23 June 2008
Thanks to the support of the Taiwanese government, which has recently presented the sum of US$300,000 to the Gambian government for the President's Empowerment of Girls Education Project (PEGEP), education will become more readily available to female children in the country.
Teneng Jaiteh, the Gambian secretary general and head of the Civil Service, received the donation last Wednesday from Taiwanese ambassador to The Gambia, Mr Richard Shih, and explained that "Taiwan had always shown itself as a true friend and partner of the Gambia".
The PEGEP, which aims at providing free education for girls throughout the country, has received the support of the Taiwanese government on many occasions over the last few years and constitutes a major step towards achieving the 2015 Millennium Development Goals launched by the United Nations.
As part of the two governments' partnership in education, Taiwan also regularly offers Gambian students the opportunity to study engineering in the Asian island.
