Photos!!!!

Not much has happened that I could share between now and my last post.

On Sunday, after I last updated, Kanti, Kate, Lucy, Phil and I went to the beach. We luckily met some other volunteers, Melanie, Chris and Marielle, at the beach too.

The African beach is the Atlantic Ocean, it was like swimming in a dam compared with Australian beaches. The water was very murky, which was a new experience for me. Luckily the Nile crocodiles stay in the river as you wouldn't see them. The waves are fantastic though - great for body surfing.

The beach is full of bumpsters - young guys who try to make a living off befriending tourists. One was riding a horse along the beach and kept catching my eye and indicating he wanted me to pat his horse. Eventually in frustration I said out loud 'No I don't want to pat your horse!' He couldn't hear me but the other volunteers got a good laugh out of my sudden comment.

On Monday we went to Tanco hall - the office of the organisation overseeing NGO's in the Gambia (Non Government Organisations). We had a presentation from the other organisations who also work in the Gambia - Peace Corps (America), Future in Our hands (Sweden), BESPOR an overseeing organisation working in Education - they fund some of VSO's work and Unicef. Most of the work in the Gambia is done through Unicef.

Today we met with our future employers - although mine couldn't make it I met with Princess who is the next step down. She could clear up my position in a way. I will be teaching Early childhood Development teachers, who work in privately owned Early Childhood Development Centres in the Gambia. The government is trying to build some centres but most are privately owned. The teachers only come to college during their holidays (makes our job look cushy doesn't it!) to get their degrees. They also have to pay for it where as the Primary and Secondary teachers get sponsored by the Government to study (the plus side is my students will be better behaved because they are paying to be there). In the term time I will go to Early Childhood Development Centres to help teachers out on the job and teach Primary School Teachers (it might be in Art which is not really the best use of my abilities but inshalla (god willing) I will be of use).

I am also learning Gambian Greetings which I will type up for another post. As they are Muslim the one I will put up for now is Sallamallekum (Peace be with you) and Mallekum Sallam (Peace be with you too) - which is spelt wronly but should sound out ok.

The following photo's are of the Gambian Beach - Nuha's 3rd wife dressed for a child's naming ceremony and Kanti and Naisattau's (nuha's 3rd wife) son.