations and supplies from the United States to The Gambia for our program.  The estimated cost of sending a 20 foot container is $3000. 
 

Program Dormitory: 

One of our biggest aspirations is building a dormitory to house our volunteers.  Below is the floor plan of the dormitory which is estimated to cost $500,000. 

 Click image to enlarge

Academy of Excellence:

Our ultimate goal is to build a self-contained Academy of Excellence that will provide an advanced education for the Gambian girl child from preschool to graduate school.  Every aspect and participant of our educational process will aim to produce self-empowered girls and women who are motivated to serve humanity to their fullest.  In addition, our academy will provide a safe haven from which they can grow, blossom, and reach their highest potential.

We need resources and assistance building a facility where we can facilitate the recruitment and training of the populations we serve.  We envision our Academy of Excellence to include a preschool, an elementary school, a high school, a graduate school, a vocational center, and a teacher training center to train visiting teachers from other countries in Africa.  The facility will also include a theatre/performance hall, a library, a computer center, a community kitchen and dining hall, a gymnasium, and a dormitory. 

This facility is the epicenter of our dream and from this facility, built in The Gambia, West Africa, we will, with the help of many members of our human family from all continents who are willing and waiting, serve the girls and women of Africa.