MingDaw Junior & Senior Secondary School, originally named Taiwan Ming Da Junior & Senior High School, was established in 1997 on land reserved by the Farato community, under the leadership of Alkali Mbemba Ceesay since 1984. The school symbolizes the strong friendship between Taiwan and The Gambia, built through the collaboration of the Farato community and Mr. Miller Liu (Liu Chun-Yuan, 劉春園), with the support of Master Kuo (天真老師), director of the Ming Daw Cultural Center (MCC) in Taiwan. Mr. Miller, an honorary ambassador of MCC and a dedicated advocate for global education, has engaged in numerous humanitarian projects, including building schools and hospitals in Ethiopia and Chad.

In 1995, Mr. Miller and his brother, Zakir Liu (Liu Chao-Shan, 劉照山), visited The Gambia and informed Taiwan’s Ambassador Lee of their plans to construct a school and a hospital. Ambassador Lee connected Mr. Miller with Mr. Cham, who sought support for similar initiatives. Key stakeholders in the project included Mr. Miller, the Taiwanese embassy, Mr. Kissima Sumbundu (a friend of Mr. Liu), Mr. Cham (the project coordinator), and representatives from the Farato community. The initial plan was to build:

• A furniture factory for Ming Daw,
• The Ming Daw School,
• A clinic for Ming Daw, and
• A hospital/health center in Serrekunda.

With full support from Master Kuo and his MCC administration, the four sub-projects began simultaneously in 1996, with Mr. Cham managing operations. However, Mr. Cham was advised to involve Mr. Sumbundu in procuring construction materials. As part of the agreement, Farato community members volunteered as the construction workforce, while Mr. Miller provided funding for building materials and the establishment of the furniture factory.  This factory would support Ming Daw financially and supply furniture for the school, while the government would be responsible for the school’s operation, including staffing and salaries, once the projects were completed.

Unfortunately, Mr. Cham's leadership of the Ming Daw project was marred by a lack of transparency, mistrust within the community, and financial mismanagement, resulting in delays and incomplete construction. When Mr. Miller Liu returned to assess the project after the promised eight-month completion timeline, he was both dissatisfied and outraged by the lack of progress. He reported Mr. Cham's poor performance to the State House, seeking redress. Subsequently Mr. Miller provided additional funding, took over project leadership, and appointed Mr. Sumbundu as the new coordinator.

While Mr. Cham constructed two classroom blocks in the southern wing and a mosque, Mr. Sumbundu oversaw the northern wing, which included a mechanic workshop, computer lab, science lab, and toilets.

In 1997, Mr. Miller invited Ambassador Lee and Master Kuo, who led a delegation from MCC, to officially open the school. During the ceremony, Mr. Miller praised the Farato community's collaborative efforts, which the community reciprocated, expressing gratitude for the goodwill of Mr. Miller and Master Kuo of the MCC. All volunteers and teachers received compensation, and scholarships were awarded to the children of volunteers studying at Ming Daw. Furthermore, 50 sets of computers and other equipment were donated to improve the school's infrastructure.

Ming Daw operated as a junior high school until the 1998-1999 academic year when President Yahya Jammeh promised to upgrade it to include senior secondary education, if the students performed well in their Grade 9 WAEC exams. Following their strong performance, this promise was fulfilled, and the community annexed additional land, giving Ming Daw its distinctive L-shaped campus. In recognition of MCC’s contributions, President Jammeh conferred the title of Honorary Commander of The Gambia upon Master Kuo for his pivotal role in promoting education and health in the country.

Source: Mr. Miller Liu (劉春園), Founder & Sponsor, Ming Daw School, Farato.

Authors: 1.  Barjo Sulayman (巴九), Student, Ming Daw Senior Secondary School, 2003 - 2006.               

2. Saikou Susoh, Head of ICT Department SMS and Web Administrator, Ming Daw J&S Sec. School.