It´s been nearly six months in the Gambia now. It´s well into rainy season here and I can REALLY see why the tourists stay away at this time of the year. Some insects have decided to make nice little homes for themselves in both my legs. GROSS! Quite painful, but the Jammeh´s knew what they were and just pushed them out!! They´re little centipedes (I think). There´s been a few nights of very heavy rainfall transforming Makumbaya and the surrounding villages from dry and dusty to green and lush. The heat and humidity here is so energy sapping but the place is much prettier. Every family has now started farming, planting their crops of maize, cous, sweet potato and peanuts.
I think the heat would make it to difficult to live here long term. Along with the hopeless transport. Last month, I went to a marriage ceremony in central Gambia with the Jammeh´s and other Makumbaya people. One of the girls from the village was marrying so she was moving out of her parents compound to live with her husband. Marriage ceremonies in the Jola tradition last a whole weekend so we left Makumbaya around 2am on the Friday in a Gelly-gelly (the Gambian public buses). We travelled for two and a half hours, singing and drumming until we reached our destination. We were housed by the husband´s family that night and slept on the hard floor. I knew it would be impossible so decided just forget about sleeping and listen to my ipod.
The following day, the wife-to-be was escorted to her husbands compound wrapped in cloth from head to toe, with everybody singing and dancing around her. She cannot see another person man until she is introduced to her husband near the end of the ceremony. Throughout the day we sat and chatted while we waited for food to arrive and for drumming and dancing to start. This was worth the wait, even though I was knackered! I was also forced to dance, there was no escaping! There was a more western celebration of a disco in the evening and we spent the night on the floor again.
I hoped to be able to get away in the morning. I had no sleep for two days and I felt that I´d seen enough. If I´d known how far and deserted the place was I would have given the whole thing a miss. It was so remote that no transport ran throughout the day. One bus came in the early hours and one at night. It was much more basic than Makumbaya and very sparse. There was one shop with very few supplies and there was no easy way of getting out fast. I waited around all day with everyone else until we left for Makumbaya in the evening.
I´ve had many transport problems on my travels. I took the ferry across the 5km stretch of the River Gambia from Banjul to Basse to visit James´ Island, home to the millions of slaves that were kept by our evil ancestors. How hopeless! One of the engines had blown so it took an hour and a half to cross. The ferry appeared to move from side to side most of the time and on reaching the other side, turned round so it could reverse into the dock. We also had to wait two hours for them to just refuel the damn thing. Too incompetent and disorganised, it would make living here extremely tiresome.
But it was well worth it. James´ Island is situated in Juffereh, about an hour´s drive from Basse. When we got there, we took a boat across to the island with a tourist guide and a djembe player! The place was very tranquil, such a contrast to the atrocities that happened there centuries before. One the rooms of the ruined building had been home to 160 slaves. It was so small that all of them would have had to stand upright, pressed together like sardines. It was horrific to see. On the way back from the island I played the djembe alongside the other player. A white and black man playing the same drum, a fitting end now that all is forgiven.
I´m amazed that Gambians don´t resent us for what our ancestors did. Everyone is so incredibly kind to me that I´ve never once wanted to go back home. Making do without electricity is a bit of a challenge at times, especially when I´m poking around my dark room for a torch! But life is so much more simpler, sociable, and LESS STRESSFUL! The teaching is very tough, especially as I´ve hardly any past experience. With the little nursery kids especially, teaching the teachers is the only way to make any progress. I feel they have made big steps forward. It will never be the same standards as in the UK but the kids are now working together in groups, learning to share and taking part in more fun activities (they all love colouring and it keeps them occupied for ages!) The teachers can now focus on teaching small groups whilst the rest of the class do other things. The resources are so important and fortunately the nursery have plenty.
I´ve taken over a side project from the last volunteer at the HIV centre in Brikama, to go along with my teaching and bits of personal tuition. It seems on it´s knees to be honest. The four staff have been waiting around for funding from the UN, expecting for the money to just fall out of the sky. They are supposed to have batik and soap making for the 75 members that are effected by HIV/AIDS. I´ve been mainly helping the secretary with I.T., transfering past figures to Excel and writing follow-up proposals for funding. They have such a tough life but are always smiling when I go to see them. It´s a joy to work with them, even though it often seems hopeless. The change I´ve made is very small and sometimes seems insignificant. I always wish that I could do more. Not only to change teaching standards but to change the way women are treated and the corrupt way that some people deal with money. The AP class kids´ money is in the trust of 4 Gambians. One of those is their superb teacher who passionately wants the money to go on the children´s education and nothing else. I just hope that the others think the same and will use the money in the right way once it is sent.
After this last week, its all over. In just 8 days, I´ll be off back to ´Toubabadou´ to see my family and friends and live in all the comfort that I took for granted before. But this won´t be my last time in the Gambia here. I´ve enjoyed every minute (almost). I´ll miss being treated like a celebrity and having every single kid for 12 miles around shout out my name when I passing in the street. I´ll miss eating out of the same bowl as my family, the continuous hot weather, as well as being able relax and just do things later! I´ve definetely got the bug and one day soon, I´ll hope to come back.
Thursday 16 July 2009
Thursday 21 May 2009
Funication
I wrote this post from inside a bush taxi. Was sat waiting for 2 hours before it moved. It´s so African! They never move til they´re full. Could´ve been spending my time doing more productive things on the net but nevermind!
Apart from the transport everything´s going well. Teaching wise, it´s getting a bit easier teaching grade six. We´ve been making plane and solid shapes with some of the resources I brought. Those are noisy lessons! Fun though. We´re now measuring the students heights and plotting graphs. All a lot more enjoyable for the kids than doing sums from a text book. PVA glue and muller yoghurt pots make teaching so much easier! I was never quite sure what resources to bring from home but without some of them I would be very stuck. I´ve bought maths sets for the school whilst the other volunteer has supplied more rulers. I´ve used a few of my resources at the nursery but their resource cupboard is a goldmine of stuff! They´ve had so many donations. Progress at the Nursery is still slow but at least the teachers have at least cut down on beating the kids. One makes the kids kneel down for part of the lesson if they misbehave. It´s a start! The main problem with the nursery is that it´s often closed! There has been a big court case involving many people from Makumbaya, including the father of one of the teachers. They´ve been held in custody over a land dispute with a neighbouring village so the teachers often go to attend court. As well as teaching at the school and the nursery when it´s open, I´m teaching a few more people how to use computers at the internet cafe I use in Lamin. The other volunteer teaches basic English to some of the women in the village. I help some of the women to practice and develop their English outside of the classes. The personal tuition is what I enjoy most and I feel this is where I am most beneficial.
I´ve spent some of my time away from the village at the beach. I took my host family last Sunday. It was the first time any of the kids had even seen the sea so they were a bit nervous! They loved it though. We´re going to go again and have a proper Gambian party!! I will be doing more travelling when my Gambian namesake finishes his exams. You´ll probably wonder why I´ve got no tan when I get back to England. It´s mostly too hot to be out in the sun so I stay in the shade as much as possible. I went a bit overboard when I bought suncream! I also have no idea why I brought a mosquito head net. Who would use one except maybe Ray Mears? Some of the personal items I´ve brought have have saved my life here though. The mobile solar charger being top of my list. An absolute lifesaver in a village with no electricity.
I´m still progressing with my djembe playing. The lessons are such a great way of learning more about Gambian and African culture. Djembe means ´talking drum´ and all the rhythms that I´m learning have phonetic names. I´m also teaching the new volunteer! She unfortunately finds my teacher Cosmos far too unpleasant. He´s managed to fall out with everyone else we were drumming with annoyingly. I still have lessons with him but his mouth gets him in trouble. Many people in the village have amusing ways of phrasing things in English but I could write a book of all the things Cos says. He got a bit muddled with the meanings for adultery and having fun. The result: Funication!!
For those of you without access to Facebook, here´s the link to my other photo album.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2289305&id=61108717&l=3baa4b007b
Apart from the transport everything´s going well. Teaching wise, it´s getting a bit easier teaching grade six. We´ve been making plane and solid shapes with some of the resources I brought. Those are noisy lessons! Fun though. We´re now measuring the students heights and plotting graphs. All a lot more enjoyable for the kids than doing sums from a text book. PVA glue and muller yoghurt pots make teaching so much easier! I was never quite sure what resources to bring from home but without some of them I would be very stuck. I´ve bought maths sets for the school whilst the other volunteer has supplied more rulers. I´ve used a few of my resources at the nursery but their resource cupboard is a goldmine of stuff! They´ve had so many donations. Progress at the Nursery is still slow but at least the teachers have at least cut down on beating the kids. One makes the kids kneel down for part of the lesson if they misbehave. It´s a start! The main problem with the nursery is that it´s often closed! There has been a big court case involving many people from Makumbaya, including the father of one of the teachers. They´ve been held in custody over a land dispute with a neighbouring village so the teachers often go to attend court. As well as teaching at the school and the nursery when it´s open, I´m teaching a few more people how to use computers at the internet cafe I use in Lamin. The other volunteer teaches basic English to some of the women in the village. I help some of the women to practice and develop their English outside of the classes. The personal tuition is what I enjoy most and I feel this is where I am most beneficial.
I´ve spent some of my time away from the village at the beach. I took my host family last Sunday. It was the first time any of the kids had even seen the sea so they were a bit nervous! They loved it though. We´re going to go again and have a proper Gambian party!! I will be doing more travelling when my Gambian namesake finishes his exams. You´ll probably wonder why I´ve got no tan when I get back to England. It´s mostly too hot to be out in the sun so I stay in the shade as much as possible. I went a bit overboard when I bought suncream! I also have no idea why I brought a mosquito head net. Who would use one except maybe Ray Mears? Some of the personal items I´ve brought have have saved my life here though. The mobile solar charger being top of my list. An absolute lifesaver in a village with no electricity.
I´m still progressing with my djembe playing. The lessons are such a great way of learning more about Gambian and African culture. Djembe means ´talking drum´ and all the rhythms that I´m learning have phonetic names. I´m also teaching the new volunteer! She unfortunately finds my teacher Cosmos far too unpleasant. He´s managed to fall out with everyone else we were drumming with annoyingly. I still have lessons with him but his mouth gets him in trouble. Many people in the village have amusing ways of phrasing things in English but I could write a book of all the things Cos says. He got a bit muddled with the meanings for adultery and having fun. The result: Funication!!
For those of you without access to Facebook, here´s the link to my other photo album.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2289305&id=61108717&l=3baa4b007b
Wednesday 6 May 2009
Mango Season
Its been three months in Makumbaya now and Im fitting more and more into the Gambian way of life. I can make good Attaya now and Im speaking a bit more Mandinka!
I cooked for my hosts at the weekend though which is not very Gambian. Gambian men dont cook at all. It was good to have something with meat in it and NO RICE! My family all seemed to enjoy it so Ill cook again before I go hopefully. It was a bit weird and a complete mess eating Spag bol out of a communal bowl with my hands, but it tastes just the same! Everything that Ive learnt from when I was a child about table manners and food hygiene all goes out the window! I dont worry about it though. Even though it sounds a bit gross, I actually quite like the communal bowl. Eating together is a very important part of Gambian culture and the family will often invite people passing in the street to come and eat with them. I never go back from the school without an invitation from a stranger to go and eat with them. I wish we had the same sort of community in UK. The kids happily run any errands for me, so outside of projects I dont have to do a thing!
At the nursery, the new ideas seem to be working OK but Im not been able to implement them much due to exams. (Why do 3 and 4 year olds have exams? Ridiculous!) Unfortunately, I can see problems for the nursery in the future as the money from Mondo is running out. I want to set up the garden but not if the nursery is likely to close in a year. They need new funds for a new site and for teachers salaries so Im going to try and help find them new sponsors. I wont let it disrupt my current work too much! Theres is another English volunteer in Makumbaya now which is a plus and she is working on the same projects as me, just at seperate times. Its good to see that an experienced teacher finds teaching Gambian nursery children impossible and not just me! We are rival football supporters so watching Arsenal V Man U European semi-final was a must for both of us! Weve luckily been able to watch the big European football matches which I thought wed miss. Theres no electricity in the village but several families have TVs which they run off car batteries. Its a unique experience watching the champions league under a mango tree with 20 or more villagers shouting at each other and not having a clue what theyre saying!
Working during the day is getting harder and harder with the increased heat and humidity. Rainy season is approaching. O Great! We re getting lots of ripe mangos now though. Theres two huge mango trees in the Jammeh compound so i get to eat about 5 or 6 each day. They fall onto the corrugate iron roof which sounds like a bomb going off! Its great not having to buy them as there so expensive at home. I want to export them!
Here are the links to my photos that Ive taken so far. Finally been able to get them up online! Ill keep adding more photos to these as time goes on.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2289281&id=61108717&l=1a4565c44a
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2289297&id=61108717&l=544068f58a http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2289268&id=61108717&l=63163fd82a
I cooked for my hosts at the weekend though which is not very Gambian. Gambian men dont cook at all. It was good to have something with meat in it and NO RICE! My family all seemed to enjoy it so Ill cook again before I go hopefully. It was a bit weird and a complete mess eating Spag bol out of a communal bowl with my hands, but it tastes just the same! Everything that Ive learnt from when I was a child about table manners and food hygiene all goes out the window! I dont worry about it though. Even though it sounds a bit gross, I actually quite like the communal bowl. Eating together is a very important part of Gambian culture and the family will often invite people passing in the street to come and eat with them. I never go back from the school without an invitation from a stranger to go and eat with them. I wish we had the same sort of community in UK. The kids happily run any errands for me, so outside of projects I dont have to do a thing!
At the nursery, the new ideas seem to be working OK but Im not been able to implement them much due to exams. (Why do 3 and 4 year olds have exams? Ridiculous!) Unfortunately, I can see problems for the nursery in the future as the money from Mondo is running out. I want to set up the garden but not if the nursery is likely to close in a year. They need new funds for a new site and for teachers salaries so Im going to try and help find them new sponsors. I wont let it disrupt my current work too much! Theres is another English volunteer in Makumbaya now which is a plus and she is working on the same projects as me, just at seperate times. Its good to see that an experienced teacher finds teaching Gambian nursery children impossible and not just me! We are rival football supporters so watching Arsenal V Man U European semi-final was a must for both of us! Weve luckily been able to watch the big European football matches which I thought wed miss. Theres no electricity in the village but several families have TVs which they run off car batteries. Its a unique experience watching the champions league under a mango tree with 20 or more villagers shouting at each other and not having a clue what theyre saying!
Working during the day is getting harder and harder with the increased heat and humidity. Rainy season is approaching. O Great! We re getting lots of ripe mangos now though. Theres two huge mango trees in the Jammeh compound so i get to eat about 5 or 6 each day. They fall onto the corrugate iron roof which sounds like a bomb going off! Its great not having to buy them as there so expensive at home. I want to export them!
Here are the links to my photos that Ive taken so far. Finally been able to get them up online! Ill keep adding more photos to these as time goes on.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2289281&id=61108717&l=1a4565c44a
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2289297&id=61108717&l=544068f58a http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2289268&id=61108717&l=63163fd82a
Tuesday 28 April 2009
Drumming and Dancing Video
Ive been to couple of naming ceremonies and this is the Jola way of celebrating. Check it out!
Friday 17 April 2009
The Only Toubab in the Village.
Before the easter break, Ive been mainly helping at the primary school so my time at the nursery has been reduced. The previous volunteer has come back to help me over the holidays with some ideas for the nursery.
Gambians are very laid back and dont have the strongest of work ethics! The teachers dont do teaching plans so they often go over the same things time and again. Corporal punishment is a huge problem in the nursery and the teachers havent had formal training so weve been working on a few ideas that might help them.
So far all the kids have been doing the same work. The brighter children tend to get quite restless at times and some less able chidren are afraid to try things in case they get things wrong. They do sometimes get beaten for getting wrong answers which is horrible. The variation of ability is huge, especially in the second class so I wanted the teachers to be able to set different work. Weve also come up with a strict rewards and sanction strategy that the teachers will use and this should help to cut out beating in time. We met with the teachers and they like our ideas but arent sure that they will work. They have the attitude that children who arent as clever as some are bad children because they get things wrong and dont want to learn. They are also afraid that the children will run riot if they arent beaten. Old habits die hard and it will be difficult for me to stamp out beating all together but I will be consistent with the procedures we have put in place.
I can understand why things slow down, especially in the afternoons because it is so hot. It is frustrating at times when I need to get somewhere but overall it has helped me to relax a lot more and to not worry about time so much. They are very impressed by the way volunteers work and how we want to get things done!
Gambians are great company and will always talk to me so Im rarely lonely. They have some humorous and interesting ways of saying somethings in English. My room in the jammeh compound is called my house and they all say stubborn for bad child instead of saying naughty. They are also very superstitious. They believe that some people are devils and I cant play my drum in the house for fear of breaking a protection from this. I cant say that Im a believer myself but its fascinating to hear about their ideas and beliefs. Its mental! Cosmos my djembe teacher has the best sayings and he once told me that smoking cannabis made him very clever! He talks a lot of rubbish and Iv had to help bail him out when he was arrested for an incident with a neighbour. But he can teach djembe. I go to his house to drum in the evenings. The local girls also come to dance while several of us drum away. Im improving steadily and thoroughly enjoy it.
Im also picking up a bit more local lingo and have kitted out my house a bit more. I had no furniture when I arrived and found it very difficult without electric light in the evenings so Iv had table made for me and a motor battery and bulb put in. its a huge help. Im continuing to help fatou, one of girls in the family, with maths and using the internet and looking to add more students to the AP class. Theres is also a local football team that Iv helped support and iv bought jerseys for them.
Its been great having help from another volunteer but she has had go back to the UK for a teaching placement. Iv found that it is so much more difficult to try and implement things when you are on your own but I will continue to keep working with the teachers and try new things.
Gambians are very laid back and dont have the strongest of work ethics! The teachers dont do teaching plans so they often go over the same things time and again. Corporal punishment is a huge problem in the nursery and the teachers havent had formal training so weve been working on a few ideas that might help them.
So far all the kids have been doing the same work. The brighter children tend to get quite restless at times and some less able chidren are afraid to try things in case they get things wrong. They do sometimes get beaten for getting wrong answers which is horrible. The variation of ability is huge, especially in the second class so I wanted the teachers to be able to set different work. Weve also come up with a strict rewards and sanction strategy that the teachers will use and this should help to cut out beating in time. We met with the teachers and they like our ideas but arent sure that they will work. They have the attitude that children who arent as clever as some are bad children because they get things wrong and dont want to learn. They are also afraid that the children will run riot if they arent beaten. Old habits die hard and it will be difficult for me to stamp out beating all together but I will be consistent with the procedures we have put in place.
I can understand why things slow down, especially in the afternoons because it is so hot. It is frustrating at times when I need to get somewhere but overall it has helped me to relax a lot more and to not worry about time so much. They are very impressed by the way volunteers work and how we want to get things done!
Gambians are great company and will always talk to me so Im rarely lonely. They have some humorous and interesting ways of saying somethings in English. My room in the jammeh compound is called my house and they all say stubborn for bad child instead of saying naughty. They are also very superstitious. They believe that some people are devils and I cant play my drum in the house for fear of breaking a protection from this. I cant say that Im a believer myself but its fascinating to hear about their ideas and beliefs. Its mental! Cosmos my djembe teacher has the best sayings and he once told me that smoking cannabis made him very clever! He talks a lot of rubbish and Iv had to help bail him out when he was arrested for an incident with a neighbour. But he can teach djembe. I go to his house to drum in the evenings. The local girls also come to dance while several of us drum away. Im improving steadily and thoroughly enjoy it.
Im also picking up a bit more local lingo and have kitted out my house a bit more. I had no furniture when I arrived and found it very difficult without electric light in the evenings so Iv had table made for me and a motor battery and bulb put in. its a huge help. Im continuing to help fatou, one of girls in the family, with maths and using the internet and looking to add more students to the AP class. Theres is also a local football team that Iv helped support and iv bought jerseys for them.
Its been great having help from another volunteer but she has had go back to the UK for a teaching placement. Iv found that it is so much more difficult to try and implement things when you are on your own but I will continue to keep working with the teachers and try new things.
Thursday 26 March 2009
AP class
Sorry its been so long since Ive updated the blog. I think the last internet cafe I used had tonnes of viruses so the page now looks a bit odd!
Things have changed quite a bit from when I last posted. Im still teaching at the nursery for part of the week but Im now working with an advanced (AP) class in grade 6 at the primary school. Most of the kids are 14 or 15 which is a bit strange! I started teaching them English but Ive changed to teaching Maths which im more comfortable with. Itś still difficult for the kids to understand me, even in grade 6, but its slowly getting easier. I also run a games session for the AP class on Fridays which they love. Ive brought a play parachute with me and used it on the first session which got ripped. They keep requesting for it to be brought out again so ill have to keep getting it stitched up!
The school council want a garden built so they can plant vegetables and sell them to buy resources for the nursery kids. MondoChallenge have no funds at the moment so Im going to try and help start it in the Easter holidays. There is another volunteer coming to help me at the nursery school in April so we will be able to work together on some new ideas.
Im still happy in Makumbaya and my host family are great to me. Theyve got me in touch with a friend of theirs called Cosmos who teaches djembe and other african drumming. Im learning with him and also making my own drums! Hes is a good teacher but I have to be smart with him. Hes trying to get me to buy a lot of drums so Ill have to watch and keep a good record of what I pay him!
There have been several problems though in the village with people being accused of witchcraft and there has been a dispute with another village about a patch of land. Quite a few people were arrested. My host was also arrested for a separate incident where he was falsely accused of insulting the president. Hes been released though now and the case has been resolved. I can see Africa is very unpredictable but Im in no danger, as long as I dont discuss Gambian politics!
Things have changed quite a bit from when I last posted. Im still teaching at the nursery for part of the week but Im now working with an advanced (AP) class in grade 6 at the primary school. Most of the kids are 14 or 15 which is a bit strange! I started teaching them English but Ive changed to teaching Maths which im more comfortable with. Itś still difficult for the kids to understand me, even in grade 6, but its slowly getting easier. I also run a games session for the AP class on Fridays which they love. Ive brought a play parachute with me and used it on the first session which got ripped. They keep requesting for it to be brought out again so ill have to keep getting it stitched up!
The school council want a garden built so they can plant vegetables and sell them to buy resources for the nursery kids. MondoChallenge have no funds at the moment so Im going to try and help start it in the Easter holidays. There is another volunteer coming to help me at the nursery school in April so we will be able to work together on some new ideas.
Im still happy in Makumbaya and my host family are great to me. Theyve got me in touch with a friend of theirs called Cosmos who teaches djembe and other african drumming. Im learning with him and also making my own drums! Hes is a good teacher but I have to be smart with him. Hes trying to get me to buy a lot of drums so Ill have to watch and keep a good record of what I pay him!
There have been several problems though in the village with people being accused of witchcraft and there has been a dispute with another village about a patch of land. Quite a few people were arrested. My host was also arrested for a separate incident where he was falsely accused of insulting the president. Hes been released though now and the case has been resolved. I can see Africa is very unpredictable but Im in no danger, as long as I dont discuss Gambian politics!
Sunday 22 February 2009
AKA Adama Jammeh
I had my official welcoming as part of the family yesterday. They killed and prepared a chicken so we could celebrate. They mainly eat fish with rice. It usually really nice but quite peppery so I can never eat all of what they give me (they give me LOADS!) I'm not eating from the communal bowl or with my hands yet which the rest of the family do! The family have also named me Adama Jammeh after a close relative.
My Mandinka has been steadily improving (I've pretty much got the basic greetings now) and I'm trying bits of Fula and Jola. I should be getting some Mandinka lessons soon which will help. Teaching at the nursery school is impossible if you don't know the lingo. I ran a class unaided once and it went completely belly up. My hand gestures and signals got mistranslated (putting my hand to my ear to get them to listen, they shouted out ears and chanted 'Heads shoulders knees and toes'!)I'll be working there two days a week from now on, with assisting the teachers. My initial aim is to get them to utilise more resources (they have a cupboard full of things that are never used). This will hopefully make the lessons a bit more interesting for the kids and teachers as well as reducing the amount of corporal punishment that is used. Seeing the kids getting beaten was a real shock, even though I knew it was used before I came here. I'll be trying to adapt how lessons are taught but this will take time. I will be working the other days in the advanced class at the primary school where the kids have sponsors. This was started by the last volunteer who is still looking for more sponsors. I'll be observing the grade five class to see if anymore students can be added. There's certainly plenty to get my teeth into!
Outside of teaching I've mainly been chatting to locals (well trying and failing miserably!) and drinking lots of attaya. I went to a naming ceremony (Muslim equivalent of a chrisening) last weekend with the head of the family. It ran all day with lots of food and chatting. I had to give a gift (cash, which they asked for many times) but I got to see some Wolof drumming and dancing which was really full on and great to watch. I'll be getting some Jola drum lessons soon from the lead drummer. AWESOME!!!
I hope to load some photos up soon when there's more time.
My Mandinka has been steadily improving (I've pretty much got the basic greetings now) and I'm trying bits of Fula and Jola. I should be getting some Mandinka lessons soon which will help. Teaching at the nursery school is impossible if you don't know the lingo. I ran a class unaided once and it went completely belly up. My hand gestures and signals got mistranslated (putting my hand to my ear to get them to listen, they shouted out ears and chanted 'Heads shoulders knees and toes'!)I'll be working there two days a week from now on, with assisting the teachers. My initial aim is to get them to utilise more resources (they have a cupboard full of things that are never used). This will hopefully make the lessons a bit more interesting for the kids and teachers as well as reducing the amount of corporal punishment that is used. Seeing the kids getting beaten was a real shock, even though I knew it was used before I came here. I'll be trying to adapt how lessons are taught but this will take time. I will be working the other days in the advanced class at the primary school where the kids have sponsors. This was started by the last volunteer who is still looking for more sponsors. I'll be observing the grade five class to see if anymore students can be added. There's certainly plenty to get my teeth into!
Outside of teaching I've mainly been chatting to locals (well trying and failing miserably!) and drinking lots of attaya. I went to a naming ceremony (Muslim equivalent of a chrisening) last weekend with the head of the family. It ran all day with lots of food and chatting. I had to give a gift (cash, which they asked for many times) but I got to see some Wolof drumming and dancing which was really full on and great to watch. I'll be getting some Jola drum lessons soon from the lead drummer. AWESOME!!!
I hope to load some photos up soon when there's more time.
Tuesday 17 February 2009
Getting to Grips
Well, I've been in The Gambia for a week and a half now. It's a good job that I've come with an open mind because it's worlds apart from the UK and the western world. To get around they use yellow taxis and the Gelly Gellys, which are bonkers! They wait around until full up (which can take hours, especially in secluded villages like Makumbaya) and all their motors are ancient and battered. I quite like them though, they're just part of the Gambian charm! The roads are free for all, with animals roaming the streets and horns going crazy. It's all pretty friendly and slow paced. Everything happens in GMT (Gambia maybe time!) so nothing is on time. There are a few main tarmac roads but most roads are just dirt or sand tracks. It can be quite hot during the day but it's very pleasant. It's actually 'very cold' for Gambians so I'm expecting tougher conditions as time goes on!!
Despite the major culture differences, my first impressions are great. The people are extremely friendly and will always greet you when you pass in the street. They have also been very helpful with settling me in. Some people especially very young kids, give me curious looks. You stand out so much as a white westerner. The kids all shout 'Tou-bab', which means white person but is just friendly and not meant to be offensive. My hosts (Jammeh family) are so friendly and welcoming, like all the other Gambians I've met so far. They are of the Jola tribe, which is one of many in The Gambia. I'm going to have to learn both Jola and Mandinka languages, which is already looking very tough. I think I come across as a bit rude at times because Gambians always want to talk. They drink Attaya all the time, which is a strong green tea with loads of sugar and is REALLY SWEET!!! It's good stuff!
The things that I thought would bother me haven't. Even the insects, bucket baths and medievel toilet! The thing that is hardest is getting used to the lack of light in the evening. It gets dark very quickly in The Gambia and it can be pitch black by 8 o'clock. The cockrals are also starting to get on my nerves when they go off at 2 in the morning!
The teaching is very tough though. I've been put in the nursery school instead of lower basic and so none of the children speak good English. Because of the language barrier, it is very hard to put down new ideas and I've ended up resorting to teaching what the kids know (NOT what I had in mind!!) Their lessons are extremly boring and there is a lot of reading out and repeating what the teacher writes on the board. I hope to be able to work with the teachers and give them ideas that they can use, rather than teach myself. It is going to take time but hopefully it will be worth while.
Despite the major culture differences, my first impressions are great. The people are extremely friendly and will always greet you when you pass in the street. They have also been very helpful with settling me in. Some people especially very young kids, give me curious looks. You stand out so much as a white westerner. The kids all shout 'Tou-bab', which means white person but is just friendly and not meant to be offensive. My hosts (Jammeh family) are so friendly and welcoming, like all the other Gambians I've met so far. They are of the Jola tribe, which is one of many in The Gambia. I'm going to have to learn both Jola and Mandinka languages, which is already looking very tough. I think I come across as a bit rude at times because Gambians always want to talk. They drink Attaya all the time, which is a strong green tea with loads of sugar and is REALLY SWEET!!! It's good stuff!
The things that I thought would bother me haven't. Even the insects, bucket baths and medievel toilet! The thing that is hardest is getting used to the lack of light in the evening. It gets dark very quickly in The Gambia and it can be pitch black by 8 o'clock. The cockrals are also starting to get on my nerves when they go off at 2 in the morning!
The teaching is very tough though. I've been put in the nursery school instead of lower basic and so none of the children speak good English. Because of the language barrier, it is very hard to put down new ideas and I've ended up resorting to teaching what the kids know (NOT what I had in mind!!) Their lessons are extremly boring and there is a lot of reading out and repeating what the teacher writes on the board. I hope to be able to work with the teachers and give them ideas that they can use, rather than teach myself. It is going to take time but hopefully it will be worth while.
Tuesday 27 January 2009
What, Who, and Why
After preparing and fundraising for the past 6 months, I’ll be finally off to the Gambia in 10 days. It’s been hard work at times but definitely well worth the effort. When I decided to work for Mondo Challenge in July last year, I’d just finished studying for my Maths degree at Sheffield Uni and had no money whatsoever. Luckily, I have had some very kind donations from various groups of people which have been vital in making my project possible. I would like thank the Knutsford Catenians, Knutsford Rotary, Knutsford Lions, Philip Barker Charity, Piper Hill High School, St. Nicholas High School, and all of my family and friends who have helped and sponsored me. I would also like to thank the Cinnamon Club for putting on a brilliant night earlier last month and for helping me to raise the rest of the necessary funds for my project.
Many people have asked me what it is that I’m actually going to be doing in the Gambia, who are Mondo Challenge, why did I choose The Gambia and why did I even consider going to work in Africa in the first place?! So before I travel out, here’s a little bit on what I'm going to be up to:
What I'm going to be doing
I will be working in the region of Makumbaya in The Gambia, West Africa as a voluntary teacher at Makumbaya Lower Basic School. The school has well over 600 students aged between 7 and 12, but only 15 teachers, 2 of who are unqualified and 2 who are trainees. Therefore, the children have to be split into morning and afternoon classes to cope with the numbers. The school has running water from a well on site, but has no electricity, no plumbing and very few teaching resources. My main task will be teaching the children English, which is The Gambia’s official language but not the first spoken by its people. I will also be teaching Maths, sports and arts and crafts among other things to make school life more fun!
Who is Mondo Challenge?
Mondo Challenge is a small non-government funded organisation that started in 2001. Their vision is ‘People first, money second’, aiming to improve the lives of people in developing countries through the work of its volunteers, whilst maintaining sustainability so that communities can support themselves. Since it began, Mondo has had a direct impact on well over 6000 people in the 9 countries it supports, many of who are at the poorest level. The fact that they pride themselves on supporting their volunteers was so important to me, especially as I have never done anything like this before!
Why The Gambia?
Working in a place which is safe and politically stable was, of course, my top priority when deciding to work as a volunteer. The Gambia, one of the safest but also one of the poorest countries in Africa, is dominated by the Gambian river. It is completely surrounded by Senegal except for its small Atlantic coast and is also a former British colony. The Gambia is often referred to as The Smiling coast of Africa due to the friendliness of the people; (this has often been the first thing mentioned by ex-volunteers or by people who have visited The Gambia previously). It has vast wildlife (particularly birds) despite its small size, with many great wildlife parks that I hope to visit. Music and Drumming is also a huge part of the culture which I’m really looking forward to experiencing (drumming mainly being because I used to be a keen drummer!) As well as rekindling old habits, I also hope to become an integral part of the community that I will be living in, by learning Mandinka (one of the local languages) and living life the true Gambian way! Being able to help a community in need while experiencing a great new culture and way of life made me decide to work in The Gambia.
Why even consider going at all?
Having had the privilege of a full education in a country where there is constant peace and stability, I feel that I need to give something back. (Sorry, couldn’t think of a better way of putting it!) I know that I will never have to live through the war and poverty that some people face in certain parts of the world and I feel passionately that people should have the right to a good education. I feel that the best way I can try to make a difference is through teaching, and even though I’ve had no formal teacher training, I have always enjoyed working with people. I've done some voluntary teaching while at Uni and after in a couple of schools, and my plan to train as a secondary maths teacher when I return to Britain in five months time.
Having not been to Africa before as well as not having had formal teacher training, I’m not without my concerns. To be honest, I’m bricking it. Not knowing what will happen when I arrive, being poisoned by nasty insects, catching malaria or any other diseases that mosquitoes might carry, catching rabies, becoming seriously ill from drinking dodgy water, being alone, offending the locals in a way that gets me killed, among other things, all worry me. I am though, very excited about meeting and working with new people, including other volunteers. I hope to learn a lot about African life and gain a better understanding of it, as well as learning from the teaching experience. It isn’t going to go smoothly all the time, I’m expecting the unexpected. I hope though to have a positive impact in some way and help the school to progress.
I will be updating this blog throughout my time in the Gambia and hope to keep everyone back home informed. I hope to write again soon.
>
Many people have asked me what it is that I’m actually going to be doing in the Gambia, who are Mondo Challenge, why did I choose The Gambia and why did I even consider going to work in Africa in the first place?! So before I travel out, here’s a little bit on what I'm going to be up to:
What I'm going to be doing
I will be working in the region of Makumbaya in The Gambia, West Africa as a voluntary teacher at Makumbaya Lower Basic School. The school has well over 600 students aged between 7 and 12, but only 15 teachers, 2 of who are unqualified and 2 who are trainees. Therefore, the children have to be split into morning and afternoon classes to cope with the numbers. The school has running water from a well on site, but has no electricity, no plumbing and very few teaching resources. My main task will be teaching the children English, which is The Gambia’s official language but not the first spoken by its people. I will also be teaching Maths, sports and arts and crafts among other things to make school life more fun!
Who is Mondo Challenge?
Mondo Challenge is a small non-government funded organisation that started in 2001. Their vision is ‘People first, money second’, aiming to improve the lives of people in developing countries through the work of its volunteers, whilst maintaining sustainability so that communities can support themselves. Since it began, Mondo has had a direct impact on well over 6000 people in the 9 countries it supports, many of who are at the poorest level. The fact that they pride themselves on supporting their volunteers was so important to me, especially as I have never done anything like this before!
Why The Gambia?
Working in a place which is safe and politically stable was, of course, my top priority when deciding to work as a volunteer. The Gambia, one of the safest but also one of the poorest countries in Africa, is dominated by the Gambian river. It is completely surrounded by Senegal except for its small Atlantic coast and is also a former British colony. The Gambia is often referred to as The Smiling coast of Africa due to the friendliness of the people; (this has often been the first thing mentioned by ex-volunteers or by people who have visited The Gambia previously). It has vast wildlife (particularly birds) despite its small size, with many great wildlife parks that I hope to visit. Music and Drumming is also a huge part of the culture which I’m really looking forward to experiencing (drumming mainly being because I used to be a keen drummer!) As well as rekindling old habits, I also hope to become an integral part of the community that I will be living in, by learning Mandinka (one of the local languages) and living life the true Gambian way! Being able to help a community in need while experiencing a great new culture and way of life made me decide to work in The Gambia.
Why even consider going at all?
Having had the privilege of a full education in a country where there is constant peace and stability, I feel that I need to give something back. (Sorry, couldn’t think of a better way of putting it!) I know that I will never have to live through the war and poverty that some people face in certain parts of the world and I feel passionately that people should have the right to a good education. I feel that the best way I can try to make a difference is through teaching, and even though I’ve had no formal teacher training, I have always enjoyed working with people. I've done some voluntary teaching while at Uni and after in a couple of schools, and my plan to train as a secondary maths teacher when I return to Britain in five months time.
Having not been to Africa before as well as not having had formal teacher training, I’m not without my concerns. To be honest, I’m bricking it. Not knowing what will happen when I arrive, being poisoned by nasty insects, catching malaria or any other diseases that mosquitoes might carry, catching rabies, becoming seriously ill from drinking dodgy water, being alone, offending the locals in a way that gets me killed, among other things, all worry me. I am though, very excited about meeting and working with new people, including other volunteers. I hope to learn a lot about African life and gain a better understanding of it, as well as learning from the teaching experience. It isn’t going to go smoothly all the time, I’m expecting the unexpected. I hope though to have a positive impact in some way and help the school to progress.
I will be updating this blog throughout my time in the Gambia and hope to keep everyone back home informed. I hope to write again soon.
>
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