Letter from the New Board

A new board is now working to get all the schools up and running again, just as they were three years ago. This effort depends on having you, our sponsors, on board—and, of course, we’d love to have more sponsors. Fortunately, we on the new board have strong faith that you will help our underprivileged students. We know there are many kind-hearted people out there who want to help underprivileged children get an education and a better future.

Those of us who have worked with Butterfly Friends for many years are familiar with the schools, students, staff, and the Gambian Ministry of Education. All of our students are proud to attend Butterfly Friends’ schools. An official from the Ministry of Education said in his speech at the graduation ceremony two years ago that all schools in The Gambia should look to Butterfly Friends’ schools as a model—in terms of the quality of students, teachers, and the schools’ interior and exterior. Over the past four years, five students—three girls and two boys—have graduated with the best exam results in junior high school in The Gambia. In the second year that students at our high school took exams, our school ranked fourth out of Gambia’s 123 high schools.

Butterfly Friends schools are excellent because we have well-educated teachers and students eager to learn, in addition to the fact that we have always had both books and school supplies. All Butterfly Friends teachers have two to four years of education from colleges and universities.

High schools in The Gambia use the same exam questions as five other West African countries. That is why it is important to have the same textbooks. There have been reports of unfairness and wage disparities among our staff in The Gambia. Preschool teachers do not have the same education as teachers in elementary, middle, or high schools, and just as in Norway, this results in different salaries. Seniority is also taken into account.

It has also been claimed that we have far too many cooks, janitors, and security guards, but it is important to understand that these people work under conditions that are completely different from those in Norway. They do not have access to efficiency-enhancing equipment and tools comparable to those in Norway, so it is not possible to compare Norway and The Gambia. For example, the cooks at New Jeshwang prepare meals for 1,200 people over open fires(!) every single day.

When small, poor students arrive in their own clothes and we replace them with the school uniform, their eyes light up with joy and pride. Parents often come and beg on their knees for a spot in school for their children. All parents today understand how important education is and know that our schools are among the best in the country. This means that Butterfly Friends is doing a fantastic job in The Gambia. We are helping to build up the country and are giving hope and dreams, pride, joy, and care to a great many people, both young and old.

One of our most important goals is for girls to understand that they have a right to an education and can get good jobs just like boys. This is by no means a given in today’s Gambia, which is why it’s important to us that 80% of the students at Butterfly Friends’ schools are girls.

Butterfly Friends extends a huge and heartfelt thank you to all of you sponsors who have made it possible to build one of The Gambia’s best school projects. Thank you to all of you who, over the past 18 years, have driven hundreds of kilometers to collect items, organized bazaars and Christmas markets, packed 47 containers for shipment to our schools, and so much, much more. Thank you also to the kind ladies who have worked tirelessly in our thrift store for nine years.

We’d also like to extend a huge thank you to all the students and teachers who have raised over one million kroner at Rosthaug/Buskerud High School, Sigdal and Roligheden Middle Schools, and the elementary schools in Vikersund, Sysle, Buskerud, Enger, Geithus, and Gol. We have received tremendous support over the years from so many kind-hearted people. Now we hope that you will all continue to support the work we do in The Gambia, and that even more people will want to help us as we move forward. Unfortunately, many Gambian schoolchildren face an uncertain future if we cannot get the organization back on its feet. We cannot just stand by and watch so many children lose their opportunities for the future. Sponsorship costs 200 kr. per month. Help us by becoming a sponsor! You can click here to sign up: become-a-sponsor