By: Alieu Jallow
The Salimatou Foundation for Education (SaFE), known for its advocacy on education, has established a Spelling Bee Competition that aims to boost the critical, intellectual, and cognitive capacity of young pupils.
Salimatou Fatty, the founder of the SaFE, believes that the competition will enhance participants’ self-esteem and ensure continuous reading among pupils, noting that the initiative will also warrant the Gambia’s visibility and recognition on global stages, enabling pupils to compete with their counterparts in African and Global Spelling Bee Competitions.
“The significance of this initiative can’t be overemphasized, but there is a certain importance it holds for the Gambia educational system which can’t be left unnoticed thus participants get the chance to participate outside of The Gambia and compete with other children around the continent.
“This will undoubtedly put [the] Gambia on the continental stage, and on the global [stage] as well. So, we deem it fitting to contribute our quota in education by bringing a competitive educational initiative like this. The children alone competing amongst themselves will help harness their potential,” Fatty said.
Salimatou Fatty further emphasized that initiatives like this would go a long way in promoting literacy, providing children with a positive goal to work towards and giving them a platform to display the fruits of their hard work. The ultimate objective of the initiative is to help develop the child’s critical thinking, self-confidence, and problem-solving techniques, with an eye to having representatives at the African Spelling Bee in Ethiopia and the Global Finals in Washington, United States of America later this year.
“Participants are in two categories: Junior (Age 10-13) and Senior (Age 14-16). A total of 37 Participants qualified for the Regional Spelling Bee.
“Unfortunately, two of which [sic] can’t make it to the Finale, one as a result of the recent operation and the other [one is] out of the country. In each category, 3 Participants will qualify for the African Spelling Bee. That is 6 Participants in total”.
Initiatives like this are crucial for The Gambia’s educational system, as they provide an opportunity for participants to participate outside of The Gambia, compete with other children around the continent, and put The Gambia on the continental and global stages. Therefore, it is essential to contribute to education by bringing a competitive educational initiative like this. The children alone competing amongst themselves will help harness their potential.
