On June 29th, 2008, Muhammad Lamin Jassey Memorial Islamic School, an institution which is located in Bakoteh, observed its 7th Annual Speech Day. The event was marked by a colourful ceremony held at the school’s premises, at Bakoteh Central mosque.

The ceremony brought together Islamic scholars, diplomats, parents and guardians plus a cross section of society. The ceremony provided a platform for students to demonstrate they have reached a high level of skills that certainly required dedication, talent and a lot of hard work. In fact, most of them were able to perform successfully in Arabic speaking, Quranic recitation and Hadiths.

In his address, Imam Basirou Drammeh, secretary general of the Charitable Foundation for Islamic Education, seized the opportunity to extend his appreciation and thanks to parents and guardians for entrusting them. He disclosed that big plans are underway to develop the school. ‘‘By the help of Allah, we’ll establish a high school in order to absorb those graduating from the elementary school,’’ he emphasized. He then revealed that they are also planning to erect a clinic in the area so as to bring health services at the doorstep of the local populations.

Similar thanks and appreciations were also extended to Aja Borry Jassey of Bakoteh, the Red Crescent of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates and Sheikh Rabbani of Qatar who have served as partners and the main donors.

It should be recalled that the Charitable Foundation for Islamic Education was established in June, 1991, by a group of Gambian Islamic scholars in Latri Kunda German and Latri Kunda Sabiji respectively.

The organistion is tasked with the responsibility to make Islamic education easily accessible to all within Gambian society. Since its inception as a non-profit Islamic NGO, the foundation has been working tirelessly to achieve some of its major objectives. Its successes include the establishment of the Muhammad Lamin Jassey Memorial Islamic School in Bakoteh, the Ubai Bin Kaab Islamic elementary School in Kombo Berrending, and more recently, inauguration of the Dar al Hafiz Islamic Multimedia Studio in Dippakunda, ,an excellent center for the distribution of  audio-visual Islamic Dawa materials.