SAFE ROUTE TO SCHOOL PROGRAMME SAVE LIFE GAMBIA

CONCEPT OF THE PROGRAM
SAFE ROUT TO SCHOOL
Sustainable Mobility to And From Education for Every Child
Starts from September 2022

PROJECT SUMMARY: "Save Life Gambia (SLG) – Safe Route To School Programme", we found examples of schools sited alongside high speed in The Gambia with minimal facilities to enable students and or pedestrians travel safely. Against this background, Save Life Gambia is calling for your support to help us lunch our ‘’SAFER ROUTES TO SCHOOL PROGRAM’’. Project theme: ‘Sustainable Mobility To And From Education For Every Child’. Every student deserves safe and healthy journey to and from their education.

BACKGROUND: Road traffic injury is a major global public health problem and Gambia is no exception. Rapid motorisation in The Gambia along with the poor safety quality of road traffic systems and the lack of institutional capacity to manage outcomes contribute to a growing crisis. Many young people especially school going children who die on Gambian roads are categorize between the ages of 7-19. The Gambia ranked 4th worst accident country globally. This is not only worrying but increasing to an alarming point. Save Life Gambia is therefore, inviting your partnership support to help this crucial road map. We hope if our proposal is considered approved, Save Life Gambia will partner with you, Ministry of Basic and Secondary School, the Police and Community leaders to help bring and actualized the interest of student’s Sustainable Journey To and from their Education.

OBJECTIVES
1. To raise awareness on safety issue
2. Improve safety at the school gate by providing ‘front of school’ treatments to alleviate congestion and improve access.
3. Improve access routes to school by improving walking and cycling infrastructure; and
4. Increase the number of students who walk and cycle to school
Project Outcomes:
1. Colored school zone areas with white and black strings (Zebra Crossing)
2. Minimize road crashes around school zone areas
3. Established series of road safety clubs in schools
4. Nurtured young roads professionals from the grass root.
5. Engaged police and indigenous communities.

Project Design and Components: The design of this project is divided into three phases as described below:
1.Infrastructure: Zebra Crossing in front of school gates
2. Awareness: Road safety posters near school gates
3. Sustainable mobility: Produce 500 reflective bags and hand-bands to increase students visibility to and from their education.

Duration of implementation The project will be lunch on Friday 16th September 2022 and last for 31st December 2022 (Renewable)

SAFE ROUT TO SCHOOL

Safe Road Safe World

SAFE ROUTE TO SCHOOL PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

The Safe Routes to School Programme aims to improve ongoing issues of safety and congestion at the school gate and on routes to school. The programme will support active travel for children to and from their education.
Save Life Gambia will co-ordinate the programme and our dedicated Education Officer will work with schools during the process.
KEY STAGES OF THE PROGRAMME
Save Life Gambia will have a dedicated Education Officer who will work with selected schools during the programme. The programme will have a set number of stages, and these can be summarised as follows:
Stage 1: Dissemination
An invitation for participation in the programme will be sent to principals by Save Life Gambia.
Stage 2: Expression of Interest
Schools will be asked to complete and submit the Expression of Interest (EOI) application form to Save Life Gambia.
Stage 3: Selection
A selection process will take place based on several agreed criteria.
Stage 4: Communication & Liaison
Selected schools will be informed by Save Life Gambia Education Officer. Save Life Gambia will then liaise with selected schools and the relevant local authorities on infrastructural interventions for their schools.
Stage 5: Community Support
The school involved will act as a local champion of the proposed measures to ensure community buy-in for the proposals.

SELECTING SCHOOLS: The programme is open to all schools and various criteria is used to select schools to include in the programme for 2022, including:
1. Mix of school type: Primary, junior, and senior secondary schools
2. Mix of location:Urban & Rural (village, town, city)
3. School’s commitment to sustainable travel:If the school is interested in promoting walking and cycling to school.

The programme will give schools the opportunity to:
1. Improve safety at the school gate by providing ‘front of school’ treatments to alleviate congestion and improve access;
2. Improve access routes to school by improving walking and cycling infrastructure; and
3. Increase the number of students who walk or cycle to school by expanding the provision of cycle parking.

Final Step:
Save Life Gambia-Safe Routes to School will then develop a list of schools selected to benefit the first part of the programme. This is because all schools cannot be progressed simultaneously, and a programme of implementation will need to be developed. Schools selected may be suitable for one or more of the infrastructure elements (front of school/school wall painting). The programme will initially select a limited number of schools for participation in the first four months. However, the programme will be renewed in 2023 so if a school isn’t selected in the initial programme, it can reapply for the next call in 2023.