St. Philip's Lodge has been able to contribute to several projects through its charity collections over the years, but this visit was particularly special as it was to attend the opening of a lower basic school in Farafenni, which was funded by a legacy left by Mike's father, Peter Fry, who passed to the Grand Lodge Above in 2020.
The opening was certainly a joyous occasion, attended by over 100 members of the community of Farafenni, including government representatives, members of the armed forces, local religious leaders, and, of course, pupils and their parents from the new school.
The Gambia is known as the 'Smiling Face of Africa', and friendship and hospitality are seen in abundance, with music and dance never far away from any visit.
Free education for primary-age children is seen as key to the country developing a stable and prosperous future. But away from the heavily populated tourist beaches, attending school may mean a four-kilometre walk down a dusty, rutted track to a school with few educational facilities and resources.
Schools for Gambia was founded to prevent family poverty through their children's education. The importance of parental involvement was recognised with wells being built on school sites to encourage growing vegetables for pupils and their village communities. It was registered as a charity in 1998 and has grown and developed the range of support it has been able to provide since then, with over 22 schools having been built, primarily in rural, remote villages.
Mike is returning to The Gambia in November 2023 to assess progress on the school in Farafenni. He will also meet with Claudiana Ayo Cole, the Minister of Basic and Secondary Education, to identify where Schools for Gambia can utilise its support to make the most impact.
St. Phillip's Lodge is the only daylight lodge in Warwickshire, meeting at Knowle Masonic Rooms on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 11 a.m. from October to March.
