The document discusses a school visit by a teacher, Miss Riddle, to Samba Njabeh school in The Gambia. The Gambia is the smallest country in mainland Africa located on the west coast. Facilities at Samba Njabeh school are more basic than typical UK schools, with no technology, outdoor toilets, and students collecting water daily. Class sizes are also larger with 45-50 students per classroom. Miss Riddle helped students with English and literacy activities during her visit. Money raised by the UK school will help buy books and supplies for the Gambian classrooms.

1. Here is the world. Can anyone tell us where
Africa is?

2. The Gambia is the smallest mainland country in Africa.
It’s on the west coast, the red arrow shows you where
it is

3. It is a long thin country 40 miles north
and south of the river Gambia.

4. Our school is twinned with Samba Njabeh school in the
Gambia. Miss Riddle, one of our Larch centre teachers, went
over to visit. Their facilities are a little different to ours. We’ve
got some images of them show you.

5. This is their library...no iPads here!

6. These are the toilets.

7. This is the kitchen.

8. While Miss
Riddle was in
the Gambia,
she helped the
students with
their English.
They value
learning
languages as it
could help
them to secure
a job.

9. The school does not have its own water supply.
Every day the students and staff at the school
have to collect their daily supply.
We often take things in our lives for granted -
imagine not having a running tap?

10. Miss Riddle did some active literacy with the
young people while she was there - here they
are enjoying reenacting ‘we’re going on a
bear hunt’.

11. The young people at
Samba Njabeh have to
do all their class work in
their exercise books or
on the blackboard. They
copy the maths from the
blackboard into their
exercise book and work
them out.

12. They learnt to play volleyball!

13. There are lots of pupils at
Samba Njabeh and because
there are not enough
classrooms, some children
come in the morning and
others in the afternoon.
Most classrooms have 45 to
50 pupils. How does this
compare to your class
sizes?

14. At lunchtime, the students like to play in the
sand.

15. They also grow vegetables and fruit for the
market.

16. The wildlife is Gambia is astounding - here
are some examples of the creatures Miss
Riddle saw.

17. “We are so
grateful for all
the money
you have
raised at
Simon Balle.
We can now
buy books and
stationery for
our
classrooms”