By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh
On the 18th of March 2023, Alhasan Drammeh, a determined young man who used to walk on foot from Serre Kunda to Brikama for lectures, graduated from the University of the Gambia after seven years of struggle to get a degree which supposed to take him only four years.
Like hundreds of Gambians at the University of the Gambia, Alhassan Drammeh got enrolled at the University of the Gambia to pursue a bachelor’s degree within four years. However, for him, poverty would not allow him to be like most of his colleagues who are now having master’s degrees and living on the fat of the land.
In 2016, ambitious and motivated to acquire a degree, Alhassan got admission to the University. Earlier in his studies, he would walk on foot from Serre Kunda to Brikama for lectures because he couldn’t afford to pay fares to attend lectures.
“I was so broke on my first day of class in the UTG and other days that I had to walk to Brikama campus from Serre Kunda to attend lectures and return home on foot. On days, I called good days, I rode my bicycle to Brikama to attend lectures,” the newly graduated student pointed out.
After being broke and out of money to pay his tuition fees, Alhassan sought scholarships but couldn’t get any for three years. While searching for a scholarship, he would continue attending lectures but at the end of the semester, his grades will not be entered, and this had added more frustration to the young man who believed that only a good education will change his life.
“In the beginning, I wasn’t able to get a scholarship until my third year, when I finally got a MoHERST scholarship. The problem was that they refused to backdate and clear my arrears for the past three years, which amounted to D90,000. I didn’t have money to clear those arrears.
“Because I didn’t pay tuition fees at the beginning, most of the courses I did for the past three years were not entered, so I had to re-sit those courses for extra years.”
Alhassan has a great reputation for helping new students in the university during his time. He served as the Information and Communications minister for both the University of the Gambia Social Sciences and Humanities Students’ Association and the University of the Gambia Debate Association. According to him, helping people became therapeutic for him.
Attending lectures for three years without paying fees and marks not entered, he had to prolong his stay in the university for another three years, which accumulated to seven years instead of the required 8 semesters in four years.
Some of Alhasan’s batch mates in the university are now graduated with master’s degrees in different fields.
However, with sheer determination and willingness to succeed amidst poverty and challenges, he peddled through the frustration and graduated with Honors in Political Science at the University of the Gambia.
Alhasan, despite struggling to get a scholarship, has been engaged in volunteer teaching and other activities. He is a prolific debater and an excellent communicator and a public speaker. He has trained and mentored a great number of students in public speaking and debate.
A versatile young man, Alhasan is ready to serve and impact lives with his degree.
