The Miss Black of America 2006, on Friday 12 visited the Bakau Lower Basic School in Bakau New Town, to see how the educational sector is doing in the school.

Speaking to students during Assembly, Celi Marie Dean, Miss Black said, she is a 21-years-old university student at WA, where she is studying Social Science.

Miss Black said her main aim is to see the educational sector grow well, because she loves education. “I am very pleased to be a visitor in your school, being one of the oldest schools in the country and a school that many prominent Gambians have passed through,” she added.

For his part, Alhagi. M.I Dukurah, Headmaster of the school, told his guests that Bakau Lower Basic School was amongst the oldest school in the country, where he himself passed through.

According to him, the school was established in 1947. “Since then it is experiencing a continuous progress chactherised by huge enrolemnt of students”, he added, noting that 1535 students were this year alone enrolled, comprising 713 girls, 822 boys and 33 teachers.

Speaking earlier to the students, Kerin Lyew, Executive Director of Miss Black USA, said the Association of Miss Black was founded in 1986, and its main objective is to help the needy people in the education and health sector.

She further noted that their visit to The Gambia offers them an opportunity to make collective preparation for the upcoming Miss Black USA, 2007, to be held in the country in June.

“We are the visitors of the President who is a great man and really support Gambians, especially in the educational sector. We’re also grateful to his relationship with the Blacks in America,” she said.

The delegation was led by Musa Mendy, a Senior Official at the Department of State for Education.