County council helps schools in The Gambia to save lives on
roads
by STEVE GRAVENOR
ESSEX County Council has responded to a request for aid to schools in The Gambia, West Africa, by donating its
outdated school crossing patrol lollipop signs for use on busy, main roads.
The request came by way of the Kingfisher Trust, a charity which specifically targets children by providing
basic school equipment.
Charity officials made the appeal after witnessing a number of children knocked down outside their schools in
the West African country.
"Some schools are used three times a day, so it's like having three schools in one building," said a
spokeswoman. "The amount of children per day, from one school alone, is over 2,000 between the ages of three and
16.
"We are hoping that, by introducing the lollipop sticks, we can save some lives and stop some of these children
from becoming disabled in the future."
Essex school crossing signs are converting to the European directive which requires symbols rather than
words.
However, the old-style signs with the words "Stop - Children" will not pose a problem in The Gambia, where
English is the official language.
Six signs were supplied for trial by The Gambia Education Department to assess their effectiveness.
Now approved for use, all old-style lollipop signs from Essex can be supplied to The Gambia, where there are
about 200 schools on main roads.
Ray Howard, chairman of highways and transportation committee at Essex County Council, said: "I am delighted
that we are able to assist in this excellent undertaking."
Kingfisher presents road signs to Bakau School
by Mohammed Fauzee
The founder and national coordinator of the Kingfisher Trust in The Gambia, Simon Wezel, wednesday afternoon,
presented two stop road signs to the Bakau Primary School.
Mr Wezel said the signs could be used in the morning and afternoon when children cross the roads into and out of
the school compound.
He demonstrated to the children how the signs could be used to cross the road safely.
Accepting the gift, Mariama Njie, the headmistress of the school noted: The signs could not have come at a
better time. Just the previous Wednesday morning, a school girl was knocked down by a car as she attempted to cross
the road." She thanked Kingfisher Trust for the gesture.
The short ceremony was chaired by the deputy head-teacher, Susan Carvalho and ,school children
|