2024: Building a Future for Kerr Layen Kerr Layen School for 3 to 8 year olds from the village.

In 2024, Samba was running a school in Serrekunda, the largest urban center in the Gambia. While I was visiting, we sat by the pool at the apartment I was staying in, and began brainstorming an idea: what if Samba could open his own school in his home village of Kerr Layen? It’s hard to believe that just one year later, two of the three classrooms are already built, with the third under construction. Today, 60 children are attending school there, and I was there to witness their first day—a truly special moment.

While I was focused on the logistics of building the school and hiring teachers, I had not fully grasped the broader impact of this achievement. Samba shared with me a stark reality: 99% of children in Kerr Layen who are 7 or 8 years old are illiterate, and 80% drop out of school by age 14 to return to farming. Our new school, along with the dedication of Samba and his teachers, is changing that narrative. We are giving these children a chance at a brighter future—one where they have choices and opportunities.