A major reason for establishing GES as a UK registered Charity has been the failure of GTS to raise enough funding for the school projects we would like to run just from income generation in Gambia.
Ultimately this still must be the aim, otherwise Gambian communities become totally reliant on charity support - which all too often ceases, leaving projects and children stranded.

The Dumbarton Group have shown the possabilities of raising a regular £500 a month in their area, to fund the Dumbarton School at London Corner, as magnificent as this is, the school is totally reliant on external funding and this is always a dangerous situation.

In a full year, GTS only managed to raise just enough to re-roof and fully refurbish, furnish and decorate the little 80 place nursery school at Bakoteh and a large amount of that was also raised via UK donations. The school is now open but the running costs are difficult to meet month on month, especially during the rainy season when income from tourists is at its lowest and there is still £450 required to complete the toilets and finish the kitchen so the school can provide a midday meal.

GTS hopes that fund raising channelled through GES will fund a growing number of Education projects as well as support the sponsored students that GTS has picked up since 1997, the broader the fund raising base the more secure the projects, but all projects will be urged to generate some of their own income.

BUT the future aim must be more than just funding schools and pupils, there is a massive need to aid effective teaching and GTS hope that GES will develop appropriate classroom materials and provide the GAP students and volunteers to support Gambian teachers in delivering them, - to that end we would eventually like to build a "teaching the teachers" school to help and support the existing education base in Gambia as well as running a model "self funding" school.