In 1993 Hilary and Keith Walker took their honeymoon in
The Gambia. They were impressed by the warm welcome, friendly
handshakes and beaming smiles but were struck by the poverty, the
meager facilities and substandard living conditions. This was
particularly true of the education establishments and the idea of
rejuvenating The Gambian system with one of Educational Excellence was
born.
The Gambian people
deserve every scrap of help available to them not because they ask for
it (they are often too proud to) but because they are entitled to the
same opportunities in this life as those who were born in the Western
World. Hillary and Keith's visit caused them to reassess their lives
and subsequent visits to The Gambia triggered a love for both the
country and it's people and they decided to give back to life through
the formation of this charity and the establishment of the "Wonder
Years Centre of Excellence".
The first Wonder Years Centre of Excellence is to be built in a small village called Medina Salaam which is situated on the main costal road near the Senegalese boarder between Gunjur and Kartung. So far South, it is away from the hustle and bustle of the busy town's of Serekunda and Banjul, and also from the Atlantic Coast resorts centred around the tourist hub, Senegambia, Bakau, Kololi and Fajara..
Medina Salaam is a young village and was founded in 1987. At the last census which was taken in October 2001 there were only 692 inhabitants in the village. As yet there are no figures availablefor the number of children between the ages of 0 -18 but the Centre of Excellence will cater for ALL the children in Medina Salaam and will even accomodate some children from neighbouring villages.
The census also revealed that there are currently 41 inhabited compounds and 141 uninhabited compounds - these are in fact plots of land that have been set aside for village growth. The existing compounds in Medina Salaam are exceptionally beautiful. All of the compounds are large and spacious and most have self contained gardensfor growing fruit and vegetables which are sold locally or consumed by the family. Most also have a well within their grounds so clean water is never far away. Many of the villagers are craftspeople and the compound fences are often particularly attractive.
