Extension
on Phil Bradfield (The Gambia), 29/Jul/2010 12:54, 34 days ago
(Written 29/07/2010 11:30am, RED5, Janjanbureh)When I left the UK nearly six months ago (wow, was it really so long!?), my placement here was scheduled to last for twelve months. Even before I left, I had a nagging doubt in my head as to whether one year would be long enough for my own satisfaction, and the longer I’ve been here the more that doubt has grown. But still, when the VSO Education Programme Manager phoned me up last week and asked if I was interested in extending my placement, my reaction wasn’t an automatic yes.I enjoy living here. I love the island and the community of Janjanbureh, but I still have the freedom to nip down to the Kombos occasionally to see my VSO friends and get my fix oftoubab-ness. However, as much as I enjoy living here, the work isn’t easy. I am concerned about the sustainability of what I do here, but trying to figure out how to work in even a semi-sustainable way is, to put it bluntly, bloody hard. It’s also frustrating, and tiring, and often boring. And that’s before you add in the extra environmental difficulties: the heat, the insects, the terrible roads, the lack of comforts, missing family and friends...Like a good boy, I talked it over with Mum and Dad, who were as wonderful as always. In Dad’s words “we’d like to have you back here as soon as possible, but whatever you decide we’ll put up with, because you have to decide what’s best for you”. No pressure applied at all. Did I ever mention I have awesome parents?So, despite the difficulties, I’ve gone with my instincts: a couple of days ago I phoned VSO and told them I’d like to extend my placement for another six months, meaning I’m now scheduled to return to the UK in the summer of 2011. This will give me a full school year to work with our new-look staff line-up, and hopefully the six months of fumbling around which I’ve already done will give me a more secure base to work from and give me shot at leaving here with the feeling of a job well done.