March 05, 2025
İbrahim Hakkı Boyacı, the Gambia Representative of the Foundation, said, “First of all, we reach successful students and introduce them to the Turkish education system, Turkish and Turkish culture and ensure that they continue their education in Türkiye.”
Turkish Maarif Foundation Gambia Representative İbrahim Hakkı Boyacı said that since they are a non-profit organization, they introduce the successful students they reach to the Turkish education system, Turkish and Turkish culture and enable them to continue their education in Türkiye.
Boyacı said that the Turkish Maarif Foundation started its educational activities in The Gambia in 2018 with 30-40 students in a small school, and upon increasing demand, they moved to a building with more capacity.
Stating that the number of students has increased to 310 as of 2025, Boyacı stated that they provide education services in all pre-school, primary, secondary and high school levels.
Stating that they started to give graduates in 2022 as a foundation, Boyacı said, “13 of the 42 graduates we have given so far continue their university education in Türkiye. We endeavor to direct our graduates to Türkiye first. Türkiye scholarships play an important role at this point.”
Boyacı said that the 13 graduates they directed to Türkiye are studying at elite universities in cities such as Istanbul, Ankara and Bursa, and that these students primarily prefer departments in political science or economics.
Pointing out that since they are an international school, the students they graduate are also accepted in different places such as European countries and the USA, Boyacı said, “Since Maarif Foundation is a non-profit organization, we primarily reach successful students and introduce them to the Turkish education system, Turkish and Turkish culture and ensure that they continue their education in Türkiye.”
Boyacı added that they are trying to reach more Gambian students.
“The opportunities offered to students are also offered to teachers”
Modou Manneh, Biology Teacher at the Turkish Maarif Foundation School, pointed out that foreign families in the country send their children to these schools as they offer many opportunities.
Manneh said the following about the Maarif Foundation School, one of the best schools in the country:
“Students are treated equally. Both students and teachers can express their opinions freely. Activities such as sports also increase the interaction between students. Students feel very happy in an international school.”
Explaining that this school offers different opportunities to its graduates both inside and outside the country, Manneh emphasized that Maarif Foundation schools, which continue their educational activities in many parts of the world, are doing very good things.
Manneh said, “I am very happy to be working in a Maarif school and to be given this opportunity. The opportunities and facilities offered to the students are also offered to the teachers. The most important thing is the importance given to freedom of expression.”
Stating that the Maarif Foundation School continues to increase the number of students day by day compared to other foreign schools, although it had very few students when it was first opened in The Gambia, Manneh concluded his words as follows:
“In these schools, in addition to education, students are also taught what roles they will play in the future of The Gambia after graduation. They are preparing for this. Maarif is not only doing this in The Gambia, it is doing it in its schools all over the world. They are making the world a better place and every Gambian student is proud to study at these schools.”
She went to Maarif School to learn Turkish
Student Fatoumata Darboe Sillah said that she became aware of the existence of the school through social media platforms.
Sillah said that she speaks Arabic and English and decided to attend the Maarif Foundation School to learn Turkish as a third language, adding, “Of course, it is very good to have the opportunity to study at a university in Türkiye after this school. I want to study at a university in Türkiye and have a career. This idea seems very nice.”
Sillah expressed that he was very happy to study at the Maarif Foundation School.
