Sisters Protecting Young Children in Gambia: St. Albert’s Nursery School

In Gambia, poverty forces countless parents to work grueling hours just to provide the bare essentials for their families. For young children, this often means being left alone for hours every day, vulnerable and unsupervised. Nursery school-aged kids wander the streets while their parents work in markets or as domestic servants. On those streets, they face unimaginable dangers—from human traffickers to abuse—and miss out on the education that could help break the cycle of poverty.

Fabian and Fina’s story paints this heartbreaking reality. Their mother lost both of her legs after an illness and, without access to a wheelchair or prosthetics, struggled to move. Abandoned by her husband, she was left to care for seven children alone. With no other option, she had to leave her kids unsupervised while she worked in the market, praying they’d be safe until she returned. But hope arrived through St. Albert’s Nursery School and Sisters Rising Worldwide.

The Sisters of Saint Joseph d’ Annecy founded St. Albert’s to protect vulnerable children like Fabian and Fina. The school offers a secure, nurturing space for kids to learn and grow while their parents’ work. Thanks to a grant from SRW, St. Albert’s was able to waive school fees for 80 additional children, including Fabian and Fina, and complete urgent repairs to the school. Today, Fabian and Fina are no longer wandering the streets—they are thriving in the classroom, surrounded by care and opportunity.

Their mother is overwhelmed with gratitude to St. Albert’s and the SRW donors who gave her children a safe space, an education, and a brighter future. This is the power of hope, compassion, and community. Together, we can continue changing lives for families like theirs.