Smiling Child: Celebrate end of year for a good cause!

My Magazine 2022/01
3 min
Last month Mark & Jacco were in The Gambia again. A journey of no less than two weeks was the sign of "building on" and saying goodbye. Mark and Jacco decided to continue building with the 4th and 5th grade classrooms of the elementary school. Many and special connections were made, but above all it was time to say goodbye again. It would be a long time before the initiators of the foundation returned again.

The enthusiasm and kindness radiates from our teachers. Their big heart is the cause of too many children in our school. This made us realize that there is a capacity problem at school. Thanks to an appeal through the social media channels of the foundation, we got the confidence to build not only the 4th classroom, but also the 5th classroom for the elementary school Smiling Child.

 

Sponsors from the Netherlands and Gambia joined hands to help our schools. The capacity problem will soon be solved! We are very happy and grateful. Fortunately, we know for sure that every donation ends up well, thanks to the transparency, dedication and our special bond with the teachers!

While we are there, we are steaming towards the end of the year! The time of sharing, giving and spending together. The time to reflect on loved ones, prosperity and good fortune with which one is blessed in the Western world. It is also the time for reflection and realizing that giving and sharing will bring you more than greed. Care about children in poverty and help them to increase their chances for a better future through sound and good education!

For this reason, a call to the readers of My Gambia.

Make a difference in the lives of over 400 children and become a friend of our foundation. You become a friend of our foundation by making a monthly donation to the foundation. No strings attached and you remain in control of your donations. We believe in valuable gifts and heart-warming contributions to our foundation. Please contact the foundation and become an ambassador: info@smilingchildofthegambia.nl

After 18 months we were able to go to The Gambia twice in a short period of time

Due to the virus we could not go to The Gambia for 18 months. In the recent period, due to easing measures, we had the opportunity to travel back to our second home twice within 4 months. We embraced our children and we enjoyed their presence. The children are doing well in our school. When the exams were administered in June we realized that we are making a real difference. The children scored with high marks and were recognized by the Ministry of Education as one of the best schools in The Gambia. A sublime result that deserves to be celebrated. Therefore, we quickly decided to go back again within 4 months.

When we decided in April 2017 to sponsor this school and give the children a chance for a better future we did not think we could achieve so much in a short time. We are incredibly proud of this. Working for our foundation is therefore our own passion. With love, attention and a lot of fun we are committed to making a difference in the lives of our children. We like to share that with others, so commit to our foundation and make a real impact!

We had to say goodbye at the end of our trip. Unfortunately, we will not return until June 2022, but than for a whole month! We are looking forward to it with great longing. And in the meantime it is a period of great loss, but we know that when we return we can always give more love and contribute more to the developments for these children. Loads of love!

We wish you happiness, prosperity and love. May your Holiday Season be bright and joyful!


Important note: all pictures shared in this article are copyrighted by Jacco Verschoor of Smiling Child of The Gambia. Parents, children and teachers have given their approval to publish pictures for the benefit of our foundation.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jacco Verschoor
Initiator and one of the founders of Smiling Child of The Gambia
I am Jacco Verschoor (32), The Netherlands. Initiator of Smiling Child of The Gambia, founded with Mark Leeuwis. Our foundation is committed to (underprivileged)pour children in primary education in Lamin-Kerewan, The Gambia. Not only do we support the children with school fees, we also build a safe and hygienic educational environment. It is our aim to give the children a better chance for a bright future! Our foundation was established in April 2017. Since then, we travel 3 times a year to The Gambia. In the Netherlands, my daily profession is an international event manager and currently, I am setting up my own company: Creators of Live.
The Foundation: Smiling Child of The Gambia, since 2017 officially registered in The Netherlands.
It’s every child’s right to learn. With a smile! Follow our socials.

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