 
Contact Address:
Gambia Home Economics
Association, Skills Centre
GHEA
Banjul area Head office
Old Jeshwang
PO Box 812 Banjul
Kanifing Municipality, Ksmd
The Gambia, West Africa
Tel no: +220 4394429 
7794153
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Information:
The GHEASC Skills Centre in Old Jeshwang was created
in 1985 on a vacant plot of land with the support of
the Government of Canada and is operated by the Gambia
Home Economics Association. The NGO was established
to train girls who dropped out of school early, tutoring
students from the ages of between 12 to 24 years old,
recruiting those who had no schooling to those at high
school grade level.
The purpose of the skills training unit is to enable
young women to generate income either through self-employment
or as staff employees of businesses or organisations.
Support and financing was carried on until 1994 when
it ceased. From 1994 to 1997 the school was the recipient
of a financial grant from the Government of The Gambia.
Running costs were also partially covered by student
fees and income generating schemes like the sale of
students products, catering and renting of rooms for
meetings.
The Centre has received additional support from a UK
based charity organisation called Friends of The Gambia
(FROGS), who have donated some equipment and books
Courses:
The GHEA Skills Centre has a 2 year craft level programme.
• Year 1
Dressmaking / Tailoring
English
Home Management
Laundry
Mathematics
Needlecraft
• Year 2
Cookery
Hotel Management
Nutrition
Tie Dye & Batik
About 70% of students opt to specialise in cookery and
5% in tailoring. The facility carries out its own evaluation
assessments and awards its own graduation certificates.
During the final year of their course, students are
placed in a 6 week to 2 month work attachment in bar
restaurants, catering firms and hotels. This can lead
to some of them being offered part-time jobs during
their courses or full-time work upon graduating.
Approximately 70% of the students specialise in cookery
and 5% in dressmaking. During the second year of the
course, students undertake a six week to two month work
attachment in the Gambia's tourism sector such as in
hotels and restaurants. As a result, some are offered
part time work during their studies and jobs on graduation.
The Centre assesses students internally and awards its
own in-house certificate.
The facilities of the education complex comprise of
a dressmaking room with sewing machines, training kitchen,
classrooms and a few offices. They also maintain a vegetable
patch to use in the cookery lessons. |
