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Life in the Gambia
Welcome to my blog about my life in The Gambia. I am a retired headteacher, sharing my time between the UK and The Gambia. My husband Lamin owns the Balaba Nature Camp, a sustainable tourist lodge near Gunjur. If you want to know more about this family-run Gambian accommodation, which supports responsible tourism in The Gambia, please check out the website via the link under 'Pages'. Visitors are always very welcome!
Saturday 13 July 2013
Wednesday 3 April 2013
Easter celebrations
Easter
in the Gambia is a much bigger celebration than in the UK, although
it is a Muslim country. On Good Friday it's traditional to make
'nanimburo', a special drink made from milk, sugar, condensed milk,
baobab powder, dried fruit and chopped apples and bananas. Apples are
a real delicacy here, as they have to be imported, so people don't
have them very often. The drink is delicious, and everyone makes as
much as possible so it can be shared with family and friends. We gave
some out to our neighbours, and Numo cycled to Lamin's mum in
Marakissa to take some to her. When people visited, they often
brought their own nanimburo in plastic bags, so we got through quite
a lot over the weekend!
Because
we have no fridge or freezer here, we had to buy the chicken for
Easter lunch on the day. Again, chicken is a real treat, and we
planned to have a BBQ and salad, as well as cooking some of the
chicken with sauce. It gets very hot in Brikama, so we wanted to get
there early, so we left just after 7:00 am. We drove to Gunjur, and
then waited for the gelli-gelli to Brikama, which took a while as the
police have started to impound vehicles where the road tax isn't
paid. Officially everyone is supposed to renew their road tax on
January 1st, but in practice we have to wait for an
official announcement on the radio, and then most people leave it
until the police start impounding vehicles (at the end of March!).
Quite a lot of gelli-gelli drivers were keeping their vehicles off
the road until they could afford to get them taxed, so transport was
very limited.
However,
eventually we got to Brikama, and whizzed around the market as
quickly as possible (not easy, as it was very crowded), and got
everything we needed in record time. By 9:30am we were already
heading home. Once we got back, Saffie and Rose (Lamin's sister), got
to work preparing the chicken, which Lamin then barbecued.
All the ingredients for a perfect salad |
Saffie and Rose preparing the chicken |
Lamin in charge of the BBQ! |
The children enjoying drawing and colouring. |
Neighbours
and friends came to visit, including Yusufa who kept us all supplied with green tea, and Lamin's brother Sulieman brought palm wine.
Relaxing in the shade. |
Our next-door neighbour |
Yusufa brewing ataya (green tea) |
My own personal cup of palm wine. |
Lamin with his brothers. |
Pouring the palm wine! |
We had the most delicious lunch of salad and chicken. There were so many of us we had to have several bowls, and the children even had their own.
Saffie and Rose serving out Easter lunch. |
What a beautiful salad (and it tasted great too!) |
The men eating lunch. |
And not forgetting the children... |
Even the chickens had their share! |
And after lunch we relaxed in the shade and chatted (and some had a quick snooze!). We were visited by a British woman, a paediatric nurse, who has just arrived in the Gambia to work at the local clinic. Lamin has rigged up the CD player to run from a solar panel, so we had music to entertain us.
Saffie, taking a rare and well-earned rest! |
And Rose settling down for a snooze. |
Music was supplied by the CD player.. |
Linked to a solar panel. |
Later,
after dinner (more chicken and salad), we went down into Kartong,
which is a border village by the river a few miles down the road. There we had a few drinks at a friend's bar, and then went on to a dance in the church hall, where we were entertained local dancers and musicians.
All in all, it was a lovely relaxing day, when we were able to see lots of friends and family and celebrate together.
Thursday 28 March 2013
Bakassouck Youths: A Visit from the Minister for Youth and Sport
The
Bakassouck Youths Association had planned the Minister's visit down
to the last detail, which had taken a lot of organising. They had
planned a demonstration of how the soaps were made, followed by a
meeting with several speeches, and then food. Numo (whose unofficial
job description is 'Chief Organiser'!), had been running round
frantically for the previous couple of weeks, and spent hours on the
phone organising who was responsible for each job, liaising with the
primary school to use the grounds, organising drummers and dancers to
welcome the minister, and last but not least, arranging food and
drink. We had agreed to arrive early on the Saturday morning to help,
and Numo went off the day before as he had so much to do.
So quite
early on the Saturday morning Lamin and I, together with Ish and
Lamin's nephew Yankuba, got in the car to head for Darsilami. Yankuba
was keen to drive so Lamin agreed and we set off. However, what we
hadn't realised was that it was 'set-setel' that day. Set-setel is
something that happens once a month on a Saturday, and on that day
everyone is expected to turn out and clean up their local area e.g.
cut back grass, pick up litter, and carry out general maintenance.
Shops are closed, and no transport is allowed on the road between 9am
and 1pm, because everyone is supposed to be out cleaning. In fact, in
rural areas there is often little to do, but nevertheless, set-setel
happens every month.
There is
a regular police checkpoint at Gunjur, and we know the officers quite
well (one even came and spent Christmas Day with us), but on this day
there was a traffic officer from elsewhere. Very unimpressed that we
were travelling when it was set-setel, he insisted that we drove the
car into the nearby police station yard, and impounded it (and us!).
He asked to see Lamin's documents, but Lamin had left them at home,
and unlike the UK, there is no option to present them within a period
of time – they need to be available immediately. So the men went
into the police station to sort things out, and I sat in the car,
wondering glumly if we would be fined. After a while Lamin came out
and said we would need to wait there until 1:00 pm, so I should come
and sit on the verandah at the front of the police station.
The
local police were impeccably friendly and polite! One allowed Yankuba
to use his bike to go and get Lamin's documents, whilst the others
kept me supplied with green tea, oranges and lively conversation –
they seemed a bit embarrassed at the enthusiasm of the traffic
officer in impounding us! Lamin went off to get some bread and beans,
as we hadn't had any breakfast, and we didn’t know when we would
get anything else to eat (about 6:00 pm as it turned out!), and I
chatted with the officers. When Lamin came back, they all suggested
that Lamin took a photo of me with the officers – they said I could
put it on the internet to show that I had been arrested!! They
thought it was a great joke, but I told them my family would have a
heart attack if I said I had been arrested, so I managed to put them
off the idea!
Finally,
at almost 1:00 pm, they let us go, but by now we were running very
late, and the road from Siffoe to Darsilami is very poor. In fact,
during the rainy season, Darsilami was cut off for several weeks as
the road was washed away. However, the Minister was also running
late, so when we arrived we did what we could to help everyone get
ready. Gilbert, the president (who is Lamin's cousin) asked me to
take lots of photos, as they weren't sure if the press were going to
turn up, so I was happily trying to take as many as possible.
Making sure everything was prepared for the soap-making demonstration |
The soap moulds ready and waiting |
Heating the beeswax ready for making the soap |
Gilbert the President of the Association checking everything is ready |
After a
while, we went down to the main crossroads in the village to wait for
the minister to arrive, together with the drummers, who were now
getting concerned as they had another booking in Kololi and they were
worried they would be late.
Setting off to meet the Minister |
Some of the local characters! |
The shop where the soap is sold |
Eventually the Minister's convoy arrived,
and the drummers and dancers escorted him through the village to the
compound where the soap demonstration was arranged, stopping on the
way to greet the alkalo, as is the custom.
Getting ready to greet the Minister |
Accompanying the ministerial convoy through the village |
There
was quite a scrum of photographers, which made it a bit tricky for me
to get photos, but the Minister spent a long time watching the
demonstration, and asking lots of questions which Gilbert answered
really well.
Gilbert explaining to the Minister all about the project |
We then moved on to the school grounds, where tables and
comfy armchairs had been put out for the minister, plus several other
high up guests (e.g. the Forestry Minister, and presidents of local
and regional youth groups). One of the villagers acted as host,
introducing all the speeches in two languages and welcoming guests.
(Meanwhile Lamin made an emergency dash with the car to Kololi with the drummers
to get them to their next gig on time). The minister had brought
gifts of rice, and said he was very impressed with how the
association had developed the project and was also helping other
groups.
The Master of Ceremonies introducing the next speaker |
The Minister giving his speech |
Once the
speeches were over, the food was served. Gilbert wanted me to come
and eat with the Minister's entourage (as a 'special guest!), so I
found myself sitting with the Forestry minister and discussing both
the project and his work. He was also impressed with the project, and
how keen the young people were to make a success of it.
Once the Minister had left, we went back to the family compound at Jatta
Kunda, which was teeming with people all eating benachin out of huge
pots, and talking excitedly about the day. As it got dark, fires were
lit and we sat around in groups. Two little girls took it upon
themselves to teach me some Karoninka, much to everyone's amusement –
I'm not sure if it was their teaching or my efforts which caused the
most laughter! When most people had gone home the family gathered
round one fire, and held an impromptu prayer meeting, when they
thanked God for the day, and prayed for the further success of the
project.
The
press did come along, and later I was able to find a news report
(read all about it here).
The Youth Minister was so impressed with the project that he then
arranged for the association to have a table at the Gambia
International Trade Fair in Banjul, which ran for the whole of
February!
However,
as I lay in bed that night, I did think that there can't be too many
people who spend the morning at the police station, and end up eating
an meal with a government minister in the evening!
Tuesday 26 March 2013
Bakassouck Youths Bee Project Update
You may
remember that last time I was here I wrote about the bee project
being organised by the Bakassouck Youths Association. I was really
interested to find out how the project is going, so Numo agreed to
take me to Darsilami for the day to show me the hives and the area
where they want to set up the training school.
I have
never been to Darsilami before, although we have relatives who live
there, and I have heard a lot about it. However, getting there by
public transport is not easy as it's very remote – in fact, it is
right on the border with Senegal, and the border is marked by a stick
in the ground! We had to make an early start, walking to Gunjur,
where we waited for a while to catch the gelli-gelli to Siffoe, the
nearest village to Darsilami on the main road to Brikama. Once we
reached Siffoe, we set off walking to Darsilami, a brisk walk of
about two hours through the 'bush'. On the way we crossed over the
most beautiful river, with lots of birdlife including pelicans and
bee-eaters.
The road to Darsilami |
The river on the way to Darsilami |
Whilst I
was at Darsilami, I was able to see the bee hives, most of which are
now occupied.
One of the beehives |
Numo and a friend showing me how the hives are constructed |
This is the entrance to the hive |
You can see the honeycombs hanging down from the wooden sticks |
The area where the hives are situated has to be shady |
Then we walked through a very narrow path with
vegetation reaching up over my head, to get to the field where they
had been growing sesame to sell for a profit. Several of the young
people had arrived to help with the harvesting, and a few children
came along and joined in as well. However it was in the hot sun with
no shade, so I wasn't able to help much – instead I did my usual
trick of taking photos! The sesame was piled in a stack on top of a
huge palm leaf to catch the seeds as they fell, and they agreed to
come back the following week to collect the seeds.
Stacking the sesame stalks for drying |
Harvesting the sesame |
The seeds are already starting to fall on the palm leaf |
The
alkalo (village leader), of Darsilami has promised the group they can
extend the field, and also they can have some land in the village for
building their training centre. The group has already visited several
other youth groups to train them in how to care for bees and make the
products, but they have only charged expenses, not a fee for the
actual training – they are keen to help other groups as much as
possible.
That day
the president and vice-president of the group had gone upriver to a
national youth conference, which I later saw on the TV news, and from
that conference came a very exciting development! The reps took some
of their soaps, body creams and lip salves with them, and when the
government minister for Youth & Sport saw them he was so
impressed he wanted to come and see how the project was run. So a
date was fixed for him to come and visit Darsilami to see for
himself.
I had a
great day at Darsilami, visiting friends and relatives as well as
seeing how the bee project was running. In my next post I will tell
you all about the minister's visit!
Friday 8 March 2013
How to Make a Bed the Gambian Way
- Find a nice straight Thick Malina tree. Lamin has planted these trees specially as they grow very straight, and are very useful for cutting into planks etc. They are not easy to find in the Gambia, so Lamin planted his own.
- Tie a large stone to the end of a rope, and try to throw it over a high branch. Then you can pull the tree so that it falls in the right direction when it is felled. NB: This could take a long time, because you need a steady aim.
- After about half an hour of trying to throw the rope over the branch, give up and choose someone to climb the tree instead. Put a home-made ladder against the tree ready to climb.
- When you reach the top of the ladder, start climbing the tree, but make sure you hold on very tightly, because there is no safety net or rope to catch you if you fall.
- When you are nearly at the top of the tree, someone will throw the rope to you again. Ignore your friends when they tell you that people die falling out of trees! Catch the rope and loop it over a branch. (It was at this point I began to wonder whether I would end up photographing my brother-in-law Numo falling out of the tree, rather than the tree being felled!)
- Use an axe to chop away all round the base of the tree until just a narrow strip is left.
- Make sure there are some strong people pulling on the rope to direct the tree as it falls.
- But warn them that they will have to get out of the way quickly once the tree starts to topple, or they may get squashed!
- Stand well clear when the tree is falling – it is very heavy and falls faster than you might expect.
- Measure out the correct lengths for the planks along the trunk of the tree, and mark each length with an axe nick.
- Use the axe to chop the trunk into lengths, ready to transport to the sawmill to be made into planks.
- When the planks have been made, transport them home again, and store them safely. (You also have to hope that the termites will not start to eat them before they are used!).
- You will need a workbench to make the beds, so take some lengths of wood and prepare them carefully
- Use a handy tree to anchor your workbench securely. The tree will also give you shade so that you are not too hot when you are working.
- Use a generator to power an electric plane, so that you can make the sections of bed frame very smooth. Cut holes in the sections so that you can fit the frame together.
- Make the bed head and end by glueing the sections together. Allow the glue to dry before moving them
- Put the head and end somewhere nearby, so that they are easily accessible.
- Fit the frame together by using a hammer to gently knock the 'tongues' into the holes (sorry carpenters but I don't know the correct terminology!).
- Add a few nails for extra security.
- Saw some lengths of wood to fit to the frames as bed slat supports.
- Measure the depth carefully and attach them to the frame.
- Measure the width carefully and cut some flat planks to act as bed slats.
- Lay the bed slats across the width of the bed to ensure they fit without sliding around.
- Find a spare mattress, and test the bed for comfort (but try not to go to sleep!)
- Well even the photographer should have a chance to try out the finished item, shouldn't she?
We need to have new beds, because the
termites have eaten all the old ones. The old ones were made out of
palm branches, but we hope that because these beds are made out of
malinas, they will last longer. Lamin has made sure that the malina
trees are felled very carefully, so that they will regrow. It reminds
me of coppicing that I have seen in English woodlands. When the tree
sprouts new branches, Lamin will select two, and support them until
they are growing straight up. He will then remove the other branches.
It is certainly a bit different from
popping down to Ikea to get a new bed, but it actually feels very
satisfying to see the whole process from start to finish.
On a more serious note, people do fall
out of trees sometimes. A couple of weeks ago we went to visit the
neighbours of Lamin's mother, who were in mourning. The father had no
job, and had climbed a tree to try and harvest palm nuts for a family
meal. However, he fell out and was killed. He had two wives and
several children who now have no means of support except for the
extended family. They were clearly distraught, and it brought home to
me again how difficult life can be here for ordinary families
struggling to feed their families.
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