“From little much can be gained with determination and handwork. “This is the belief of Mrs. Harriet Martha Ndow alias Mrs. Ndow, the first daughter of the late Mr. William Njie a shopkeeper at the former French company Barthes and Elizabeth Njie.

Harriet was born on 28 October 1926. At a time when the education of girls was not so common, Harriet was fortunate to be educated at the St Joseph’s Primary School and St Joseph’s High School.

She was among the few Gambian girls to be educated and since her parents were willing to ensure her upliftment, she was determined to achieve the highest height. At this time, it was mainly Aku or Krio girls who, as Protestants and Anglicans, were exposed to western education. She had foresight to advance her education and thus became one of the first Wollof Catholic girls to receive secondary education.

These were also the days when career building for girls and women was very limited. They had no choice but to opt for teaching or nursing fields. Fortunately, her greatest aspiration was to be a teacher and her dreams came true when on completing high school education in 1945; she was awarded a scholarship to study at Achimota College, Gold Coast, and now Ghana.

Indeed, the then Principal of St Joseph’s High School, Sister Jarlatt selected her to pursue this golden opportunity because of her academic brilliance and leadership quality. Scholarships to pursue further studies were very limited, thus the Colonial authorities had to scout for young women with the right caliber, who would be able to cope with the type of studies required to make one qualify as a teacher.

Achimota moulded her. The three-year training received at this institution was all embracing. Though she was being trained as a professional teacher, she was exposed to the academic arena as well as other extra curricular activities. She was taught to respect time and to further develop the love for hard work, which indeed helped her to forge ahead. She successfully completed her studies at Achimota College in 1948, returning home, and full of the natural exuberance that enabled her to do many things.

She was appointed as a teacher at the St Joseph’s Primary School where she stayed until 1963. She again gained another scholarship under the GW William Scheme, to undertake a course on Headship in primary schools with special emphasis on the activity method. This method was used in teaching in primary schools and aimed at helping children to develop individually and at their own pace.

Thus the method especially catered for the late developers as they were also encourage learning by doing things for themselves and discovering facts by themselves.

Indeed the activity method moved away from classroom teaching where all children are treated equally.

She applied for and became the headmistress of the newly opened Campama Primary School, where the activity method was successfully applied. Campama Primary School was a model School with class sizes ranging from 35 to 40 pupils. The school made rapid strides during her headship.

In 1966, Serrekunda Primary School was being upgraded to a class ‘B’ category and she applied for and secured the advertised position of headmistress.

At this time the school was regarded as a ‘bush’ school because it was located in the village.

Nevertheless, she improved the environment, through self-help and with most of the assistance coming from parents. 

 She was also very much interested in issues that affected women. It was not a surprise that she became a member of the Federation of Women and in 1969 represented The Gambia at the conference on, Women’s Contribution to Development, held in Ghana. 

After returning from the conference of the Federation of Women held in Ghana, she succeeded in convincing members of the St Joseph’s Ex-Pupils Association to start the St Joseph’s Ex-Pupils Nursery at Serrekunda. 

Impressed on the association, the need to start this nursery school instead on spending their time on parties.

However it wall not all easy for her. Harriet Ndow faced a major setback when on her return from further studies at Oxford University, England in 1972; she found that the school had closed down. She later succeeded in reopening the school.

  Mrs. Ndow has since then continued to extend her educational activities.

Today she owns nursery, primary, junior and senior secondary schools in The Gambia.

Many prominent personalities in the country and abroad were groomed by her.

Therefore, Mrs. Ndow is no less an icon and shinning example in the field of education.