Cherished Memories of Africa — Page 255
237 The Beginning of the School Like all other Divine communities, opposition to Ahmadiyyat has been going on since day one. The jama’at faces opposition at different levels in the Gambia as well. When the jama’at decided to start a new high school in the Gambia and the government granted permission to start a school at Basse, the local administration started putting hurdles in acquiring a piece of land. The local chief, Mr Qurbally Sahib was particularly influenced by the local opposition and their malicious propaganda. Therefore, he refused to give land in his locality. In this critical situation, Ahmadou Manneh Sahib of Manneh Kunda, who was a very sincere, courageous and influential Ahmadi exerted vigorously and gaining support of local dignitaries, succeeded in acquiring a vast piece of land near Mansajang Kunda; that is where the beautiful and spacious building of Nasir Ahmadiyya Muslim High School now stands. Initial Staff Saeed Ahmad Chattha (Principal); Munawar Ahmad Khurshid (Murabbi); Muhammadou Bah (Teacher); Clive (Teacher VSO) N’day Gassama (Secretary); Jara (Messenger); Dibbi Trawallay (Watchman) Financial Condition of the School Once I was returning to Basse, accompanied by the school principal, Saeed Ahmad Chattha. On the wayside we saw an old car that had been badly damaged in an accident. Everything except its body had vanished. Chattha Sahib said: ‘We could get