Support Sama
Sama, a deaf boy in my village, quickly stole my heart. Nearly every day, he comes to the library to visit me and flip through the books. He tries to communicate through gestures, often draws me pictures and is always the first kid to run up to me waving and smiling when he sees me around the village.
I would love more than anything to give him a chance at a future other than gathering wood. Please help me send him to the deaf school so he can get an education.
To donate, click here and make your payment through GambiaRising.
Read more about his story below.
At first glance, Sama is just like all the other students in his fourth grade class at Sibanor Lower Basic School. He sits attentively at the front of the room, copying everything his teacher writes on the board into his exercise book. When he’s finished, he eagerly shows his work to his teacher so it can be checked.
But Sama isn’t like all the other students in class. He is deaf. And the words he copies in his notebook have little meaning to the boy who can’t hear the teacher’s explanation.
Sama’s desire to learn is obvious. He tries to participate in class, although he barely understands and cannot speak, and he spends a lot of his free time browsing picture books in the library. But his best efforts can’t make up for teachers who aren’t trained to cater to his special needs.
Sama would have a chance at a better future if he attended St. John’s Basic Cycle School for the Deaf, the only institution of its kind in The Gambia – a school nearly 100 kilometers away from his home.
Sama’s parents have wanted to send him to the deaf school, but don’t have the financial means to pay for transportation costs or accomodations with a family close to the school. So, Sama attends the local school where he is passed from grade to grade despite his inability to understand the material.
“I could send my son to the bush to help his father make charcoal or keep him home to help me around the compound,” his mother said in her local language of Mandinka. “But I send him to school every day, hoping he will learn even if he can’t hear and is only looking at the board. His father and I did not have the chance to be educated, and we would do anything to give our children that opportunity.”
To donate, click here and make your payment through GambiaRising.
–JDF
Hi Jessica,
I have great news! My students want to assist Sama on his quest to attend the school for the deaf. We asked our principal, Mrs. Case, if we could hold a school fundraiser for raising money and she said, “Yes!” We will be working on that in the next few weeks. Hopefully, the principal at Guy ES will also agree and we can pool the money from the whole community. We like supporting you and your unselfish projects to help others. Thanks for being an inspiration.
Mrs. Winnemore and the GATE kids
Mrs. Winnemore and GATE students,
Thank you so much for your amazing support. We appreciate it more than you know. I certainly couldn’t do this job without support from people like you!
Jessica
Hi Jessica,
After our first week of collecting “Cents for Sama,” Eva Wolfe has brought in about $400. We’re hoping to reach our goal of at least $500 by the end of next week. Let us know how many years this will afford Sama to go to camp.
Thanks!
Cheryl
Thank you so much for your fundraising efforts! It is quite amazing and I know Sama and his family will be forever grateful. He needs about $165 USD per year to pay for school materials, a uniform, transportation, a host family and other school-related fees. So, $500 will pay for about 3 years of schooling. Add that to other donations that have come in and together, we have already raised enough to send Sama to the school for the deaf through Grade 7!
You are so very welcome, Jessica. Our collection ended today and we brought in a total of $823.45!!!!! We are so happy to help your friend, Sama. I will be transferring the money through Pay pal later in the week. Please let us know if it was received and how much you now have in your fund. We hope Sama and his family are feeling terrific. Please keep in touch about his new adventures when he goes to school. We’d love to hear about his progress. THANKS!
Thank you again! We have received the money and are working to get everything ready for him to start school. Sama’s family has been able to communicate to him that he will be going to the school for the deaf and he is thrilled. I will definitely post pictures when school begins. Thank you for making this possible!