Riding to Success: Fatou’s Journey to Education

OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO EDUCATION ACCESS

Fatou, a bright-eyed 13-year-old from the Upper River Region, had always dreamed of becoming a teacher. But as the youngest of seven children in a poor farming household, her chances of completing school looked slim. Her parents struggled to cover the costs of uniforms, books, and supplies and often kept her home to help with chores and care for her younger siblings.

“I loved learning, but I missed so many classes that I started to fall behind,” Fatou recalls. “I worried I would have to drop out like my older sisters.”

In The Gambia, poverty and gender norms keep many children, especially girls, out of school. The UN works with the government and communities to provide holistic solutions, including strengthening social protection programs. In 2023, over 51,775 vulnerable households received cash transfers and in-kind assistance, giving families the means to send their children to school.

“When my family started getting the cash every month, my parents could finally afford to keep me in school consistently,” Fatou shares. “It was like a weight lifted off all of our shoulders.”

Fatou is one of an estimated 258,875 children reached by these social protection initiatives. Alongside cash transfers, the UN invests in targeted measures to dismantle specific access barriers. For example, through the Zero Out of School Children Project, 15,350 students received cash support, 500 were provided bicycles to get to school, and 300 received specialised learning materials for disabilities.

These efforts are complemented by community-level engagement to shift norms and build support for education. Working with traditional and religious leaders, UN partners conducted outreach in over 1,000 communities this year, emphasising the value of schooling, especially for girls. As a result, a remarkable 30,000 out-of-school children were enrolled.

For Fatou, the bicycle she received from the project was a game-changer. With a reliable way to get to school, she can now consistently attend classes and keep up with her studies. Once unsure about investing in her education, her parents now beam with pride at her progress.

“Fatou is so driven and hardworking - I know she will achieve her dream of becoming a teacher,” says her father, Ebrima. “Seeing her pedal off to school each morning reminds me of how education can unlock a better future for our whole family.”

As Fatou’s experience shows, dismantling barriers to access demands tackling root causes like poverty while delivering practical solutions to get kids in school and learning. With sustained effort and partnership, a Gambia where every child can access their right to education is within reach.