Dawda Jawara
Childhood and early education
Childhood and early education
-----------------------------

Dawda Jawara was born in 1924 to Almammi Jawara and Mamma Fatty in the village of [Barajally Tenda](/wiki/Barajally "Barajally") in the central river region of The Gambia, approximately  from the capital, [Banjul](/wiki/Banjul "Banjul"), then called Bathurst. One of six sons, Dawda was the last born on his mother's side and a younger brother to sister Na Ceesay and brothers Basaddi and Sheriffo Jawara.

Their father Almammi, who had several wives, was a well\-to\-do trader from an [aristocratic family](/wiki/Aristocracy_%28class%29 "Aristocracy (class)") who commuted from Barajally Tenda to his trading post in Wally Kunda. His family, the Jawaras, had once served as members of the [Gbara](/wiki/Gbara "Gbara") of [Old Mali](/wiki/Mali_empire "Mali empire").

Dawda from an early age attended the local Arabic schools to memorize the [Quran](/wiki/Quran "Quran"), a rite of passage for many Gambian children. There were no primary schools in Barajally Tenda: the nearest was in Georgetown (Janjanbureh), the provincial capital, but this boarding school was reserved for the sons of the chiefs.

Around 1933, young Jawara's formal education was sponsored by a friend of his father, a trader named Ebrima Youma Jallow, whose trading post was across the street from Alammi's in Wally\-Kunda. Dawda was enrolled at Mohammedan primary school where he was taught by [I.M. Garba\-Jahumpa](/wiki/I.M._Garba-Jahumpa "I.M. Garba-Jahumpa"). After graduation from Mohammedan, Jawara won a scholarship to an all\-boys High School, where he enjoyed all his classes, but showed the greatest aptitude in science and mathematics. Upon matriculation in 1945, he worked as a nurse until 1947 at the Victoria Hospital in Bathurst (now Banjul). The limited career and educational opportunities in colonial Gambia led to a year's stint at [Prince of Wales College and School](/wiki/Achimota_College "Achimota College") in [Achimota](/wiki/Achimota "Achimota"), [Accra](/wiki/Accra "Accra"), in the then [Gold Coast](/wiki/British_Gold_Coast "British Gold Coast"), where he studied science. While at Prince of Wales College and School (popularly known as [Achimota College](/wiki/Achimota_College "Achimota College")), Jawara showed little interest in [politics](/wiki/Politics "Politics") at a time when Ghana and many colonies in Africa were beginning to become restless for political independence or internal self\-government. While he was happy to have met Ghana's founding father, [Kwame Nkrumah](/wiki/Kwame_Nkrumah "Kwame Nkrumah"), the impact did not prove significant at the time.Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, written by Dawda Kairaba Jawara

After attending Achimota College, Jawara won a scholarship to Scotland's [Glasgow University](/wiki/Glasgow_University "Glasgow University") to study veterinary medicine. At the time, colonial education was intended to train Africans for the most menial of clerical tasks in the civil service. And it was rare for Gambians to be awarded scholarships in the sciences. It was at Glasgow University in the late 1940s, that Jawara's interest in politics began. In 1948 he joined the African Students Association and was later elected secretary\-general and president, respectively. Also, while at Glasgow, Jawara honed his political interests and skills by joining the Student Labour Party Organization, Forward Group, and became active in labour politics of the time. Though never a "leftist", Jawara immersed himself in the [Labour Party](/wiki/Labour_Party_%28UK%29 "Labour Party (UK)")’s socialist politics and ideology. At Glasgow Jawara met [Cheddi Jagan](/wiki/Cheddi_Jagan "Cheddi Jagan"), who later became Premier of [British Guiana](/wiki/British_Guiana "British Guiana"), now [Guyana](/wiki/Guyana "Guyana"). Jawara classified this period in his life “as very interesting politically”.Saine, 2000 It was a moment of rising Pan\-Africanist fervour and personal growth politically. He completed his studies in 1953\. He later returned to Scotland to gain a further diploma in tropical veterinary medicine at the [University of Edinburgh](/wiki/University_of_Edinburgh "University of Edinburgh") in 1957\. Hughes, Arnold, and David Perfect. Historical Dictionary of the Gambia, Scarecrow, Lanham, MD, 2008, p. 113\. [Link](http://shcas.shnu.edu.cn/_upload/article/files/ef/50/e9a759614ebc8a2e8ed4d65d787f/63510482-553c-4a2d-8aaf-1d4b49ef00bf.pdf)Molony, Tom. Nyerere: The Early Years, James Currey, Oxford, 2016, p. 110\. [Link](https://books.google.com/books?id=qDE3BAAAQBAJ&dq=Dawda+Jawara+edinburgh+university&pg=PA110)


Where did Dawda Jawara study science?