Almost a Year Now!
on Lynn Sellwood (The Gambia), 16/Jul/2011 09:31, 34 days ago
I can’t believe a year has almost passed. It is the rainy season again and I had forgotten just how hot and humid it can be. I am back to walking the streets with a flannel and having that fine film of dampness on my skin at all times. The rain does help the mangoes grow though! These are the size of coconuts!June and Mr TourayI have been saying goodbye to more volunteers as they finish their tenure. Marcus has gone and is preparing to re-volunteer in India. Jane has gone back to Dorset and her dog and admits we are all a distant dream. She and her compound friends held a party complete with local dishes.Drinking attaya Great fun! I am missing her good humour and good sense and look forward to meeting up with her again on my return home.Dinesh with an empty glassDinesh, a volunteer for 6 months, has also left. A cricket lover, music buff, book-reader, raconteur and ex super-head will also be missed. His contribution to the mix was of great good humour and willingness to get involved and make friends.Pete and Berni are, at this moment, driving across Africa, through Senegal, Mauritania, and Western Sahara to find a ferry to get them to Spain and Barcelona...respect, eh?I am still having a good social life; Jane has had a birthday and celebrated in style by having cocktails at Coco Ocean.Ellie, Alex, Vicky and MarcusJune and Pat Lots of meals out meeting new people, some from the MRC (Medical Research Council), others from other NGO’s and a PhD student into Sports Leadership and Development as well as Geek Night at mine when we swapped virus checkers and films.no conversation needed One event I missed was at BeeCause with Mick and Jenny who had decided to plant the latest superfood....you heard it here first....moringa!Berni The VSO crew and Peace Corps decided to help digging and planting and 5,000 plants are in the ground before the rains fully are unleashed!5,000 plantsI continue to attend meetings (!) and have started the project to involve communities in the life and success of their school. We have a steering group.PPM Steering group I also continue to deliver training. The last one was 72 Cluster Monitors (a bit like advisory teachers) their Supervisors and for the first time, the Madrassa link staff came along. They have the responsibility for bringing the Madrassa (Arabic/Islamic) alongside the conventional schools. Theydo teach the Koran but they also teach the core curriculum in English in an effort to meet the demands of many parents and elders who are still deeply suspicious of western style education.72 in a class!The scholars who perform this role are called“Oustace” in reverence for their learning and scholarship of Arabic and the Koran. I have to admit that I was rather awkward around these men but my experience has shown that my attitude was misplaced and that I am made to feel very comfortable and welcome when we have discussions.This is not the place to discuss my attitude towards Islam. What I am grateful for is the opportunity to discuss it with practising Muslims and being allowed to ask questions about fasting, polygamy, and the role of women, dress codes and the like.Now back to Campama School. You will remember that my sister and her husband raised money from a curry night by inviting all their friends round for the evening. We decided that the roofs would be repaired before the rains, the plumbing would be repaired so that the children’s toilets were functional and that the library roof and floor would be done so that we could start to stock it. The remaining money was to be used to paint the school to make it look more attractive. Here are the results of the fundraising.PhonicsNew library FloorLibrary roof patchNew Classroom roofMrs Jatta, Head teacherSports lesson at CampamaThe Vision ..........although the next project is to raise the funds to provide a perimeter fence for a rural school trying to protect the school garden where the produce is used to supplement the school feeding programme. Please help.Just finished watching "The Tudors”....outrageous, bonking good fun! But The Pallisers on Radio 4 Extra is fantastic. And...listening to the news about Murdoch and News International is gripping stuff! Hardly want to leave the house really!I'll be back in the UK from 29th July until 22nd September....love to see you!