School for Brighter Future Mission
To provide a balanced education at no costs without compromising the standard.
School for Brighter Future Vision
The Vision of the School is to Instil the light of the Qura’an and Sunna into Hearts and Minds.
The Background History of the School for Brighter Future, Land in Banjulinding, and land acquisition for school site in Lamin NTC. On 22nd June 2000, the school for brighter future was established and it operated free of charge in Banjulinding, from 22nd June 2000 to 22nd June 2015.
The first site where the school was situated or started was inside a local Masjid at the community hospital. It was then moved from that location to another Masjid annexed to the previous one and that was its location till 2015.
The inconveniences incurred at that the then location and frequent transferal of the school premises from one temporal location to another, prompted Sheikh Kanteh who is proprietor and the head of the school to purchase a land to serve as a permanent site and location for the school in Banjulinding. Sheikh Kanteh (the proprietor and head of the school) purchased a plot of land for D350,000.00 (three hundred and fifty thousand Dalasi) from late Mr. Talibo Demba.
The inconveniences incurred at that the then location and frequent transferal of the school premises from one temporal location to another, prompted Sheikh Kanteh who is proprietor and the head of the school to purchase a land to serve as a permanent site and location for the school in Banjulinding. Sheikh Kanteh (the proprietor and head of the school) purchased a plot of land for D350,000.00 (three hundred and fifty thousand Dalasi) from late Mr. Talibo Demba.
Mr. Talibo Demba was the owner of the land and resident of Banjulinding village. He was the only Muslim in an altogether christian family. Unfortunately, the other Christians in the family objected to the purchase of the land by sheikh Kanteh, inciting the children of Mr. Talibo Demba to oppose his decision to sell. They offered to refund the money paid for the land by doubting the price which was paid for its purchase. All this drama and confusion took place just to prevent sheikh Kanteh from building the school on that piece of land. The situation became so serious to the extent that, Mr. Talibo’s daughter who was a christian, came to vandalize some of the blocks that were laid for the construction of the school building. However, by the grace of Allah, construction continued on the same land.
The police report was obtained to stop her and other members of her family from interfering disruptively with the work on the land at the proposed site. We were then invited to the elders in the community , where sheikh Kanteh was ridiculed for his family lineage and financial status, indicating that he was helping children who were not his, so there was no need to kill himself for them. Instead, he should use the money for something better for himself. This was because they went to his house and saw his living condition.
After that, they went to each of the school pupil’s parents, threatening that their children would be killed by fetish {great charm or divine power} means if they kept on attending. On the 5th of June 2015 sheikh Kanteh’s 7-month-old son {Abdul Ghaffar Musa Kanteh} who was a healthy happy baby whilst on his walker playing as usual, left unattended by his preoccupied mother as hot water boiling in the pot, while she went to attend to some other household chores. As Allah destined, he went towards the hot water, hitting the pot, and spilling the water.
Unfortunately, he fell onto the hot spilled water face first. Suddenly his mum heard the most frightening of screams from Abdul Ghaffar Musa Kanteh who had sustained injuries due to the accident when he fell down, screaming and crying in unbearable pain as hot water burned his little baby face. Sheikh Kanteh’s wife was so terrified that, he received a call from the neighbor’s asking him to rush home from exam duties. He was informed of the horrific injuries his only son had sustained from the burns. He was in utter shock and disbelief.
Nearly everybody in the Banjulinding area attributed this whole incident to fetish {great charm or mystic power} that was cast at Sheikh Kanteh, his son, friends and loved ones and thereby turning friends to enemies and enemies to demons further making a gets of Sheikh Kanteh’s misfortune Finally, by the grace of Allah the merciful, the situation was under control and so was the school project. Drama continued to the courts specifically the case on the 8th of November 2017. This was the day the case was registered, after the land was purchased {4} four years prior and the owner fell sick hardly being able to talk. Then Mr. Talibo’s daughter who was a christian and her brother took Sheikh Kanteh to court summoning him to appear before the magistrate court in Brikama, the Gambia.
The judgment was scheduled. However, with the advent of Covid 19 on march 17 2019 all activities were put on hold and the court was adjourned, following the lockdown being lifted the judge transferred Sheikh Kanteh’s case to another court, and as at now the case is on hold till date 23/02/2022.
Evidence showing our ownership of land are as follows:
{1} transfer of land ownership to permanent transfer took place before court.
{2} we constructed two classrooms before the court case.
{3} we had moulded 1,500 blocks on the land before the court case.
{4} water pump was connected on 28th April 2015 to the tune of D8,700 before the court case.
Sheikh Kanteh then thanked the almighty Allah and believed all that happened were temptations and frustrations from the devil to prevent his faithful desire and vision to help the orphans and underprivileged children in society to acquire quality education and achieve their goals and aspiration.
Sheikh Kanteh, the proprietor and head of school believed that whatever is the will of Allah, no man can stop it. He believes all we can do is what we are capable of doing and should leave the rest to the almighty Allah to decide since he is the all wise and all knowing super natural being. The school teaches underprivileged children as well women the basic principles of Islam and general education. The school has been operating without a permanent site for Fifteen (15) years:
First, operating in homes and situated at a local Masjid at the community hospital, then moved to another nearby Masjid and had to transfer to Lamin Sanchaba Masjid. Consequently, the school had to put up at a rented store- building, at Lamin, by the petrol station.
The school had to move to a rented storey-building in Lamin from Friday the 1st of may 2017 to January 2019, a duration of 20 months.
Payment for this rent was effected as follows:
{1} May and June: D6,000.00 Per Month = D 12,000.00.
{2} From July to December: At D6,000.00 Per Month = D36,000.00.
{3} From January 2018 to January 2019 At D8,000.00 Per Month = D96,000.00.
Total Cost Of Rent For 20 Months: D144,000.0
On September 23rd 2020 in the Brikama rent tribunal the owner of this rented storey-building {hidir demir} took the Organisation to Brikama magistrate court. Particulars of claim against the Organisation are as follows:
{1} eviction from rental premises.
{2} he claimed seven (7) months arrears during covid-19 emergency period which amounted to the sum of d42,750.00 {forty-two thousand seven hundred and fifty Dalasi}. Our rent had expired march 31st march 2019.
{3} missed profits from the 1st April 2020 to September 23rd 2020
{4} the sum of d50,000.00 {fifty thousand Dalasi} being legal fees incurred by the owner.
{5} further cost or relief{Antouman A.B gaye and co} legal practitioner for the plaintiff.
Al-hamdu lillahi rabbil-‘alamin the court declined to hear after first stage. The founder sheikh Kanteh realized that there was an urgent need for a permanent school site and structures to accommodate the ever-increasing number of admissions; almost three hundred and seventy-five young female children and women pursuing varying courses of knowledge, mainly Hafiz-ul Qur’an. At present, with the help of Allah {S.W.T} and then the support of Dr Ibrahim Jagne, the school has acquired a permanent landed property at Lamin NTC.
Dr Ibrahim Jagne
With the advent of Covid 19 on march 17 2019 all activities (were) put on hold and the school had to move to a corrugated sheet metal shed on the school’s acquired landed property.
Alhamudulillah now we build permanent school structure {storey-building} at the permanent landed property.
This life is a test, both in good time and bad. The prophet (p.b.u.h) said:
(how wonderful is the affair of the believer, for his affairs are all good, and this applies to no one but the believer. If something good happens to him, he is thankful for it and that is good for him. If something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience and that is good for him.) We ask Allah to deliver us from the situation we are in and to protect us all. Aa’meen.
Currently, School for Brighter Future has twenty-one branches, followers and works under the auspices supervision and sponsorship of the Reason and Wisdom Organisation in town and in villages throughout the country.
- The school was established in 22/06/ 2000.
- It is located in a town where there are more than (190) churches and (17) missionary schools.
- In a town with a population of about fifty thousand Muslims (50,000) with only seven mosques.
- There has been a steady increase in enrolment from 7 pupils to 850 students consisting of women and children, and have been expanded in other towns and villages.
- The school organizes conferences for locals and participants from the diaspora.
- Certificates of merit are regularly awarded to outstanding teachers and students also.
- The school has successfully graduated quite a number of students in Hafiz-ul Qur'an, Islamic knowledge and Tawheed.
- Establishment of a Nursery school for children between the ages 5-12 years.
- Providing and distributing new veils to female children and elderly women free of charge.
- Taqabbal Allahu minna we minkum. May Allah make us sincere and truthful in word and deed