Tuesday (Day 4) And the schools just keep on coming...

Woken early again by the dawn chorus of mosques and bird life. Sol loaded up the car for our scheduled visits. First we were going to Model School, this lovely school is where most of the sponsored kids go, with the help of Ginger the headmaster has managed to upgrade from a two room shack with basic 'hole in the ground' toilets to a building with both nursery and infant departments as well as proper toilets. After the school we were picking up Sidat and heading out to another new school and on to a remote village to donate a sack of rice and give out general clothes to villagers.

In the back of the car I was frantically pumping up 20 footballs I had brought over. But I only had a cheap ebay hand pump and it took ages, with the balls getting noticeably smaller each time! When we got to Model School the kids immediately started chanting Gingers name and getting very over excited a couple of the teachers had to resort to brandishing their big sticks to regain their attention. In a classic 'lost in translation' moment Ginger introduced me to the deputy head as 'Liz, she would like to come out and help in your school' but what he heard was 'Liz, who is a teacher in England and would like to volunteer at your school'....BIG difference. Either way I was told I would be very welcome any time and they hoped it would be soon. It was suggested that as 3 of the teachers would be away on a course that Thursday I could have a practice session to see if I liked it. Ginger thought this was a brilliant idea and promised she would have me there bright and early, there was far too much giggling for my liking!!!

We did a quick walk round the school, with me being introduced to the kids as their new teacher and having songs sung to us in every classroom, Ginger the frustrated photo journalist managed to snap pretty much all of the S4K children and we gave out new exercise books.

The early afternoon found us at another new school where we distributed more general books and toys, with the promise of returning with cloth book bags and teddies at a later date. I cannot put in to words how grateful both the teachers and pupils are, many of the kids only have 2 books and a pencil yet they are determined to make the most of their chances. We watched the kids for a while and I saw one pencil sharpener get passed from desk to desk and the same with their one rubber.




Now it was time to deliver the sack of rice, it was a Christmas present from me to to a friend at work who is notoriously difficult to buy for. With Ginger's help she had chosen a little orphan girl who is being raised by her grandmother and is waiting for sponsorship. We had also put together a little backpack of clothes and goodies for her. I think of all the kids we gave stuff to she was possibly the most bewildered although the photo of her with probably her first ever dolly tugs at my heartstrings.

We had more clothes for general distribution and managed to give them out without too much chaos, Sidat did a good job controlling the older kids without having to resort to a stick (as their mothers often did, well threatening with it anyway) but at one point I turned around and saw several kids opening the rear car door and trying to get in, I told them off for messing and shoo'd them away only to find when we were all done and getting back in the car that they had put several oranges in the foot well, you can imagine how awful I felt. They had nothing and yet still wanted to thank us somehow....

With our duties now completed for the day we headed off to Sol's family compound where I was re introduced to all his family, I had first met them on day 1 when we had gone to pick up Fattie and Co. as their compounds are next door to each other. Most of my carefully learnt Jola words had vanished but somehow I had remembered just a few important ones. I was greeted with 'Cassemi' and had to reply 'Cassemi kep, cassemi?' which loosely translated means 'How are you', 'I am fine thanks, how are you?' The kids love to join in to practice their English but they don't realise there are separate words involved so just say 'Owareooo' which is adorable!

Fattie was there and seemed much more comfortable with me, Ginger overheard her telling everyone I was 'her toubab' and she always seemed to be right by my side. Someone decided I should have a go at drawing water up from the well, which was much harder than it looked, I recon it was about 40' deep and a full bucket of water is heavy!
While we were chatting and giving out the footballs, toys and clothes to sponsored kids that don't get gift boxes sent over a couple of boys came running in to the compound saying a kid from down the road had scratched the sides of the hire car.

They were sent off to find the guilty boy and bring him back, we inspected the car and the scratches were quite deep, causing a huge problem for Sol as he had been given a good price on the car and in return had promised to guard it with his life.

10 minutes later the posse appeared dragging the culprit along behind them. Apparently they had conned him in to returning to the scene of his crime by telling him there was a toubab looking for kids to sponsor...brilliant thinking!

Justice in Gambia is swift and effective, he was terrified with threats of the police and then made to do 100 squats, Sol said he would ache for days and never forget the consequences of his actions!

On the way home I was thrilled to meet Awa, an amazing lady who had polio as a child and is now forced to beg from her wheelchair. Ginger knows her very well and we ended up seeing her huge beaming smile every day. Her wheelchair has perished wheels and is no longer easy to wheel but the lovely sponsor of her daughter has bought her a replacement and it is on the way to her as I type!

Back to base for a well earned cold shower (no hot water at Ginger's house) and chicken yasser for tea, to compare with the one at Lamin Lodge...guess which one was best!
Sidat came over to join us ready for the very early start on Wednesday, and I mean early! We were off on a birdwatching walk at dawn...