Afrikaya: Progress and celebrations in The Gambia

Di Miles, one of the founders and trustees of the Afrikaya Charity, has been awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office's New Year's Honors List. This honor recognizes her longstanding commitment to the Afrikaya project and education in The Gambia.

School cooks Ndey and Nyima have successfully completed their level 2 food safety course and received their certificates – funded by the AEB-Stiftung.

Another happy event: a new little resident was born. A goat called Moonbeam is now a source of excitement for the children.

In March, Di Miles officially received her MBE award directly from Princess Anne at Windsor Castle. She was accompanied by her colleagues Geoff, Sanjeen, and Helen. Her award is a significant moment for the whole Afrikaya team and highlights Di Miles' commitment to supporting education and children in The Gambia."

A former storeroom has been transformed into a lovingly designed library: A local carpenter built the shelves, an artist from the region painted the walls with cheerful motifs, and thanks to generous donations from supporters and AEB, the room was equipped with books and child-friendly furniture. The children use the library with great enthusiasm – a new favorite place to read, marvel, and play.

The kitchen and first-aid room were also renovated and refurnished with the help of AEB funds. Step by step, an even better place to learn and live is being created for the pre-school children – a place that not only provides education, but also a sense of security.

Afrikaya celebrates a decade since the opening of the preschool in The Gambia. As a special gift for the children, a music room is being built where the 3 to 8-year-old pupils can develop their musical skills.

This week, the children from the Afrikaya pre-school, who move on to elementary school in the summer, had a very special day: a trip to the nearby nature reserve followed by lunch at the idyllic Lamin Lodge on the riverbank.

Although these places are only a few kilometers away from the preschool, the day was a completely new experience for many of the children. Most of them had never visited the nature reserve or Lamin Lodge before – so the excitement was all the greater when the excursion finally started.

In the nature reserve, the children had the opportunity to discover the flora and fauna of their homeland up close. Exploring nature together was not only exciting, but also educational – a real adventure for the little ones.

Such experiences are particularly valuable for pre-school children: they promote social interaction, awaken curiosity about the world, and strengthen self-confidence – important building blocks for the upcoming transition to elementary school. We are grateful that we were able to make this special day possible for the children and are delighted that they have successfully completed their preschool years.