We arrived safely to the Gambia. Laughter and expectations filled our veins with adrenaline, which is why our flight seemed to be much shorter than it really was. We were warmly welcomed at the Gambian airport and the police officers were nice as well. The heat certainly made our first contact with Africa much more unforgettable. However, we were grounded and faced with reality the moment we stepped into the 'ladies' room. This is Africa!
We noticed our luggage on the conveyor belt was marked with the letter X. A man approached us and asked us to follow him to the office where they will open and check our suitcases. Well, so much about talking about everyone being friendly!
Valerija and I entered the office full of people screaming and opening their suitcases. I asked a female officer, who seemed to be in control of the situation, where to put my suitcase and she showed me a desk, but then she showed this same desk to 4 other people. Valerija and I were both confused so we just stood there in the office waiting for someone to have mercy to help us to lift our suitcases which were extremely heavy. After 15 minutes we managed to get them onto the desk, opened them and asked an officer to inspect them. The officer did not like the packet in Valerija's suitcase but I explained that it was for the poor children we were visiting and that it was a gift. He also did not like old cell phones that I was carrying in my suitcase, which were destined for the poor Gambian families. He asked me how many I had with me and I told him I had four, maybe five, but he laughed and said that in his opinion I had at least nine or ten with me. I once again told him who they were meant for and he finally accepted my explanation and allowed us to leave. Etka didn't have to experience any of this and was waiting for us in the waiting area surrounded by people and she was looking after the rest of the luggage. All of us were happy that we were finally allowed to leave the airport without any extra money to be paid.
Once all the official procedures were over and we were moving towards the exit, we noticed Musa Faal, who was waiting for us, smiling and looking happy. Musa Faal is our Gambian representative. He and his boys helped us with our luggage. Musa could not hide his enthusiasm about our arrival. He hugged us and told us we were welcome to his country. We immediately felt safe and our fears disappeared in an instant. We then drove to a place Musa rented for us.
It didn't take long for Africa to bring us down from cloud nine. Reality was harsh. The first night was spent in darkness as there was no electricity. This happened most days and most nights. We got 2 maybe 3 hours of electricity a day, partly in morning, partly in the evening.
Our work started the very next day, early in the morning. We first visited few local schools. All three of us were shocked when we saw the condition in which the schools were in (and the equipment). The situation is tough so teachers and managers are struggling to handle it. They have broken chairs, small classrooms with a large number of children, small playgrounds, etc. In spite of everything, the children are well behaved and they love attending classes. They sang us a welcome song to show their appreciation. In the Mobeta Nursery school they surprised us with a traditional singing and dancing. Everyone participated, the children, the teachers, even the headmistress! One of the teachers grabbed a drum and the show was on. It was indescribable experience!
We cried as soon as we heard the first song performed by the smallest children of a small local school. They sang I HAVE A DREAM, and when you observe the situation in the classroom and look at the children who basically have no opportunity for better future and life, you cannot remain cold hearted. We believe this would soften the coldest of hearts.
We are currently looking for ways in which we could help local schools. We came to the Gambia in order to find new solutions for the upcoming projects, which will help the children with education. The children we want to help are those who have not had the possibility of schooling so far due to various reasons. Education is the key to development and the main tool for changing the current situation of numerous poverty-stricken Gambians. We would like for these children to think differently when they grow up, to have children later in their age than their parents did, to be able to ensure healthcare and carefree childhood for them, as well as frequent meals on their table and the possibility of education.
We are preparing a report on the condition in schools, what their needs are and the ways we could help. Schools desperately need volunteers, who would be there to help these children learn. We will tell you more about that in our project Travel as a Volunteer.
While being here, we visited different families which benefit from our monthly donations-sponsors. We spent entire days with them. The situation they are in is almost impossible to describe, and it is much worse than we imagined. In spite of the harsh conditions they live in, these people do not complain in the way we might expect them to. Most of the families live in small houses without any electricity or water. Some of them have to walk distance to get the water they need. None of the children have their own room. One room houses up to 5 people. They cook outside on an open fire. The bathrooms are mostly outside, out in the open, or they have built a wall so that a person at least has a little bit of privacy. They wash by pouring water over the body as they do not have showers. They do not have toilets – they do it like our grandparents did it – into a hole in the ground.
Every family we visited welcomed us with a lunch – it is how they show respect. The pot they bring is always filled with rice and a very spicy vegetable sauce. They sometimes add fish to the sauce. If you didn't know, Gambia is known for its fishing and local fish is always very cheap and available to some of the poorer locals, who always eat their food with their hands. We, however, received spoons. We all ate from the same bowl. Most of the times we only had a bite or two because we knew that it was possible that someone would not get their portion of the meal because of us. We did not want to refuse the offered meal because that would be impolite.
We delivered bags of rice to the families for which we received donations. The rest were left without and could only observe sadly as others received their monthly subsistence. Our visit was regarded as a great event, therefore everyone came to greet us. When they saw that we were buying rice everyone wanted to be a part of this, but unfortunately we could not help all of them. And it was hard on us!
We bought lollipops for children because we wanted to make them happy for the day. And they were, oh so happy and with them so were we. They came running and they kept on coming from all sides of the village. In a minute we were surrounded by lots and lots of smiling children, and the whole village was looking forward to receiving one. They kept on saying “toubab”, “toubab”, which means a white person. It does not have any racist connotations, it shows respect and joy.
This trip to the land of the forever smiling people filled us with immense joy and love for them, the children and adults alike. At the same time it set us firmly on the ground and we were faced with the cruel reality that is life in Gambia. On the one hand, there are expensive hotels for the reach westerners who can afford them, and on the other, there are mothers with children in their arms asking for the remains of meals, so that she can provide her child with at least one meal a day.
You have expensive cars, and you have invalids on wheel chairs, which clean these cars so that they can afford one meal a day.
We are extremely happy to have been able to see the real, black, local Africa. We met many new people, families and children, who we will continue to help. We saw their daily struggle, their ways, their fight…
As there are many single mothers in Gambia we would like to find a way to help them as well. In the next few days we plan to visit the village of Barra and we plan to talk to them about how we can raise their standard of living. We hope to make plans to ensure a better future for them.
Numerous researches have shown that women that do earn money always invest that money into their families, and men spend it many different ways. We would like to find a ways to employ these women so that they would receive a decent payment for their day's work.
During our visit we were interviewed for different local newspapers which support our work and look forward to new projects. The first two articles have already been published in two local newspapers.
New programmes 'TRAVEL AS A VOLUNTEER' will be presented as soon as we return home.
We are happy that we can help and we hope that you will continue to help with us by following our work and participating in our sponsorship programmes.
It begins with me, it begins with you!
Greetings from Gambia.
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