Alhaji Ceesay

Founder of the Gambia's first community-based education initiative transforming rural literacy rates

Alhaji Ceesay (born 1972) is a Gambian educator and social entrepreneur who pioneered the Gambia Community Education Project, a groundbreaking initiative that has brought literacy to over 150,000 people in rural areas. His work began in 1998 when he recognized the lack of educational infrastructure in his native country's remote villages. By developing a model combining local language instruction with solar-powered learning centers, Ceesay created a sustainable system that empowers communities to manage their own education programs.

His approach emphasized women's participation, establishing women-only night classes that increased female literacy from 28% to 73% in project areas. The model has been replicated in Senegal and Sierra Leone through partnerships with UNESCO. Ceesay's TEDx Talk on community-led education has inspired similar projects across West Africa. His work was recognized by the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize nominee list for education advocacy.