Interview with the Steve Sinnott Young Ambassadors in The Gambia

We interviewed two of our young ambassadors in The Gambia about their experience of working with The Steve Sinnott Foundation and Send My Friend To School as campaigners for Education For All.

 

Both Fatoumatta Jabbi and Therese P. Mendy have worked to promote Education For All with Send My Friend to School and The Steve Sinnott Foundation, campaigning to help women and children in their communities understand the importance of education and enrol at school.



SSF - What did you learn from your time as an SSF young ambassador?

 

Fatoumatta - As a young ambassador, I have learned that children especially girls faced big hurdles such as cultural intolerance, remote locations, violent conflict, and poverty which are factors that prevent girls from receiving the basic human rights of education. 

 

Therese - I have learned a lot during my time as SSF young ambassador. I have learned to appreciate people with different backgrounds and understand that due to certain circumstances surrounding them can affect their ways of living.



SSF – Did you enjoy being an SSF Ambassador, was it hard or easy?

 

Fatoumatta - I have really enjoyed speaking for the voiceless children which had always been my passion but the journey wasn't quite easy as it went through some rigorous processes. Campaigning is not an easy task and it comes with a big responsibility.

 

Therese – Yes I enjoyed. It was not so hard nor easy, for it required a great responsibility to carry out. It was indeed a privilege and honour to be a young ambassador of SSF.



SSF – What did you learn from EFA with Send My Friend to School?

 

Fatoumatta - First of all, it was a delight seeing you all and working together to ensure that our voices are heard. Your efforts and kind gestures towards these children we advocate for, have encouraged me to do more in my community.

 

I have learned that we can only achieve goals when we all come together in unity and motivate each other. Also with our diverse culture, we were able to send messages to the world. Meeting with campaigners in the UK was indeed a beautiful moment. The schools and places we went to visit, really opened my eyes to see the world differently from the perspective I had before our visit to the UK.

Also, I learned about the different ways of campaigning in the UK from our fellow campaigners. Their educational system and how children are guided in the UK. Attending the Conservative Party conference and getting to meet some MPs and an opportune moment to talk to them about our campaign.



SSF – What were the benefits of your trip to the UK?

 

Fatoumatta - It was indeed a great honour and privilege to be given the opportunity to travel to the UK, it has boosted my confidence and made me a better version of myself. It makes me realize that my voice can be heard and make a change not only in The Gambia but the world at large.


Secondly, it makes me know the outside world. I have learned so many things in the UK including their government system, cultures, and a lot more. It was like a dream come true getting to meet young ambassadors from different states in the UK sharing knowledge and ideas.

 

Therese – First of all, it was a privilege to travel to the UK in 2017 and associate with our Fellow Campaign Champions. As a History student, our visit to the UK especially to the Parliament has really enlightened my knowledge of the Monarchical system adopted in Britain. The images of King Henry with his eight wives, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth the First are all treasured memories to be shared with others. Also, the interaction and educational moments we had with Members of Parliament was beneficial to us all.



SSF – Best and worst moments

 

Fatoumatta - All the moments were indeed wonderful but one of the moments that I will always remember is going to Manchester to attend the conservative party conference.
Living in the same house with the ‘elders’ is always a memory that will forever remain in my heart! You have all shown us love to support, and kindness, and we were welcomed with open arms and I will be forever grateful.

 

Therese – All the moments we had were wonderful. The fact that I learnt about, and experienced a new environment in UK left a lasting mark in my heart. The schools we visited were one of the best moments, and the effort put together by Ann, Ellie, John, Ema and all the members of the SSF that came on board was priceless.



SSF – What might you do differently?

 

Fatoumatta - I would improve on training more of my fellow students in school and making it a never-ending campaign, through this all voices would be heard and all children would be sent to school.

 

Therese – To improve in my campaigning techniques. And be a passionate spokesperson. In order to bring difference in the Society.



SSF – How easy is it for young womens’ voices to be heard?

 

Fatoumatta - It might be hard to believe, but we still live in a world where girls everywhere are having to fight to have their voices heard, for their opinions to matter and for decision makers to make choices that consider the reality that girls face every day. And it doesn't stop when girls become women.

 

As a young person, I understand the need to exercise my civic rights because I have seen and felt what it feels like to be deprived of quality and inclusive education. I have also seen the power of education breaking the cycle of poverty, transforming lives, and building resilient societies.

 

When we invest strongly in education, everyone benefits. Providing girls with education and equal opportunities will make them empowered women who will contribute to the construction of a just, equitable, and progressive society.

 

Therese – To start with, history has shown that the young woman's voice in Africa was not valued. Women were less involved in decision making or issues towards the growth of the society. Her voice was regarded unimportant.


With time, and the advancement of education in our society, the educated young woman's voice is heard. Unlike, the woman who is not educated. As the saying goes "when you educate a girl child, you educate the whole wide world". I stand to believe this statement.


These young women are going out to raise awareness in our societies. To help their fellow women to know their rights and the importance of being educated. It is not the work of a woman but women in general. Coming together and knowing their position in the society, that every voice matters in every discussion or issues in the world at large.


The young woman must not be given a blind-eye. Her voice is equally important, in connection with the question her voice is not easily heard, but this can be changed. How? Education is the answer. Knowledge is indeed power. If the young woman knows her position, ready to embrace change and the importance of her voice. Definitely, things would change for the better.



SSF – What impact had this opportunity had on you?

 

Fatoumatta - This opportunity made me be a better version of myself. It makes me be able to fight for children's rights and speak for them at our community level, country, and the world at large.

 

Therese – The fear to speak up in every situation I faced as a young woman has been a great challenge to me. Education has indeed enlightened me to be heard. And thus, I have overcome the fear of being silent. This opportunity had positively impacted on me, that is, the spirit to reach out to people and raise awareness in their communities.



SSF – What have you achieved since then personally and in your community?

 

Fatoumatta - So far, I have been able to sensitize many local women and children in my community about the importance of education and the need for them to send their children to school, and fortunately, the majority of the children are now been enrolled in schools and performing well.

 

Therese – As I grew each day as a young woman and accepting to learn, has really changed my perception of the world around me. I stand to speak to avoid being abused or harassed at anytime. To give my contribution in any discussion or situation concerning my wellbeing and that of all others. And knowing my rights as a young woman. In my community, I was able to talk with young women who were out of school and children who were not sent to school due to lack of financial support.



SSF – What is your next goal in life?

 

Fatoumatta - I want to further my education and continue fighting for girls’ education, their empowerment, and their rights. In that I will continue my journey. I want to empower more young girls like me so that it’s not just about one girl speaking out but we have hundreds and thousands of girls speaking out. We give them a voice. We give them a platform. Once you encourage them, once you tell them that your voice can change the world, then they can do it, they can come forward and speak out for themselves.

 

Therese – My next goal in life is to motivate young men and women to be educated. To seek knowledge, for it is key! And Ensure that children have quality education for a brighter future.



Steve Sinnott • November 22, 2021

Education for Hope in Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous Times

By Laura Griffin • May 13, 2026
‘In a single hour vast tracts of shaded woodland became a jumble of torn trees and upturned soil, exposed to the glare of the summer sun. Such land-clearing events are rare, but forests exhibit remarkable resilience in the face of disaster. I’m told that the Chinese character for ‘catastrophe’ is the same as that which represents the word ‘opportunity’. And, the blowdown, while catastrophic, presented opportunities for many species.’ (Wall Kimmerer, 2003: 89). In the context of a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world (Stein, 2021) what kinds of education for hope might support children’s and young people’s critical engagement in local and global issues? In the spirit of exploring the possibilities of hope further, this short article focuses on the area of global citizenship and sustainabilityrelated education. It will briefly open by sharing commonalities across pedagogical approaches that take up the concept and act of hope more critically, and close by offering reflective questions for educators, with suggestions for further reading. Perhaps it is a kind of hope that is grounded in the present, in future reimagining(s), in ethical solidarity, and an acknowledgement of our deep entanglement with the living metabolism of planet earth 1 our singular home (UNESCO, 2021); a hope that engages with complex root causes and lived realities of multiple overlapping crises in critically reflexive and contextually relevant ways. As McCloskey notes, ‘Hope can fire our collective imagination and critical consciousness as a mainspring to activism and intervention in the world.’ (2025: 3). Commonalities across critical pedagogical approaches to hope include: Acknowledging the context of a ‘seamless single story of progress, development and human evolution’ (Andreotti, V.D.O., 2021b Relating to social and ecological justice and the wellbeing of people and planet Using participatory, action-orientated and inquiry-based learning processes Exploring diverse worldviews and perspectives Practising grounding in the present with opening up possibilities for change (relational, embodied, response-able 2 ) Experiencing ‘struggle’ in different forms (dialogical, selfreflexive, open-ended) Engaging individual and collective agency, action and activism Looking for lifelong and life-wide learning and unlearning. 1 See ‘Co-sensing with Radical Tenderness’, in Machado de Oliveira Andreotti. 2021a 2 See ‘Crossing Borders’ in 2 Depth Education “Depth Education and the Possibility of GCE Otherwise, 2021b. Source: Andreotti, V. 2021a & 2021b., Atif, A. (2025)., Bourn, D. 2021., Bryan. A. and Mochizuki,Y., 2024., Giroux, H.A. 2025., Meade, E. 2025. Whilst engaging in the concept and act of hope more critically reflect upon: What kinds of education for hope might you explore further and why? How might you provide generative spaces for engaging in diverse worldviews and perspectives? In what ways can you facilitate individual and collective agency? How might you support learners’ practice grounding in the present in order to relate differently? In what ways can you support learners in navigating complex root causes and lived realities of local and global issues? As Chief Ninawa Hini Kui affirms, ‘The future depends much less on the images we project ahead than on our capacity to repair relations and build relationships differently in the present.’ (Andreotti et al, 2023: 73. An invitation for further reading: Transformative Learning for a Sustainable Future . d’Abreu, C., Belgeonne, C., Bourn, D. and Hatley, J. (2025) ‘Transformative Learning for a Sustainable Future’. DERC Research Paper 24. London: UCL Institute of Education. Hospicing Modernity: facing humanity’s wrongs and the implications for social activism. Machado de Oliveira Andreotti, V. (2021a) ‘Hospicing Modernity: facing humanity’s wrongs and the implications for social activism’ , London: Penguin Random House. Development Education and Hope . McCloskey, S. (2025). (ed) ‘Development Education and Hope’. ‘Policy and Practice: A Development Education Review’ , Vol. 41, Autumn. Centre for Global Education, Belfast. Link to and download the full reference list here

I heard it said today by a friend that “You learn a language best when you use it to speak and write about things that are important to you. ”

By Susan Piper • May 6, 2026
This summed up to me about why I volunteer for the Hands Up Project. HUP is a charity trust which, through its network of volunteers, connects children around the world with young people in Palestine. By means of online interaction, drama and storytelling activities, it enables the use of creativity and selfexpression to promote mutual understanding, personal growth, and the development of English language skills. I joined HUP in 2020 during COVID. After going to Palestine in 2017, I wanted to get more involved in working with Palestinian children in schools. HUP gave me the opportunity to link up with schools in the West Bank and Gaza. Every week I’d tell them stories from all over the world, then we’d discuss it, play games and I’d get them to retell it. Sometimes we would work from their coursebook English for Palestine’ in mutual team teaching sessions with their teacher. The simple act of telling a story became much more than entertainment. It became connection, healing, and a bridge to the world beyond their immediate reality to help them improve their language skills, and to give them a platform to speak about their lives in a language that connects them to people everywhere. I loved it, every week, seeing their smiling faces on the screen and building long lasting friendships with their teachers. I even went to Gaza in 2023 and met some of the kids I’d only seen on Zoom. It was a beautiful experience and something I will never forget. As hostilities escalated, I lost contact with everyone. I thought about where the kids were and what had happened to them. As I watched schools being bombed, universities flattened, and people killed in their thousands, I thought about where the kids I’d met were and what was happening to them. I kept in contact with many of the teachers I knew and heard daily news of displacement, destruction, hunger and bombing. Recently, I’ve started to link up again with children in Gaza, and it feels wonderful to be back helping them learn after being denied an education for over two years. Connecting with children in Palestine is more than just words. When a child in Palestine confidently tells their story to someone on the other side of the world, bridges are built, empathy grows, and the world gains a fuller picture of childhood in contexts far from peace and privilege. My work with these children is rooted in the belief that education and voice are inseparable. Through storytelling and English language learning, I witness children not just learning new vocabulary, but reclaiming their narratives, believing in their potential, and finding human connection in a world they perceive has abandoned them. And more than anything, this work reminds us all that children — everywhere — deserve to learn, to speak, and to be heard. Links to HUP information, books and resources: The Hands Up Project BY SUSAN PIPER Susan Piper is currently an ESOL teacher in Oldham, Greater Manchester and has worked in education for over 30 years. She is also a volunteer for the Hands Up Project and is the International Solidarity Officer and President of her NEU district. She believes in quality education for all and aims to make her lessons creative and inclusive so that effective language learning can take place.

Conflict and Education

By Andy Harvey • May 4, 2026
Small children play contentedly side by side. From time to time, a toy is snatched, a child is pushed, a whine of protest arises. The teacher’s voice is steady and encouraging: use your words, not your hands; wait your turn. There will be an emotional meltdown at some point, but soothing adult words settle it quickly. Upstairs a clutch of nine-year-olds hover over a maths problem. One girl insists she knows a quicker way that she learned on social media; her friend is adamant they must stick to the method they were taught. The teacher looks on approvingly. In a nearby room, a child dabs their eyes with a tissue while a teacher speaks softly and leans in close, offering reassurance. Meanwhile, in the hall, the older children are debating government spending on overseas aid. It’s getting heated. They speak their mind and defend their views passionately: what they have heard people say, what they have seen online. The teacher intervenes, pointing to the ground rules projected on the wall: think before you speak, your words can hurt others. A pause, and then the debate surges back to life. Schools are not, and have never been, conflict-free zones: they are shaped by the pressures and tensions that exist in their communities. Besides their schoolbag, children carry the weight of personal trauma, family conflict, poverty and a kaleidoscope of influences, good and bad, through the school gates each day. Teachers and other school staff are also inscribed in conflict, as they confront the challenges of poor wellbeing, inequality and harmful social attitudes, with increasingly constrained resources. Of course, school education itself is the subject of conflict. Access to free universal education for all children has rarely been simply granted; it has been struggled for over time, and for some children remains precarious or denied altogether. But the vignettes above reveal the powerful role education can play in a world bedeviled by conflict. Children in the Early Years Setting are learning life’s first lessons: to share resources, to respect others’ space and belongings, to negotiate and to regulate emotions. The older children might be frustrated by rules that do not suit themselves personally, and others may easily forget them in the heat of the moment, but there is a collective appreciation of why the rules exist, and an understanding that the world extends beyond our own thoughts and interests and that empathy, compassion and respect are key to personal realisation and to group harmony. None of this happens by accident. It is the result of consistent, structured, professional teaching, reinforced by a nurturing homelife. It depends on adults setting boundaries with children, modelling respect, building emotional literacy, helping children understand consequences of actions and stepping in when things go wrong. What looks effortless from the outside is the outcome of daily effort. It has so much more chance of success when it is well-resourced. In Scotland, we have a curriculum that aspires for children to be successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors, and responsible citizens. Despite its imperfections in implementation, it is a powerful declaration that education must be about more than academic attainment: it’s about nurturing and shaping the people who will have to confront challenges - personal, social, and global - which previous generations could barely have imagined. In the past year, the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) has collaborated with partners to develop tools for teachers to counter the effects on children of online hate. We have also supported a key project to tackle misogynistic attitudes and behaviours which are perpetuated among young people by online content and algorithms. Alongside the development of our Education for Peace policy, EIS members have engaged in the strengthening of Scotland’s Learning for Sustainability strategy to enhance the way our children relate to each other and to the natural world around them. All of this is important work in addressing conflict. However, we should never forget the criticality of the learning and teaching that goes on every day, and the importance of resourcing it properly in our nursery classes, our primary, secondary and special schools. In a world scarred by conflict, this is the quiet and healing work of hope. BY ANDY HARVEY National Officer, Educational Institute of Scotland