One thing all the Gambian family agreed on; the new baby was not beautiful. Sirra's nose was too thin, her eyes were too big, she would never find a husband. Only her grandfather, the village chief, disagreed. He persuaded her father that even ugly girls should be educated. Her teachers found Sirra was not an easy child to teach; too many questions. The trouble was that they could not find the answers, and this encouraged Sirra to ask even more questions . all the village men avoided her. Sirra ploughed on, passed the exams, attended college and became a teacher.

When Ed Edwards visited the village school he could not believe his eyes .