Kent LLM graduate Solo Demba has been appointed a Goodwill Ambassador to the UK by the University of The Gambia (UTG) in recognition of a ‘life-changing’ donation of law books made by him to its Faculty of Law.
Solo graduated from Kent with a Master’s degree in Law in 2016 and is currently working in the UK as a medic whilst waiting to begin the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) in September.
Solo chose to make a donation of books to UTG in a bid to help raise the quality of legal education in The Gambia. In an online interview for JollofNews, Solo said: ‘From a realist perspective, the protection of fundamental rights goes beyond the mere application and administration of the laws. Indeed, it is through teaching that practitioners acquire the knowledge and the skills necessary to justly apply laws for the greater benefit of the society. There can be no doubt that with a sense of collectiveness, we will make the Gambia a fairer and just place to live by enhancing and supporting legal education.’
Speaking on behalf of the Faculty of Law at UTG, Professor Abubacarr Senghor expressed gratitude for Solo’s generosity, explaining that, given the economic situation in the country, many parents are not in a position to be able to buy books for their children. He said: ‘This is a life-changing contribution. It is no doubt that Solo contributed significantly to the promotion and strengthening of legal education in our country because the most important instruments for us today are the books.’
Since his graduation from Kent, Solo has also been volunteering at a local community legal centre to develop his legal skills.
The Kent LLM is an innovative one-year Master’s in Law that enables students to broaden and deepen their knowledge and understanding of law by specialising in one or more different areas, according to their career interests and aspirations, even if they are a non-law graduate. More information about the programme and the pathways available can be found on our website, our YouTube playlist and via the student-authored blog, Mastering Law.
Image: Peter Kalment Mendy is pictured presenting the books on behalf of Solo at the office of the Dean of the Faculty of Law, in Kanifing.
Image credit: JollofNews