Old and New friends
on Lynn Sellwood (The Gambia), 29/Mar/2011 15:02, 34 days ago
So, Andrew returned to The Gambia to accompany the cricket team to theT20in Ghana. I wish it could have been a fairy story but no, the team did not win the competition, in fact, Rwanda did. The Cricket Association have a mountain to climb starting with getting their own pitch which is not shared with the military and state ceremonies currently scheduled on their current ground.The team, waiting....Andrew made new friends and loved visiting Ghana, where an old cricketing friend, originally from Barbados, is living. Here he is doing the post-mortem......Andrew, explaining the error of their ways!A short break from entertaining friends was filled by six days of training inBasseandJanjanbureh(previously known as Georgetown). We travelled on Sunday to Basse where I stayed with my new VSO friend, Tessa, in her compound. Basse is hardly a metropolis with one restaurant and a chicken afra place and one bar selling cold beer. Tessa is doing the full VSO experience, African roundhouse, thatch roof; the only running water comes from her shower, no taps or sink in her house! Electricity is available from 6.30 in the evening until about 2 in the morning and that’s your lot!The training room in the Regional office was 43 degrees by midday; no air con; a few fans; 112 delegates; one flip chart; 12 marker pens; and a 50p size of blu-tak.Just the 112 delegates I had to lead the training of all these Head teachers through a document to measure quality standards and make it learner-centred! I loved it and from their evaluations, so did they. It took me back to why I became a teacher in the first place.Me, in my element!Then on to Janjanbureh which was a British colonial administration centre which managed the shipping going down the Gambia River. Some old buildings remain, long past their best. There are also examples of original wooden houses which look just like chattel houses in Barbados. JJB (as we volunteers call it!) is on a small island and is actually quite beautiful, if rather remote. Food availability here is also difficult and the volunteers who are posted here live on a very unvarying diet depending on what is in season. There are a few lodges for tourists so there are slightly more venues for the cold beer fix in the evening. Here I had to do the same three days training with the same resources in the same heat.There was a disturbing incident whereby we could all hear some girls screaming and wailing at about 8.30 in the morning only to be told that there were several instances of devil possession in the nearby school and this was its manifestation. Me being me, I was instantly dismissive and said it was a shame that girls had got themselves into a state and were so“attention seeking”. I was quickly shut up when it was explained that of the 86 heads in the room probably only 5% thought the same as me! Here wasanimismin action, a real belief in evil spirits which could invade the body and make it do things that were out of the individual’s control. I actually heard some heads explain that the new bridge into JJB was probably responsible for the devil entering the schools.I got home at 8.30 on Saturday night only to be told I would have to go into work on Sunday to review some presentations. Another difference from home is the fact that weekends don’t have the same protection. People in education are often at work until 9pm at night and think nothing of working over the weekends. I find it very difficult to adjust!Then came the visit of my mate Sally and her cousin and my friend, Alison.Hello SallyIt was great to see them and I think Sally was very worried about what she might find. She had said that some of her colleagues were a little sniffy about her taking a holiday in The Gambia. To protect themselves they got a really good deal atThe Sheratonwhich is a little way down the coast and originally built for a meeting of the African Union at which Gaddafi was the guest of honour! It is beautiful and in the same league as Coco Ocean but very different in style.The pool at the Sheraton In fact, after all our adventures, I went for the whole day on Sunday and it felt like I was on holiday!What did we do? Everything local to me, including the fish market at Bakau, some craft markets, restaurants on the beach and a wonderful night at Mick and Jenny’s to raise money for BeeCauseMick and Jenny and a music night atThe Scottish Embassyat which a female Fula singing group entertained us. Most of all we chatted and gossiped about everything that has happened in the last seven months. It was great to relax with old friends as well as introducing them to my new ones. I really appreciate the effort my friends and family have made to visit me.The evening at Mick and Jenny’s was particularly good and for the first time since I have been here I can admit to overdoing it with the tonic! We got there, courtesy of Lamin, my friend the taxi driver. I couldn’t face negotiating the bumpy sand roads.Max, Tom and Lamin There were about 60 people there from VSO, Peace Corps and other organisations.Jane and June, my VSO mates There was a bar, vodka andwonjojuice (sorrel in Barbados) being the highlight, food and products on sale like honey and soap and candles.Jenny and Teo behind the barThe new“hobbit house” had just been finished and Mick, Jenny and the kids were now sleeping there. It is available for rent for any of you looking for a bush experience!Reading and Resting areaEntrance to the Hobbit HouseAs it got dark, my musical friends got going, Dean, now working for UNICEF,Dean, Mark of Scottish Embassy and Berni in the background Jane who works as an advisor in Region 2 based in Brikama, and Max, the VSO volunteer from The Philippines accompanied by drummers."VOLume"We were given a series of wonderful songs, and us older ones could even sing along leaving the youngsters agog with our musical knowledge.Abigail, amazed by my singing voice!Part of the audienceJosh, a lawyer from Canada, working in The Gambia It was a wonderful evening with old and new friends which culminated in a “tug of war” competition organised by Pete, who is a VSO volunteer seconded from his job with VSO.Tom, Denise,Lucy and Dean The evening made me reflect on friends and family in England and how I miss them but I am now very aware that some of these new friends will be going home soon (about June/July)Sally and Alison and I will be alone again.........I will rely on my friends here who are doing two years. I will say that powerful new friendships are forged in these circumstances and they exist across the generations, too.Alex and Denesh, newly arrived VSO I look forward to meeting the new VSO intake due to arrive in August.Other news includes the fact that my sister Christine, and her husband Martyn, raised£525 from their curry night. We will probably decide to spend it on doing the library in Campama. Still waiting to hear from others of you that want to donate something........