CHS in The Gambia

Cheadle Hulme School has had an association with communities in The Gambia since 1998, with the first trip organised by the former Head of Geography. Stationery and clothes were taken and the group visited the High School and Kwenella School, near Tendaba. Another school in the village of Dumbuto had approached the School by 2000, and in 2002 a relationship with the Badrudeen Islamic School in Soma was developed. 

Since that time, charitable donations by the CHS Community have been used across a number of projects, with Sixth Form students visiting the area every two years to see how the funds are used and learn about life in the region. As well as supporting the school, help was also provided in the wider community by providing agricultural machinery, seeds and fertiliser, establishing a skills centre to train school leavers and supporting women with the development of a community cooperative.

As of 2019, Cheadle Hulme School Soma has 89 students on roll, 42 girls and 47 boys. The guaranteed “one meal a day” feeding programme, funded by our former Head of Geography, Ian Ray has meant an increase of 48% in enrolment. The children are aged 3-5 and approximately 63% come from very poor homes and will get their main meal of the day from the school. The School now has five classrooms, an office, kitchen, three toilets and a tap as a direct result of the funding from CHS.

Today, in 2023 we are committed to ensuring that every member of the CHS community is aware of this wonderful collaboration and how the partnership began. A group of CHS Sixth Form students and staff will travel to the Gambia for the first time in 5 years on Wednesday 13 – Thursday 21 December 2023 visiting Banjul and Soma.