Baby Georgia!

So, yesterday we got up at 4.30 am to get on the ferry to go to musas village (Aljamdu). When we got to the north bank we visted the maternity sections of two health centers for the Gambian Maternity Foundation. We talked with people working at these places about the constraints on the maternity. They are lacking consistent power (often carrying out delieveries with only candle light or torches), they are lacking proper delievery beds and many essential drugs. Really eye opening to see these places as i was already in shock after seeing the Edward Frances Teaching Hodpital but the small health centres have so little resources in comparison. 

After this we went to Musas village... I HAD SUCH A GOOD TIME! I took sweets  for the kids and loads of toys (skipping ropes, yoyos, chalk, pencils and bouncy balls). They went crazy for it! We had a lovely lunch and i caught up with some friends who have been around musas house. 

Afterwards we went to a naming cermony which was mental. It had most of the women and babies in the village there. There was a plastic container and two sticks used for a drum and some women had whistles which they used with the drumming. There were two women who seemed to be leading the event. They stood in a circle and a handful of women would dance in the middle. They loved to drag me in and get me to dance (and i loved to dance with them!). They just seemed so happy and let themselves go. I have never seen anything like it. They also put on a skirt that had beads and bottle tops on it so it jingled when you danced and a wooden hat with beads that had the same effect. Great fun!! 

After this I was told that the village leader was naming their daughter after me!!! What an honour!! Her name is Georgia Jammeh and she is beauitful! This was the mothers first baby to survive child birth (shes had 8 babies die in childbirth). After visting the health centres that is closest by and seeing how far away it is and the state of the 'road' (i use that word loosely). I'm almost certain this mother could of had less babies die if the facilities were better and easier to get to. I pray that the work of the Gambian Maternity Foundation and other charitable organisations will help so that there is less infant mortalities. Right now the situation is not good enough and Gambian babies and mothers are dying when simple improvements could help so much.

I had such an amazing time in Aljamdu. I will be back to see everyone again and to see the precious baby Georgia! 

Here are some of the poloriods i got yesterday :) 

Baby georgia, her mother and I. 

One of the huts in the village. 

Will post soon!

Stop! Hammer time...

Been so busy!! 

So this week Musa and I have been helping two guys from the Gambian Maternaity Foundation (GMF) they are also doing bits and bobs for the charity called Legs 4 Africa (love what both of these charities are doing!). We have taken them to the markets, watched the fishing boats come in and gotten African clothes made (having to be good not to get too much!). They are a great couple and really enjoyed having them here. With them we have visted various hospitals and health centres which has been eye opening. 

We have been to see the women's garden project which was really lovely. Its a project were women are given land so they can provide for their familes with whatever they grow. They are so strong! They have no proper tools and they need to constantly pull water from the well for the crops (i helped a girl get water from the well - its hard). 

Now this week i have been becoming great pals with the tailor in Bakau. Ive had a full african dress made (my favourite thing ever), a pair of harem pants (aka mc hammer pants) and a wrap around skirt and matching headband (they did that for free and on the spot for me (scoreeee). Also got a cute skirt (just need to wait till they put a zip on it). I have aslo found a pair of docs on a random stall. They are red, my size and cost a grand total of 100 dalasi (just over 2 pounds. Bargain!).

School has been great! On friday the guys from GMF came to the school assembly and all three of us sang hakuna matata to over 1000 kids, even the pumba part! These guys have never seen disney and ever since the performance we have had random kids coming up to us shouting 'HAKUNA MATATA'. Its very cute! My school house (green house), also had training for the interhouse sports competition which was good fun. Even ran a race myself (didn't do that bad!). Also got a school tshirt with my house on it. Love the head (she calls me her daughter. Its cute.) 

We went to the village on saturday which ive already told you about and we chilled on sunday. School on monday was the first time i was left alone fully with my class! Was really good (even though i had to teach some maths). 

Here are some of my favourite photos ive taken out and about (im not including any photos from the village). 

Cannot believe I have been here a month! Loving it here. 

My African dress

I have fallen in love with the colours and shapes of the African dresses. They are as beautiful and vibrant as the African women who wear them. (They are crazy beautiful) 

Here you don't tend to buy dresses fully made. You go to fabric shops, chose your fabrics, go to a tailors and choose whatever style you want. I love it! So many different patterns and colours to choose from! 

One issue though is that there is far too much choice... Choosing a fabric and a style took so long. This is the fabric I went with for my first (possibly not my last) African style dress.

I loved the colour, swirls and the dots of the leaves. It is something I'd never find in the U.K. I love it so much. I also bought some other fabric for some mc hammer pants. African style mc hammer pants...buzzing for those to get made !! 

We next went to the tailors and got to choose any design of dress we wanted. I went for a dress that had a seperate skirt and top. The styles I went with are very popular here - a fishtail skirt and a top with ruffles round the bottom and sleeves. If I'm getting a African dress I was going to make sure it was made in a proper African style. 

(Photo cred - Lara from The Gambian Maternity Fondation)  

The end product is a thing of beauty. I love the way it fits, the colours and the style. The tailor did a beautiful job! The best thing about this dress is that it cost 800 dalasi for the fabric and tailoring... That's around £15! Love it! 

Here's a cheeky wee selfie. Will post soon! 

Teaching - with a side of monkeys

Ah what a great time I'm having out here.

We received a group of volunteers from the UK who were here for a week to help build the wall for the school garden. This would allow the kids in the school to learn about agriculture (agriculture is what most of the kids will end up doing so being fully educated to make the most of there crops is vital!).

I have truly enjoyed helping Musa make their stay here brilliant. We've had fabulous music sessions in the car (so many of the songs here sound almost identical), we have seen monkeys (they are awesome!), seen crocs (felt like I could be a bit like the crocodile hunter when I touched one) and two people from the group even helped out in my class which was brilliant! 

When the guys arrived on Wednesday we took them to the fish market! Now I'm not a fan of the smell of fish but while I've been here I've had barracuda, shrimp and even lobster - how fancy and adventurous of someone who wouldn't go anything fishy unless in finger form! I love the boats that line the beach. Watching and helping the boats come in with their catch is great fun. The boats are also so beautifully painted (The Gambia is not a country that lacks colour). The Portland boys also found some Gambian kids who were drawn to the sight of a football so it was a great laugh and a good start to their stay here.

Now let's talk about monkeys...Who doesn't love monkeys? As a kid I was very monkey-like as I would go to the park not to use the climbing frames but to climb the trees. The monkey park was phenomenal. We had bags of peanuts and the monkeys went crazy for them (or you could say they go nuts). Then one of them came on my shoulder to get some peanuts. It was sooooo cutteeeee (I also got a selfie with a monkey...no biggie)

The group also enjoyed to go to the pool after a hard day of working so that meant I've had lots of opportunities to lie in the sun... Starting to look brown!! The hotel with the pool we use also has some amazing wildlife. They have vultures, monkeys and lizards everywhere. Here a picture I got of a monkey on the way to the toilet the other day (he's just chilling). 

CROCODILES was the next thing we went to go see. In the middle of a normal Gambian neighbourhood there is this crocodile park. They let you touch them! Don't be worried - they are very dosile in the heat (well that's what the guide told us anyway). We were able to get so close! It was fascinating. I loved how they hold there mouths open when it's hot... 

So, while we visited some of the wildlife  we also experienced some Gambian art by doing sandpainting and batik. Sandpainting is done with glue and different coloured sand. Batiq is a cloth with candle wax and then they are dipped into dye. My attempts were dreadful... But it was good fun! 

One evening Musa took us to the beach to do some night fishing! Though the fishing was unsuccessful we were however highly successful in building a fire on the beach. Was lovely to sit around, talk, dance and sing. I love the heat of a fire and could stare into the burning embers forever. Really good evening!

The best thing about this week has been the company. The guys from Portland were brilliant to be with and their amazing personalities were a blessing. Score and bubba (two Gambians) have also been absolutely awesome! Looking forward for the next group to come in a couple of weeks. The next few days I am teaching. Also I'm spending time with Musa and with some people who are in The Gambia to help improve the maternity wards and they are working in partnership with ARC. 

Will post soon. Going to dedicate a post to teaching in The Gambia soon so look out! 

One week in The Gambia. Thirteen weeks left.

Hello from The Gambia !! 

(Sorry for the dodgy lighting of Carlisle train station) 

I've been here for a week and I'm loving it!! I arrived here on the 6th after spending four hours with my mum in the car and in Carlisle. We had our last dinner together (was a Toby Carvery- yummy), I got the train down to Chester from Carlisle. I stayed with my grandparents overnight and saw my uncle at the same time and then had a very very early start to get to the airport (boo). I was on the plane for five and a half hours and before I knew it I was in The Gambia! 

Musa picked me up from the airport and drove me to his lovely home where Kaddy (the most beautiful lady I have ever seen) made me a gorgeous Gambian meal (I always forget the names of these meals). Then I got settled and we visited the fish market which was lovely (but slightly smelly). I even helped some of the boys bring in one of the boats (I'm not sure if I was that much help...o well - I tried). 

The next day I rested. I had been doing a lot of travel and it was good to relax. It also gave me a chance to get to know Musa's wonderful family (his daughter Lauren has became my best friend over the past week - she is a cheeky monkey) 

On Friday I visited the school I'll be teaching in (Newtown Bakau lower basic school). I met the kids I would be teaching! They are in grade three (ages 10-12). They made to feel very welcome. They even said 'hello teacher' I also got a chance to see what level they are and the materials they use. 

My weekend was a quiet one with trips to the market and we went to the beach for a long walk (the beach is beautiful). The weekend gave me a opportunity to really get used to the Gambian way of life. I found out I have to adjust to 'African time'. Basically no one is ever on time. Half an hour means at least a hour and a half here (it's an interesting system). Musa wants me to teach him 'British time' so that if he ever comes to the U.K. he can be on time. (He has been improving the past few days) 

I started school on Monday! The schools here are so large (approx 2100 pupils in this school) and there is not enough teachers and classrooms to teach them all at the same time. So half the children come in for the morning and the others come in the afternoon. I teach a morning class which is 8.30-2. The kids are lovely. They are well behaved and listen closely. However the mix of ability in the class is difficult to handle but I'm sure I will get there (been messaging my English teacher mother for advice - what a handy rescource). This week we are working on 'what is your favourite subject' and timetables. They are getting on well. I am learning a lot which is brilliant! I have never used a blackboard so that had been a whole new experience (my handwriting is shocking on it but I'm sure it will improve) and I have also discovered that the top three inches of the blackboard is a place I'm never going to reach (I'm far to short- the kids giggle when I start writing while I'm on my tip toes). 

Today is Wednesday and some volunteers are coming for a week to help develop a garden for the school to use so I look forward to welcoming them! 

I'm having a wonderful time here in The Gambia. Especially loving the sun ;). 

Will post soon! 

New beginnings

The build up to Christmas was a really busy and exciting time. I was working every shift I possibly could and I was peparing to be away from my home town for a while. It was all becoming real but in the mist of excitement also came the nightmare of working in a supermarket at Christmas (why do people go crazy??). Anyway, as Christmas Eve came along and I finished work at 5 I said my goodbyes to a lot of people as many of them weren't working on Boxing Day.

Christmas Eve in our family involves Miracle on 34th Street (best Christmas movie ever) and opening up our Christmas pjs (this year I got a lovely set of red fluffy pjs with stars- super cool). It's always a quiet night and this year we had our gran Sandra and granpa don come for soup and cake which was really nice.

Christmas was brilliant. It involved a stocking full of malaria tablets, balloon modelling Christmas crackers, church (got to remember the reason for the season) and a wonderful meal with the people I love. For Christmas I was lucky to get a lovely blue record player to play my grandads old vinyls on and plenty of Percy pig branded items(awesomeeee). Christmas ended with good music on the record player, a very full belly and a good sleep. 

Boxing Day was my last day at work. Was a quiet checkout shift, a good end for my time at Morrisons  (bye bye green shirts). My beautiful mother picked me up from work, we loaded the car and we headed up to the airport to go to snowy Colorado. 

Fast forwarding all the boring plane stuff my siblings and I arrived in Denver. We got picked up by dad and we drove to a beautiful house near Fairplay. This is a gorgeous place in the Rocky Mountains which is covered in snow and feels untouched by humans. Just miles of trees and mountains to be seen. It is utterly breathtaking. We were also greeted to the house by a lovely little laborudour and a bloodhound puppy which was great. I love animals and  the tiny bloodhound is so cute (though she is sometimes a pain).

The first day in Colorado was my brothers birthday! So we went skiing, went to get pizza in Breckinridge and had not just one but two ice cream cakes which he enjoyed greatly. 

Next day we headed into Breckinridge to skiiiii. Now I love skiing! Breck is something else when it comes to skiing. It has gorgeous views, friendly people and brilliant slopes. My brother and I teamed together and I showed him some of the harder slopes which was awesome. On the last day skiing I also got some time to myself to explore some of the harder runs which was really fun. Breck is quite good as it has a lot of trees to weave in and out of which I really enjoyed... Managed to get through the whole trip without a tumble (proud). It is however very very cold this time of year so cold fingers and noses were common place on the slopes. 

Now this post is called 'new beginnings' and in that in referring to the start of a new year and the start of my travels. The start of 2016 was a quiet night but this year is going to be far from quiet.

Sadly I got ill in Colorado but this gave me time to see the new stars wars film which was out of this world;) .Though I will say no more on the matter to avoid spoilers. I also saw the new Sherlock episode which was as clever and brilliant as always (Steven Moffat and mark gatiss are like gods). 

The end of the trip was finished perfectly with my favourite place to go eat - five guys. Can't beat the free peanuts, awesome chips (or fries...Americans look at you funny if you call them chips) and their drinks machine (it's just cool). 

Luckily it won't be long till I'm on the slopes again... (SU Austria trip is only in April!!). When this is posted I'll be back in the uk (for less than 24hours - so only a flying visit) and then I'm off on the big adventure to The Gambia! I'm so excited and I will post when I'm out there. I look forwarded to telling you how I'm doing out there!