Anna's Journey
Education for a self-determined future
Together, we can help make Anna’s journey possible.
Anna Has a Goal
Anna Mendy is 16 years old and comes from Marakissa in The Gambia’s West Coast Region.
Shortly after her birth, a severe deformity of her right leg became apparent. Several examinations were carried out to determine the cause. Eventually, doctors recommended the amputation of her right leg.
For Anna’s family, this was a major medical, emotional and financial challenge. An opportunity for treatment eventually arose through the support of a missionary couple who helped establish contact with a medical facility in Senegal.
There, Anna was admitted to a treatment and rehabilitation programme lasting several months. After further examinations, her right leg was amputated. Her rehabilitation then began. Several weeks of training had been planned to teach Anna how to move around with crutches. But during the very first week, she no longer wanted to use the crutches – and began moving independently. Her prosthesis was later further adjusted in Banjul.
This early chapter of her story already shows something that continues to define Anna today: she does not readily allow difficulties to determine what is possible for her.
Her physical impairment is part of Anna’s story. But it does not define who she is.
In The Gambia, pursuing a good education all the way to higher education is not something every young person can take for granted. Anna faces additional physical and practical barriers.
But she does not allow herself to be reduced to her disability. What stands out about Anna today are her determination, her academic achievements and a very clear idea of what she wants to achieve:
Anna wants to become a doctor.
Education Became Her Strength
Anna began her education in nursery school in the 2014/2015 academic year and completed the first three levels with very good results. She then attended Methodist Lower Basic School from 2017/2018 to 2023, completing Grades 1 to 6. Throughout these years, she was among the strongest students at her school.
Her results eventually enabled her to continue at The Gambia Methodist Academy in Brikama, where she began Junior Secondary School in the 2023/2024 academic year. Anna continued to achieve very strong results there as well. In 2024, she received a Certificate of Excellence in Grade 7 for outstanding academic performance and exceptional commitment. In 2025, she was recognised as the Third Most Outstanding Student in Grade 8. In July 2026, she received her Certificate of Graduation for successfully completing Junior School. She also received a Certificate of Appreciation for her commitment, reliability and contribution to school life. During the same stage of her education, she sat the Gambia Basic Education Certificate Examination (GABECE) administered by the West African Examinations Council.
Achievement, perseverance and commitment run through Anna’s entire educational journey to date.
Anna’s educational journey is documented over several years. Her awards demonstrate achievement, consistency and personal commitment.
“I want to help the sick people and save lives.”
– Anna Mendy
What Anna Wants for Herself
We did not want to decide for Anna what her future should look like.
So we asked her.
She wrote down her answer herself, in her own handwriting.
In it, she explains why she is particularly interested in science: she wants to understand how the human body and its organs work, how diseases develop and how people can be treated.
And then she expresses her goal with remarkable clarity.
A Career Goal with a Reason
Anna on her future – in her own words
Anna does not simply want to choose any profession.She wants to study medicine and become a doctor.
In her own text, she explains why she wants to study science. She wants to understand how the human body and its organs work, how diseases develop and how people can be treated.
She also writes that she wants to help people, save lives and bring hope back to those who have lost it.
Her vision of the future also includes the desire to become independent, successful and respected in her field.
This connection is particularly important to us.
This is not about deciding Anna’s path in life for her.
Education should give her the opportunity to decide for herself where that path will lead.
“I want to be that doctor that brings back hope to the people that lost it.”
– Anna Mendy
Achievement Deserves a Chance
Anna has already achieved something that we cannot give her:
She has shown for herself that she wants to learn.
Her academic record to date shows that her career goal is not simply a passing idea.
For years, she has worked consistently and successfully on her education. Her certificates document that journey.
What we can contribute are the conditions that make the next steps possible.
Even a very high-performing student can only continue her education if school fees, learning materials, transport and the other necessary costs can be financed.
This is exactly where “Anna’s Journey” begins.
What Anna’s school day costs
For Anna to attend school regularly, the main costs are her daily journey to school and lunch.
Together, these currently amount to around €60 per month.
There are also additional expenses, for example notebooks, books, learning materials and possibly additional tuition. Unexpected costs may also arise.
We therefore plan with a total monthly budget of around €100 for Anna. This allows us not only to cover her regular costs, but also to respond to additional educational needs and maintain a small financial reserve.
At the beginning of the school year, there are also one-time expenses for school shoes, a school bag and other school materials.
Our goal is for Anna to be able to focus on her education and for her school attendance not to fail because of avoidable costs.
We have known Anna’s family for many years and are in direct contact with them. This allows us to follow Anna’s development personally and respond together with her family when new needs arise.
We Want to Support Anna for the Long Term
Our goal is not to pay for a single school year and then consider the story complete.
We want to support Anna throughout her educational journey over the long term.
At first, this means reliably enabling her to continue her schooling.
If Anna continues to pursue this path, further steps may follow later: Senior Secondary School, digital equipment, language qualifications, preparation for university and – if she continues to pursue this goal and meets the necessary requirements – perhaps one day a medical degree.
No one can know today where this journey will ultimately lead.
But there is one thing we want to prevent wherever possible:
That an educational path Anna works for every day should end simply because the financial means are missing.
“My passion for medicine motivates me to work hard every day.”
– Anna Mendy
What Your Support Can Make Possible
Donations to “Anna’s Journey” are intended to help secure her continued education as reliably and sustainably as possible.
Depending on the actual need, they may in particular help finance:
- school fees
- books and teaching materials
- uniforms
- transport
- meals
- necessary digital equipment
- other costs directly connected with school, training or university studies
- future years of education
Our first goal is to fully secure the educational stage immediately ahead.
If additional support is available, it should help to secure further school and training years at an early stage and provide the learning materials Anna needs.
In this way, short-term support can grow into genuine long-term educational support.
What your contribution can do
You do not need to donate a large amount to support Anna. Even small regular contributions help finance her school life reliably.
These examples are based on the known costs of Anna’s journey to school, lunch and other educational needs.
With ten people each contributing €10 per month, together we can secure Anna’s educational journey.
Not Pity, but Opportunities
Anna should not receive support because she has a physical impairment.
Nor because her story is emotional.
We want to support her because over many years she has shown that she makes use of opportunities, performs strongly and has developed a clear idea of what she wants to make of her life.
Her journey can encourage others – not because she has a disability, but because she shows what can become possible when determination, achievement and a genuine opportunity come together.
Her story therefore reflects an idea that shapes our educational work:
Potential exists. Opportunities do not always.
Sometimes it takes comparatively little for talent to become a genuine prospect for the future.
“I want to become independent, successful and respected in my field of studies.”
– Anna Mendy
Step by step. School year by school year.
Anna knows where she wants to go. Together, we can help her continue her educational journey.
Even a small regular contribution can help secure her school life over the long term.
Help make Anna’s journey possible.
Together for a better future.