Casares Solidarity Project Expands School for African Pupils The Casares-born charity Mol Beh Taa prepares to welcome over 200 children into its newly built nursery school in Gambia. Workmen in the Gambian settlement of Douasu are putting the final touches to blackboards, desks, and shaded verandas this week. More than 4,000 kilometres to the north, in the whitewashed hilltop village of Casares, volunteers are watching the culmination of three years of relentless community fundraising. The new Blas Infante nursery school is preparing to open its doors to more than 200 children under seven years of age, representing a direct, grass-roots link between the western Costa del Sol and rural West Africa. The project is steered by Mol Beh Taa, a charity set up by Casares residents whose name translates from Mandinka as "for everyone". The charity took shape following a trip to Gambia in early 2023 by local residents Momodou Njie, Lorena Pérez, and several neighbours. What began as an informal travel experience quickly turned into a sustained humanitarian commitment when they saw first-hand the educational obstacles facing young village children. Bridging a Critical Early-Years Gap In Gambia, formal state education begins at age seven and is conducted entirely in English. In rural districts such as Douasu, children speak local languages at home, predominantly Mandinka. Because government-run schooling offers no free early-years provision, nursery education has historically been restricted to private establishments that rural families cannot afford. As a result, children entering primary school without early English exposure routinely face steep learning barriers. To bridge that divide, the Casares volunteers set out to build a permanent, free pre-school from scratch. Construction commenced in October 2023 after ground was cleared in an area that previously possessed no educational infrastructure. Back in Spain, volunteers organised village paellas, benefit concerts, craft markets, and civic drives across the municipality to pay for bricks, timber, and mortar. The initiative earned formal backing from Casares Town Hall through its municipal solidarity grants, alongside additional municipal cooperation from La Rinconada in Seville. Four Classrooms and Warm Daily Meals The campus has already run successful pilot sessions, welcoming pupils for introductory summer classes overseen by lead educator Amie. Those early trial weeks have now expanded into four structured class groups ready for regular terms. Beyond providing basic classroom learning, the charity's leadership is currently securing regular funds to cover a fully staffed school kitchen. Ensuring that each child receives a hot, nutritious meal five days a week remains central to keeping attendance high. In farming districts where households face seasonal food insecurity, the guarantee of reliable nutrition transforms a school into a community anchor. Routine meals not only boost concentration in the classroom but also relieve intense financial strain on local parents. Local Employment and the Casares Connection Rather than flying in foreign personnel to run daily operations, the project acts as a direct economic generator for Douasu itself. Alongside Amie, the charity plans to hire three more local teachers, a caretaker, and kitchen staff, while an on-site coordinator handles domestic logistics, purchasing, and reporting back to the committee in Spain. The school takes its name from Casares-born thinker Blas Infante, the father of Andalusian regionalism. The naming celebrates a humanitarian philosophy rooted in mutual aid and universal education, values that Casares civic groups continue to champion through town hall social awards. Organisers describe the facility as a living cultural corridor between Andalusia and Gambia, turning civic responsibility into practical international solidarity. How Residents Can Get Involved Next Month For international residents, expats, and locals across Casares Costa, the village centre, and neighbouring towns, there will soon be an opportunity to contribute directly. The charity will host an autumn informational evening and fundraising gathering in Casares later next month, detailing progress on the school grounds and laying out plans for the coming academic year. The evening will outline how supporters can sponsor classroom packs, assist with utility costs, and help underwrite the school meal programme for individual pupils. Expats interested in contributing can find updates on town hall notice boards and through community social channels, where Mol Beh Taa regularly posts lists of required educational supplies and upcoming volunteer events.