Home Improvements

 

Started in June and finished in July and despite the frequent heavy downpours of rain and the problems with getting out of the village on flooded, muddy roads to get hold of building materials, we managed to construct and furnish a comfortable house to accommodate volunteers and visitors.  This useful and practical addition to our projects was made possible by a generous donation of £5000 from The White Family of Exeter who donated the money in memory of their son Nick.  Our first volunteer teacher, Holley Najera is pictured here inside the new hut.  The second part of the building project to complete an extension to the school is nearly finished and will provide an extra room for educational activities or accommodation if needed.  Also pictured is one of our pupils, Sally Njie, who enjoyed helping to whitewash the walls.

Fwd: Guest Blogger Holley Najera

-----Original Message-----
From: dwdebs <dwdebs@aol.com>
To: neiljshaw <neiljshaw@blogger.com>
Sent: Wed, Jul 27, 2011 12:12 pm
Subject: Guest Blogger Holley Najera

I'd like to introduce Holley Najera from Buckinghamshire, UK, who is volunteering with us for 2 months.  She'd like to offer an insight into her experiences over her first two weeks in The Gambia.

"I'm here alive and kicking, currently not in the mud hut obviously because there is no electricity there. I have been here literally just over two weeks and I can safely say that I've had more experiences within that time then I have had in my entire life. When I booked my ticket with 'Gambia Experience' let me say now I was not expecting to have so many! I've really seen it all first hand, from the poverty, love and friendliness of the village in which I'm staying to the grandness and luxuries of the 5* resorts. Coming off the plane and being greeted by Debbie and 3 vip kids from the school made me lose all of the inhibitions which I gained over the 5 hour flight. Jumping in what I'd describe as a 'safari barbie' white jeep and on the road, we then headed to Madiana. Heading to the village where I'd be living for the next 2 months, I felt like I was with the queen, little herds of kids ran from all directions of the car shouting 'Debbie Debbie' made me think how hard life must be for a famous actor attentding a premiere. Arriving at a mud hut in the middle of the african 'bush' with no expectations, mainly because of the little time I had to think about what I was going to do between finishing my PGCE and jumping on a plane to Africa which looking back now I think is the best way and potentially only way because honestly I may not have done it otherwise.
The change from using a hair dryer, ghds, make up and fake tan on a daily basis with either my phone in one hand or lappy to no electricity and having packed no make up, showering under a mango tree and the local toy being a long drop you'd imagine to be quite hard but for me it was almost natural but then again my pals always said I was a dirt queen, the proof is in the pudding that's all I'm saying. I could write an essay and have as my diary is full to the brim but my highlights have to be firstly a boy's life being saved. in fact probably a highlight of my lifetime, and going into the underground abode of an African marabout (who is known to mutate into a snake)  whilst a wedding was happening - need I say more that was a trip in itself without any substance involved."

 

Holley just finished her PGCE at Plymouth's Marjohn and decided to get a bit of life experience before she commences her career.  She has thrown herself into local life 100% and the children appreciate her lively, positive, approach.  She is facing up to unexpected situations and experiences with braveness and tolerance and will teach the children here a lot while picking up useful life-skills herself; all in all her stay here will be life-changing and we are really grateful to her for choosing to come out to The Gambia to share her skills with us.  We hope you have a great stay, Holley,  and take back lots of wonderful memories and experiences to recount to others back in the comfort of the UK.

 

Until next time

 

Debbie, July 2011

GAMBIAN PROJECTS FUN DAY

The wonderful Barry Ewart has put together a great fundraising event for Gambian Projects at the Queens Arms, Tamerton Foliot on Sunday 17th July from 2pm to 6pm. At the same time we are having an end of term party for our Gambian children and hope to link up by phone so sponsors can chat to their sponsored children and hear them sing a couple of songs.  On Tuesday we welcome our volunteer, Holly Navara, a qualified teacher who is coming out to help us for a few months, can't wait to show her the Gambia!

Until next time, peace and love to all!

Debbie

WHERE DID MAY GO?

I asked the guy at the internet the date today and got a real shock, I have lost a fortnight!  Living in the African bush, cut off from tv and being bombarded by constant bad news of war and worldwide atrocities has its advantages but to think I have lost a fortnight I never knew had passed was an eye-opener, I think I need a calendar!  I have to admit, I have been a little busy, since the container arrived and I set up the new playscheme, I have been inundated with children, babies to teenagers, coming to try out the new equipment. 

 

I have two 11 year old girls staying with me at present while Modou is up country in his home village of Kerewan Samba Sira.  I am teaching them to read, as despite having been at their school for four years they haven't been taught how to read, another shocker eh!  My attempts to improve literacy are working I have to say, these kids are bright and have so much enthusiasm for learning, it is a real pleasure to be helping them achieve their aims.  They are already reading simple, short books to the younger kids, already passing on their recent knowledge to help the little ones.  It's the only way it will work, if they also help themselves and I have to say, I am impressed with their tenacity and patience.  Wish I had a little more of it, by 9pm when they are still in full-swing, I am shattered and tend to dive under my mosquito net by then.  So where did my missing fortnight go?  I think I must have slept a lot of it away!  Till next time, Debbie x

=

Visit to Monkey Park

Last Saturday I took a small group of children, Malang, Sally, Efo, Kuta and Maryama for a day out. As my car has been off the road, we travelled by local transport and went to Bijilo Forest Park (Monkey Park) where the children got up close and personal with two types of monkeys, saw lots of gorgeous birds, watched an artist at work and enjoyed climbing the trees in the forest.  We then went to the beach for a swim followed by a meal at a local restaurant called Milly's where you can eat for just under £1!  We then visited the Senegambia Craft Market where the children watched the artists and carvers at work. We finished off our jam-packed day with a visit to Tanji fishing village to buy fish for dinner.  A great day was had by all and it cost less than a tenner for all of us, including transportation, meal, drinks and snacks.  The Smiling Coast of The Gambia awaits!!

Heading Home

 

My last blog had me feeling the strong pull of Africa and trying hard not to go online and book a flight back to The Gambia. When my Dad gave me his blessing and told me from his hospital bed to "get back to your husband and the children and get on with your work" I didn't have to fight the urge any longer and when a single flight came up with Thomas Cook for just £89, I booked it.  A couple of clicks, an e-ticket and I'm winging my way back to the sun and smiles on 4^th April. It is personally very hard to leave my Dad so poorly but I know he wants me to get on with what I do best. I've worked hard over the past few months; teaching English at a local language school, doing Body Shop parties and holding fundraising events to raise enough money to send a container of useful items back to The Gambia.  Every day I've collected donated items from many individuals and organisations who have been amazingly supportive towards our aims. I've met many kind and helpful people and several times I have shed a tear or two when someone has done something extraordinarily kind, surprised me or given up something of great sentimental value to them in order to pass it on to someone less fortunate in The Gambia. My 9 year old nephew, Owen and nieces, Paris and Vienna, have helped me pack boxes and load the storage units, giving up hours of their time each week, cheerfully talking about how all the wonderful items, toys, clothes, books and games will help the chidren in The Gambia.  I will miss them and the rest of my family terribly, my lifelong and new friends more than I can describe, but I have to say that that is the only real downside of living in a different culture. Whilst definitely dreading leaving my family and friends,  I am looking forward to saying goodbye to sleeping on a sofa and being back in my own bed with my mosquito net around me, even though I have to shake the sheets every night before getting into bed to check for creepy crawlies!

 

The photos show my shower and my mud hut.  The extra plastic sheeting on the grass roof was kindly donated by Edina Worthington of Adfab Advertising and Print who kindly gave us lots of heavy duty advertising banners which certainly help keep us drier in the rainy season, which is fast approaching!

 

I'll be happy taking a bucket shower under my mango tree and cooking rice in a big pot over a wood fire knowing that soon the container from England will arrive containing a gas oven donated by a world famous celebrity who wishes to remain anonymous but who has heard about our work and wants to make it easier for us to provide school lunch for our kids.  Along with all the cooking pots, utensils, plates and cutlery we have had donated, the oven will be a really useful addition to our makeshift kitchen.  I'm taking back recipes for mango chutneys and jams, orange, lime and lemon marmalades etc.  I will teach the women in the village how to make these items (when I have mastered them myself; I can't say I'm known for my culinary skills, having done Latin at school while all my friends did Needlework and Cookery, hence they can cook and sew and I can't!!)  Abundant fruit will then be able to be kept for longer and won't go to waste.  I'll update you with our progress with this project. Maybe someone in the village will be the next inventor of the fruit version of something like the highly successful Reggae Reggae sauce!!

 

We've set up a committee who will continue to work hard while I am in The Gambia; organising child sponsorship, fundraising events and keeping the fire burning so to speak.  We have published our constitution and I'd like to share our four main aims with you:

 

v     The support of educational projects in The Gambia to encourage improved literacy and numeracy among people of all ages

v     The support of children and their families in The Gambia to help alleviate poverty and give practical support to families in need

v     The support of health projects in The Gambia to improve health care, particularly in rural areas

v     The development of links between Gambian and UK schools to support educational opportunities in both locations

 

So, together we've set the wheels in motion.  It has been a stressful, demanding few months.  I am returning to a country where life is hard, much harder than here but to a place where I experience a happiness that I have never felt before.  The sense of personal fulfilment I get from teaching and nurturing these amazing Gambian children far surpasses any salary and working conditions I have ever experienced here in England. I live a very simple life, I go hungry, I get bitten by nasty insects, I sometimes feel very alone and I often cry but I feel lucky.  I guess it is because what I am trying to do to help them is totally and visibly appreciated by all of them. Quite simply, I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to actually be able to do something which makes a difference to so many lives.  Thank you for reading my blog, I hope that it will give some of you the inspiration to do something life-changing to help others or even to look at improving your own life and happiness.  With love and best wishes until next time.

Debbie Williams, March 2011

Oh my goodness!

 

Why do so many things seem to go wrong at once?  Today, the little white van that Trevor Anderson lends me to rattle about in, collecting all the donations for the container, conked out (again!!). Rescued from a particularly inconvenient place where it seems to like stopping, it was towed off for a well-earned rest and I returned home to console myself with a packet of Starburst.  An almighty crunch later (Starburst are not by nature crunchy!!), I spat out a mouthful of multi-coloured chews containing my gold crown and quite a significant part of a tooth. Having given away all my worldly goods, even my sole claim to having once been financially stable enough to invest in a gold crown has now disappeared!  Now looking like something fallen from a broomstick at Halloween, I think I may instil fear into the children at Combe Pafford school where I am due to talk tomorrow morning! Children, I apologise in advance, I do not normally ressemble a character from a Roald Dahl book and I promise I will try not to cackle. 

 

In the afternoon I am judging a primary school Ready, Steady, Cook competition and the dark side of my nature is toying with the idea of pretending to lose the tooth in the middle of the food-tasting, highly dramatic but maybe a bit mean!!  Now if they were secondary pupils ………..!!

 

I have to let you know that I am missing The Gambia, the people, the children and the sun so so much.  It is great to be here in Plymouth among family and friends and to be able to raid a fridge, eat fastfood and have a choice of snacks and drinks etc, but I so miss my simple, down-to-earth life in Africa.  I feel a bit like an alien here (actually probably look a bit like one now with the missing tooth!) and no longer feel that England is my home, a strange situation to be in.  I am hoping my Dad (who has been in Derriford for many weeks) will make a speedy recovery so I can get back to where I should be, doing what I should be doing, instead of comfort eating children's sweets to cheer myself up. 

 

Special thanks to my dear friend Catherine this week for giving me a bottle of Kalms and several doses of Bachs Rescue Remedy.  When close friends are taking steps like that, maybe it's time to go online and look at flights back to The Gambia!!  Okay, I admit it, life here is stressful, I am stressed and I want to go home!!!!!!