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Isle of Man to the Gambia
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Six Queen Elizabeth II High School students travel across
The Gambia with Concern Universal.
Gleck dty share dy kinjagh
A.D. 1979
The Gambia 2011
Six pupils and a teacher from Queen Elizabeth II High School were lucky to embark on a 'once in
a lifetime trip' to The Gambia to see the work of the charity Concern Universal.
The trip was a prize for winning the ‘Most Outstanding School’ at the Giving Nation Social Action
Awards 2010. Giving Nation is a project of the Citizenship Foundation which aims to enhance
young people’s knowledge and understanding of the charity and voluntary sector whilst instilling a
culture of generosity.
Giving Nation promotes charity work and encourages thousands of secondary school students
across the UK to get involved in charity work, including campaigning, social enterprise, volunteering and community activities (www.g-nation.org.uk).
The school community raised £27,000 for many charities and good causes during the last school
year.
Moira Pain a student said:
"We feel so proud and so privileged to
have won such a nationally acclaimed
award. It's great to gain recognition for all
our work. It was only through keeping a
diary that we could appreciate how much
effort teams and individuals put into helping the community. I think we surprised
ourselves on how much we actually do!"
Concern Universal works to fight poverty
and inequality by supporting practical solutions to improve livelihoods while amplifying the voices
of people they work with. Every year, around 1.5 million people,in 12 countries,living in poverty are
improving their quality of life, through Concern Universal’s work (www.concern-universal.org).
We spent a week as investigative journalists reporting on how global changes are affecting people
at a grass root level in the Gambia.
The key themes were climate change and tourism. It was a unique opportunity for us to understand
how our own actions have an effect on people living in poverty.
We have put together a report on our trip woven around the diaries, personal reflections and
memories of the group. We all hope you enjoy reading an account of our life changing adventure.
Page 1
Team members
Students
Tom Anderson
Rebecca Beavis
Lauren Blayney
Rachael Harrop
Aareez Khan
Moira Pain
Staff
Jenny Holland
Karen Harvey
Sulafa Silim
Lesley Sleight
15
16
15
15
15
15
Gunjur Project Lodge
Jo
Butch
Alagi
Concern Universal
Concern Universal
Giving Nation
Queen Elizabeth II High School
16th February
Travel to Gambia
‘We are on our way and I am feeling tired, excited and a little nervous. I really don’t know what to expect, I have
never been to Africa before. I can’t wait to arrive and see everything.’
‘I think we are going to meet a lot of interesting people with very interesting lives. I get the feeling that this is
going to be one of those trips that change the way you view things for the rest of your life.’
‘I wasn’t expecting the plane to be this busy.
There are a few hundred people on board, far
more tourists than I expected. I expect we will
see a big difference between the tourist and
rural areas of Gambia.’
‘Stepping out of the plane the heat was overpowering. Leaving the airport I was on high
alert. We had been warned not to let anybody
carry our bags but hands were soon plucking
at our luggage. People were very friendly but I
was not sure of their intentions. A boy in a
wheelchair came over to the jeep, his legs had
been amputated and he was hoping we would
give him money.’
Page 2
17th February
Gunjur Environmental Protection and Development Group (GEPADG)
On our very first morning we visited GEPADG. We were met by a
small group of volunteers acting as our guides, who explained
that GEPADG’s aim is “to enhance the livelihoods of the local
people.” We set off on our tour of GEPADG’s protected area of
conservation, near the lodge. On the way, we met a man wheeling his bike along with a large pile of wood strapped to it. Our
guides started shouting at the man in Mandinka, and someone
explained that the man had illegally chopped the wood in
GEPADG’s conservation area, and as a result could face up to six
months in prison, or a huge fine. However, our guides (who are
also wardens of the area) decide to let the man go, in order to
avoid building “animosity” with the local people. This was the
first challenge we’d faced in Gambia – should the man be
allowed to chop firewood to cook on, or should the area be
preserved?
We carried on further into the area, and were struck by the beauty
and diversity of the plant life all around us. The Gambia, in
common with much of Africa, has issues regarding deforestation;
too many trees are being cut down, primarily for cooking with, and
the lack of vegetation is leading to other, more long-term problems such as soil erosion and loss of wildlife. GEPADG is trying to
promote conservation of the local habitat, and their reserve in
Gunjur is a rare example of this remarkable environment, at just
320 hectares.
We saw fabulously exotic plants such as the
Locus Bean (traditionally used to ward off
malaria), cashew trees, Winter Throne trees (they
drop their leaves just before the rains come, helping farmers time their harvests, and are also used
as a toothache remedy), breadfruit trees, mango
trees, palm trees (used for palm oil and making
palm wine), and grape plums, which come from
the baobab tree and make wonjo juice. There are
also the West African Laburnums, and our guides
assured us that “the African man marries two
women because of this tree”, in recognition of its
use as a herbal Viagra!
Page 3
We reached a lake filled with flocks of wild birds. The Gambia has lost much of its wildlife due to hunting (the last leopard was shot in the 1980s), but it’s still famous for its birdlife. We saw an African
Spoonbill walking along a sandbank with a tall stork, and a heron (we’re so used to seeing them at
home; it was oddly incongruous against the backdrop of mangroves). We walked along the bank of
the lake and came across a small inlet with a hole at the back of it, and learned that it’s a crocodile
burrow. Despite our curiosity, no-one was brave enough to have a closer look! We also spotted a crocodile in the water on the other side of the lake…from a distance…mostly submerged…but still very
exciting!
GEPADG are currently trying to raise funds to
build an office where the wardens can sit and
monitor people going in and out of the reserve,
and hopefully limit illegal logging and hunting
there. However, their official funding has
recently been cut so therefore their only source
of income comes from their own fundraising,
which has to cover renting an office, wages, and
general running costs. You can visit GEPADG’s
website on http://www.genvironment.co.uk/.
Gunjur Market
We visited the fish smoking sheds. Very,
very different from the kipper factory on
the Isle of Man. The processing was very
basic with very little machinery. On the
beach women were wading out to the
boats to collect the fish. The sea was
above their waists and the heavy loaded
baskets were carried balanced on their
heads.
‘
‘After cleaning the fish the women, with babies
strapped to their backs, carried the heavy laden
baskets up to the village. It looked very tiring. I
was humbled by the way the women were working so hard.’
sive.’
‘What I have learned today that women do much
of the practical work. The men catch the fish and
smoke it but the women do everything else. They
clean and gut the fish and haul it around often
with babies on their backs; it is incredibly impres-
Page 4
TARUD (Trust Agency for Rural Development - partner of Concern Universal)
TARUD was first created by a man called Willy Brown, who called a meeting in 1981 in Germany with the dream of creating a global village. 10
ambassadors from rich and poor countries attended, many of them exprime ministers. The meeting was televised in England but only one
High Commissioner, in Gambia, responded positively to the idea.
Mr. Brown wanted to link The Gambia with the UK and Gunjur was the
town that fitted the criteria for linking, so was twinned with Marlborough, England in 1982. A constitution was written and a committee set
up and an assessment was carried out to assess Gunjur's needs. After
this a five year plan was created from 1990 to 1995.
In this time period a savings scheme was set up by a Pakistani man who
felt sympathy for Gambian women who were working mothers so set
up a scheme so the women and men could save their money. It was a
loan system for women to start small businesses which they would
eventually pay back. He started business education training which had to be attended before loans or
credit were issued.
Other projects were set up such as health education,numeracy and literacy as over 95% of Gambian women
were illiterate. He named the project TARUD.
TARUD planted trees which are bearing fruit and a pre-school was also started in Gunjur for 235, three to
seven year olds and it is now the best in the Gambia, educating children and their parents. With their
children at school it means mums could be free to work in the rice fields and gardens.
However, funding is becoming more difficult for TARUD. More and more links are being set up between the
Gambia and there are more volunteers, gap year students teachers coming over from the UK which helps
with education.
TARUD is also the founder of the SMILE-B projects
(SMallholder Irrigation for Livelihood Enhancement
–Business). SMILE-B uses a collection of appropriate,
low-cost irrigation technologies and practices. They
remove the burden of pulling water by hand and
allow smallholders to produce bigger and better
harvests. They are looking for a 3 to 4 year extension
of the project, as it is such a success.
Gunjur had no access to clean drinking water and
dysentery and diarrhoea caused many deaths. With
drilling machines more wells have been dug. Hand
pumps and treadle pumps have been bought to
help women collect the water. Coverings have also
been put on wells to help keep water clean. SMILE-B
have also funded the raising of well walls and put running water taps around villages t eliminate the risk of
falling down wells. We were told that only a few weeks earlier a girl of six died falling down a well. She was
helping her sick mother to collect water, but unfortunately when throwing down the bucket she overbalanced and fell in herself. Such a tragic story, but a story that we were to find out later was very common.
‘We were told that we are all the same , the only difference is the colour of our skin. I thought how true this was. ‘
Page 5
18th February
SMILE Gardens (Smallholder Irrigation for Livelihood Enhancement)
The SMILE Project is a cost effective way for
households and farms to have access to a
supply of water that won’t run out. The
project tries to introduce water irrigation
technologies into the lives of many Gambian
people, especially women. The systems could
improve quantity and quality of produce for
farms; they could extend the land you can
farm due to quicker irrigation. They could
also increase the growing season and therefore make a larger profit. The project is trying
to replace the wells commonly found around the Gambia where you pull up water in a
bucket or other container attached to a rope. This process is time consuming and tiring and
can mean walking many miles for water. The SMILE Project’s systems vary from rope pumps
to drip irrigation kits and even venture as far as a mechanical tube well drill.
While our group was visiting the Gambia, we had the
privilege of visiting a SMILE garden and seeing the benefits of having a pump in such a dry country. At the garden
they were growing aubergines, chillies, cabbages and
tomatoes for home consumption and to sell. It has to be
one of the most amazing and entertaining experiences of
our trip because of how welcoming the women were and
their joyful dancing.
‘We went to the SMILE gardens where we danced with the
women to beats of a stick against a water container. I felt so
overwhelmed by their hospitality.’
‘For the first time I could dance without feeling self conscious or knowing any of the moves.’
‘We toured their garden and saw their crops, wells and
irrigation system.’
‘If only they had a simple wheelbarrow they would then be
able to transport their vegetables without having to carry
the heavy loads on their heads.’
‘Working a small plot of land can really change a woman’s
life in Gambia. It can help them support their families and
neighbours and give them independence. It also strikes me that although they have land and
opportunity, they still have so little, and yet they are happy, which is so infectious.’
‘The women farmers have taught me that through hard work and commitment you really can
change your life and community. Their dedication and hard work really inspired me.’
Page 6
Sandele Bay Eco Retreat
We visited Gamspirit’s Sandele Eco Retreat. Dedicated to responsible tourist development, Sandele works in
conjunction with the local village of Kartong to ensure that the project is beneficial for both the management
and the local people. It is a key belief of the proprietors, Geri
Mitchell and Maurice Phillips, that the local people, their
knowledge and culture has to be introduced into tourism
before sustainability can be achieved. At Sandele visitors
are given the opportunity to break through the barrier of
traditional tourism and participate in activities taught and
mentored by the local people of Kartong.
This form of tourism brings a greater understanding
between the cultures and promotes more sustainable tourism in the future. As well as 70% of Gamspirit’s employees
coming from Kartong, Sandele is also situated on land
owned by the people of Kartong. In 25 years the land and
anything that is built on it is to be reverted back to the village. In addition a proportion of Gamspirit’s profits
are used to support the village’s development. For every guest per night 100 dalasi are donated towards this
worthy cause.
Maurice and Geri’s vision – to create a centre of excellence in terms of responsible tourism, sustainability,
luxury and peace; where quality, first-rate service and superior cuisine is offered in a manner that maximises
benefit to the local community.
Not only is Sandele beneficial to the local village of Kartong, it has also been built in a way that minimises the
environmental impact of the building process and of running the retreat. Maurice and Geri’s construction
principles are: minimum cement, glass, metal and wood. To reduce the use of cement they used compressed
stabilized earth blocks instead of normal bricks. The ingenious blocks, made mainly of lime, are incredibly
solid and only use a fraction of the cement of a normal brick. They also reduce emissions and only emit a small
amount of CO2 in creation, which over a long period of time they amazingly reabsorb. They also have their
own furniture workshop where they use sustainable resources. The eco lodge runs on wind and solar power
where possible but a generator is necessary to power the furniture workshop and electricity demand of many
guests.
This fantastic project is an inspiration for tourism
in the future and will no doubt continue to
explore sustainable tourism as it develops.
Reptile Farm
‘I loved the feel of the snake slithering over my arm
and the smell of the reptile farm. Except I didn’t care
for the lizards; they reeked.’
‘Snakes and reptiles are important to keep the pests
off farmer’s lands. The owner of the reptile farm tries
to educate people about the role of reptiles. Many
Gambians are superstitious and really fearful of
snakes. They will try to kill them contributing to their endangered status.’
‘I learnt that a lot of the reptiles are harmless and you can’t judge by what they look like or how big or small they
are.’
Page 7
Music in the Gambia
As I am a keen drummer I have been interested in African drumming for a few years, and have occasionally played a Djembe of
my drum teacher’s on the Isle of Man. The moment this ‘once in a
lifetime’ experience reached my ears I knew there would be the
great sound of drums involved.
I went out to The Gambia and my expectations of African drumming were met within two days of being there. On the second
day we travelled down to a project called SMILE where women
go and work on a communally farmed plot of land. The second
we walked through the gates into the garden the women all started congregating around the building near
the entrance, and after a few hellos an elderly woman started beating on a water container with a little stick.
In less than 5 minutes all of us were dancing in the most random ways I have ever seen and done, I felt kind
of awkward at first because I had no idea of what I was supposed to do, but with that aside, it had to be one
of the best moments of the trip. The joy was so pronounced with all the women we met at the garden.
It became quite a common scene to see whilst we were in
The Gambia, local communities dancing to the beat of a few
drums. I got the idea that drumming is a huge part of social
life as there would be drums at weddings, naming ceremonies, funerals and in many other situations. Drumming is also
traditionally a form of communication between tribes and
villages, you could play a certain rhythm and the other
village would answer with another. There are different
rhythms for different occasions and we got the chance to
learn some of these from Butch at the lodge who is a brilliant
Djembe player and teacher. Mainly Djembe and Dun Dun
Bas made up the community music that we experienced in
villages close to the lodge but the varieties of African drum are never-ending.
All Gambian instruments are made from locally grown wood and other materials found nearby. They are all
crafted with huge skill and some are decorated with animal carvings and African scenes, making the instrument extremely special. Drumming isn’t the only form of music in The Gambia; a harp style instrument called
the Kora originates in The Gambia and is played commonly all over West Africa. Griots are also well known for
their music. They are historians who pass down stories in the form of poems and praise singing.
I was so inspired by African drums that I brought a Djembe back with me, as
did three others in the group. I am hopefully going to form or join an African
drum group and learn some more rhythms to add to my collection. The
music is the one thing I could never forget about The Gambia.
Drumming Workshop
‘Butch was a fantastic teacher and we all learned so much. I didn’t want the
lesson to stop.’
‘Butch inspired us all, what a great teacher.’
Page 8
19th February
Kombo Beach Hotel – Seeing the impacts of Tourism
On the fourth day we went to the
tourist hotspot region of The
Gambia, Senegambia near Banjul.
Senegambia gets its mixed name
because it’s ‘a mixture of Gambia
and Senegal’ as it used to have a lot
of influence with Senegal and it’s
people. It was not like the Gambia
we had seen but a concentrated
area resembling Spain. Despite the
fact that The Gambia is predominantly a Muslim country, it is filled
with bars and nightclubs. Some of
the nightclubs are huge and some believe they cause more harm than good. The streets were lined
with restaurants with an array of multicultural cuisine. These are indubitably the outcome of Tourism.
The hotel we visited was called Kombo Beach hotel. They welcomed us in warmly and after some
confusion, we finalised and progressed to a meeting with Adamah Bia and his colleague Mr.
Gambia, the assistant General Manager of the Kombo Beach Hotel. They were both extremely
realistic and truthful with their remarks, never hiding anything and admitting to bad points. They
both told us facts without any hesitation and acknowledged that tourism can be bad.
Tourism in the Gambia has grown massively since it was first introduced to The Gambia by a Swiss
man named Berlile in 1965. Now there are at least 150,000 or more tourists every year and this
figure rises by the year, but many aren’t sure if this is a good thing. The main positive impact of tourism is the money it brings to the country. A massive slice of government income in The Gambia is
from tourism and tourism has overtaken the peanut export and trade in bringing in money to The
Gambia. Money is a massive bonus that tourism brings to The Gambia and money is the predominant reason why Gambia hasn’t clampeed down on tourism either through restrictions or limits.
Tourism in The Gambia also provides many jobs for people through direct ways, like employing
gardeners or chefs, or through indirect ways. For example, a farm may feel it needs more workers in
order to meet the demand of the hotel it supplies so there are more indirect jobs that tourism
brings. This means produce also increases with tourism. It is believed that about a whopping 50,000
jobs are provided by tourism, overtaking the government for employment/jobs. Although this is an
extremely high figure of jobs, arguably, it is said that 60% of the workers are not Gambian - which
could mean that only 20,000 are potential jobs for the Gambians; if only 40% of the 50,000 jobs are
not used by the Gambians.
Page 9
Most of the time, the tourists do not respect the culture and dignity of The Gambia with most men and
women dressing in very revealing clothes, which is rude and offensive to some of the Gambians and
Gambia’s reputation. It is also bad for Gambia’s reputation because it is now looking like a sort of sex
tourism. The government is trying to clamp down on this but because of tourism growth rate; the government can only reach so far. Often older women from Europe come and ‘take’ a young Gambian man
home; in fact we witnessed this on our flight. Once the young man reaches European soil, he will run
and start a new life. The tourists are so open about love that it is beginning to affect the Gambians. More
and more local men walk around with their girlfriends and girlfriends aren’t intended in Islam. More and
more bars and nightclubs open and it makes Senegambia look vulgar. Tourism is not all that good.
Some think that it is great for Gambia’s agricultural industry but about 80% of the hotels food produce
is sourced across the global market. Often young people leave a ‘proper’ job to go tourist hunting, and
yet again give Gambia a bad name.
Overall, the impacts of Gambia can be seen as good or bad, depending on opinion. My own belief is
that without enough control, tourism could infect the Gambia, and The Gambia could go belly up. But
others think otherwise, like Mr. Gambia. He believes that tourism is 90% good but it does have its cons.
‘I enjoyed talking to Mr Gambia he talked
equally about the pros and cons of tourism. I
also felt that tourists are oblivious about the
non-tourist side of Gambia.’
‘I really enjoyed interviewing the hotel management. It was good because the two men
we met answered our questions honestly.
Tourism in Gambia is generally positive; it
brings in a lot of money and leads to a lot of
job opportunities in the tourist season. I feel
that the tourists don’t get the true feeling of
the country. I truly believe that they have not
visited the real Gambia. The visitors are missing out on fantastic experiences.’
‘Tourists clash with the local culture and there
are fears that with the nightclubs and revealing clothes, the tourists are gradually ‘Westernising the Gambia.’
‘I didn’t really enjoy the tourist Gambia very much. I could have been in any resort around the world; there
was no sign of all the distinctive and wonderful things I had come to love about the Gambia.’
‘I found that young Gambian men seek relationships with elderly women tourists for money, marriage and
the chance to escape their country. Also children drop out of school to hassle tourists believing that they can
make money. We were told that the Manager of the hotel would be imprisoned if a minor was found in the
room of a tourist. Many NGOs go into schools to teach students about the dangers of sex tourism.’
Page 10
20th February
Travel – up country
During the week Concern Universal took us on a two day trip up country to see some of their projects first hand. On the way up we discovered just how difficult it was to travel from one side of the river to the
other. After getting up at five o’clock in the morning to ensure we were
near the front of the mass of cars and trucks that seemed to be the
Gambian‘s ‘organisation’,we had to wait for 7 hours before we got
across to the North Bank. This was a result of a backlog of traffic due to
no ferry crossings the previous day, and one of the ferries breaking
down. When it finally arrived to the South Bank we were all horrified to
watch an ambulance with sirens blaring drive off it.
As we travelled in the Jeeps up country the main roads deteriorated the
further we travelled. Leaving the tarmac roads behind we journeyed
along dirt track roads with many holes. It was a bumpy ride, often struggling not to hit our heads on the roof of the vehicle as well as trying not
to spill water all over each other every time we hit a pothole. This part of
the journey took about 4 hours. In the U.K. the same distance would
normally take around an hour to travel.
Without roads and the ferry ports being improved the infrastructure of
the country cannot develop.
‘I realised how difficult it would be for a farmer to get his produce into
Banjul along these terrible roads. The lack of infrastructure shocked me.’
‘We were stuck on the ramp up to the boat, there was not enough room.
Foot passengers then started boarding. Hundreds of them swarmed past us, some carrying items of furniture
and even goats. It was unbelievable; a huge health and safety issue. It took us three attempts to get on the
ferry. I feel awful that people have to do that every day and I now can see why the Gambians cannot transport their produce quickly.’
Museum of Slavery - Albreda
We visited the museum which gave us a good insight
into the history of slavery. Albreda was a Trading Post
for slaves. Alex Haley’s novel ‘Roots’ was based on the
slavery site. The local village was the home of Kunte
Kinte, the slave the novel was based on.
‘Once we finally got to the North Bank, we stopped off at
the Slavery Museum and learnt about slaving history. It
was so very interesting. It is a subject we have done in History and to see a trading post and all the artefacts
was amazing. ’
‘On one of the plaques it said ‘then we marked the slaves we had bought in the breast or the shoulder with a
hot iron, having the letter of the ship’s name on it.’ It then went on to say that it caused little pain and would
heal in four or five days. It really saddened me.’
‘I couldn’t believe the sheer numbers of slaves captured. From 1501 -1867 there were 754,877 slave departures from Senegambia.’
Page 11
Njawara Agricultural Training Centre (N.A.T.C.)
Overnight we stayed at a Njawara Agricultural Training Centre. The
N.A.T.C was established in 1990 with the intention to train young
people and adult farmers and help to improve their villages farming techniques. Their goals include contributing to food selfsufficiency, enhancing the livelihoods of rural communities in The
Gambia and helping to empower farmers.Training four farmers
from every village and introducing seeds to the villages that take
less time to grow and produce more yields, is just one of the ways
the N.A.T.C plan to reach these goals. The training at the centre
includes practical and theory work as well as being given business
schooling. Unfortunately the demand for this training is greater
than the supply the centre can give. The N.A.T.C also runs and manages many of the projects we had seen around The Gambia during
the week including SMILE and GGIGS. These help with such things
as providing wells with covers to help decrease mortality rates and
easing the amount of walking the farmers must do.
‘We were able to see one of the wells sponsored by the Isle of Man Government. It made me feel proud that our
country was trying to help.’
Environmentally Friendly Stove
The stove was being introduced to the villagers in order for them to cut down on the use of firewood. It was
also a much healthier means of cooking. When it rained women had to go in to tiny shelters to cook their
food on open fires. Constantly bent over smoke and fumes meant high rates of
lung cancers were occurring. When women had a young baby on their back the
babies were also in the smoke. Young children were contracting asthma and all
sorts of other health problems which were affecting
their lives long term.
The stove was first created In the Philippines 15 years
ago and it was a great success. Now the newest version
has been produced for three years. The stove is very
efficient and it only takes 7 minutes to boil 800g of rice
in 1 litre of water. The stove uses rice husks and peanut
shells as fuel. This is very cheap and better for the environment than burning wood because it is a food byproduct and it creates considerably less carbon dioxide and other harmful gases.
The ashes from the fire are 100% carbon and can be used as fertiliser. The stove
also never has to be cleaned you just top up with the fuel. The stove is made in Senegal and is sold to the
people of the Gambia for the subsidized price of 1500 dalasi. The stoves actually cost 3500 dalasi to make
but this is too much for most Gambians to pay. Unfortunately the demand for the stoves is outstripping the
supply.
Page 12
21st February
Njawara
‘It used to be a thriving village. The rice fields have been
affected from desert sand and industry has dried up. Now
the villagers live in extreme poverty.
’It is an unusual village as it had the first female village
chief. There are now 10 women chief in the country. The
Gambia is closing the gender gap woman by woman. We
went to visit her and she made us very welcome. She is
highly respected and was also commended by the President for all her work.’
‘We visited a clinic and I thought it was really poignant how they had no
electricity and somebody had donated a solar panel to ‘solve’ the problem but it was broken and there was nobody to fix it. For me this was an
example that highlighted the crucial difference between development
and aid.’
‘We popped in on the medical centre. There is no electricity as the invertors broke on the solar panels and nobody knows how to fix it. We also
noticed that the birthing bed was also broken. During our visit a child
was being tested for malaria.’
‘The doctor who showed us around said he wasn’t really a doctor, he was trained as a nurse.’
‘We visited the primary school and the children were so
welcoming and happy to see us.’
‘On the wall of the Head’s office were all the timetables, assessment, attendance policies and examination results spanning
several years. They were handwritten with hand drawn bar
charts. This is so different from the mass of computer and
policy documents at my school. Our Head would certainly not
be able to stick all our policies on her wall.’
‘The children must have had a reading lesson as on the board
was the title ‘Reading’ followed 8 lines of writing for the
children to read. There were no books in the classroom. It made me think how lucky we are to have a good
education system.’
‘The children were running barefoot towards us over stoney rough ground shouting ’ Tou bab , Tou bab. (the
Gambian name for white men) and “minties, minties” which are sweeties.‘
Page 13
St. Josephs Family Farm Centre (SJFF)
The farm was founded in 1988 in response to the increased influx of
young adults migrating to urban areas in search of employment. The
Centre provides skill training on farming techniques and provides
loans to help students become self–employed. 3000 women vegetable gardeners received training and they were able to share their
skills with women in their own villages.
The farm also runs a Disaster Risk Reduction Project, helping communities to prepare for, prevent, plan and respond to emergencies.
Training is also given in conflict mediation skills. The Centre is
involved in relief aid and has helped many families whose houses
have been damaged by rain. It also has provided emergency sanitation and wells for areas where refugees from Senegal have swamped
small villages. Rice seeds have also been provided to help the refugees to farm.
The Centre also runs literacy programmes to increase functional skills. Many women have benefitted
from the programme; an example given was a woman who could now do simple book keeping in her
small business.
Bwiam Community Radio
Run from SJFF is Bwiam Community Radio Station.
The station has a frequency covering the Western
Region, Lower River Region and the North Bank
Region, making it one of the best community radio
stations in The Gambia. Many people have expressed
their happiness over the establishment of the community radio in Bwiam.
The station has equipment similar to our radio
station but the sound proofing was just cloth on the
wall. I enjoyed the radio interview and how important it is in Gambian society. It is the key form of entertainment and communication.
‘I was rather shocked when I found out that our radio interview had been live. The radio is important in helping children with their English. Books are given as prizes to the children participating in the radio education
programme.’
‘I was really excited to be on the radio and as usual I was pleasantly surprised by our warm reception at St.
Josephs. Everyone was so busy but they found time to chat and eat with us. We were made to feel very
welcome, it was very humbling.’
‘Being on the radio felt like a chance to thank the Gambian people for their hospitality. I loved it.’
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22nd February
Marina International School
‘This morning we visited Marina International School, ‘the premier fee paying school in
Gambia’ and interviewed students about their lives and education.’
‘We went to share our school experiences with the 6th formers and hear about their school
life.’
‘They follow a British syllabus, our education systems are not that much different. Their
school is fee paying and their class sizes are smaller. The students were fascinated about the
Isle of Man and it surprised us that our boring lives are exotic and interesting to others.’
‘It was nice meeting them, they were very friendly and welcoming and from an unexpectedly
mixed background. I expected them to be mostly ex-pats, but I was wrong, there were many
Gambian students.’
Concern Universal’s Gambia Is Good Headquarters
‘We met the co-ordinators of the
Gambia is Good project and learnt it’s
mission aims and ethos. To run a
charity project as a viable commercial
business was a very exciting idea that
had never occurred to me before.’
‘
It is here where local produce is brought after collection from the farms. It is sold on to locals,
tourists, hotels and restaurants.’
‘Refrigerated vans collect produce from the North Bank and Western Region thus more
locally produced fruit and vegetables are being purchased from Gambian farmers and
supplied to the Kombo areas.’
Page 15
Mama Africa
Near the end of the trip to the Gambia we visited Mama Africa,
which we were told before arriving is a garden designed to
inspire the women of the Gambia.
Mama Africa was indeed an inspirational place. Isha Fofana, the
artist and owner of the compound, explained to us how in the
Gambia it is uncommon to have females become artists and
how her aim was to show women they could be who they want
to be. Mama Africa is also a place to learn, as Isha shows her
heritage in her art, along with encouraging the children who
visit to stay at school for as long as they can. This helps women
and children alike to be educated, as well as become inspired
by the things that are around them every day. Her idea is to be
able to help women gain power and respect in the Gambia, the
art gives people something to view; to give women
a chance to be seen in a different light.
However, not everyone sees Mama Africa as a good
thing but Isha says that she understands this, “I like to
have critics because critics let you go further.” She uses
the negativity towards her art to help her gain more
inspiration and lets it strengthen her.
Many visitors have been around the garden and
gallery, and art work has been sold to places all over
the world. “This has been a truly moving experience
and bless your efforts on inspiring the creative spirit,”
was just one of many of the positive comments written in the visitor’s book. Isha also informed me that
Gambians have started to bring their children to view the gallery and she has had plenty of
young girls say as they leave say that they want to become artists.
‘I loved Mama Africa; it was so peaceful and inspiring. I
thought Isha’s work with depressed women was
wonderful, and is a real success story for the value of
finding artistic ways to express emotions.’
‘The vibrancy of Mama Africa is something I’m really
keen to communicate at home. I’m hoping that other
people will be as inspired as I was.’
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23rd February
Visit to Gambia is Good (GIG) Community Farm
Concern Universal is helping local communities
to grow fresh produce that can be sold to hotels,
restaurants and supermarkets. Over 1000 women
have been trained by the GIG project. The women
are selected from their communities and training
is carried out on the farms. When they return
home they are supported and visited by their
trainers on a regular basis.
The women learn about crop planning; what is
needed in months ahead and what the market
demands. They learn about crop rotation and it’s
importance to control pests and disease as well
as maintain soil structure.
At the farm they were experimenting with breeding ducks. The meat is in demand by the local hotels.
The ducks were being fed on couscous, herbs and fruit. Their manure was being used for fertiliser. A
manure tea is made using droppings from cows, goats, sheep and poultry. The manure is put into a cloth
bag in a barrel of water and after 3 days the organic fertiliser is ready to use when mixed with added
water.
Aubergines, cauliflower, broccoli and courgettes were also being grown for the hoteliers. The courgettes
were proving the most difficult to produce because of fruit fly infestation. They were being sprayed
every three days with a liquid made from soaking leaves from the Neem tree which acts as an insect
repellent.
In 2006, 500,000 dalasi was being paid to local producers. This has increased to 2.9 million dalasi in 2010.
Approximately 65% of hotel produce is supplied by
local farmers.
over to cook.
At the farm we watched cakes being cooked in a solar
oven. There was also a parabolic solar cooker. Wood has
become a scarce commodity and in some areas it has
become illegal to crop. Most cooking is on open fires
with pans on three supporting rocks. The cooking fires
are sited in small huts that quickly fill with smoke. This
is an ongoing health problem especially for babies who
are carried on their mother’s backs and whose faces are
directly in the smoke when their mothers are bending
The Concern Universal project is helping many women in rural areas, who previously had virtually no
income to now earn up to £150 a month. The GIG Farm visit was a great ending to the trip.
Page 17
Gunjur Project Lodge
The aim of the Gunjur Project is to provide an educational
experience for young people from the developed world by
providing them with an opportunity to come together
with youth in Gambia.
Butch and Jo who run the project are absolutely amazing
people. They are so kind, so passionate and have a true
sense of community spirit. The time, energy and love they
bring to the local children is awe inspiring.
‘I really enjoyed playing games with the Kajabang eight.’
‘Gabriel gave me such an insight into the life of a Gambian youth. He was so kind and so welcoming.
Today I really enjoyed the goodbye drum workshop and disco with the kajabang eight. I will really miss all
the people I have met here and I will never forget the experiences I have. It was lovely to have one final laugh
with all the friends I have made.’
‘The evening party with the Kajabang eight made me realise how
sad I’ll be to see them go. I wondered as I said goodbye where they
will be in 20 years and what their country will be like. I hope it will be
positive for them, and I hope to return one day and see how the
Gambia has progressed.’
‘We met a girl who to our surprise was only 15. She was walking
around the compound with a one year old child on her back who
she informed us was her son. She explained to us how she was a
wife to a man who was fighting in Senegal and who she expected was dead. This shocked us all as we
couldn’t envisage being married so young and having a child. It was even more shocking that she should be
a widow after only one year of marriage.’
‘It was great to go into Alaja’s compound and meet his dad and look around to see how he and his family
lived.’
‘I loved playing football with the Kajaban eight. It is easy how quickly you
can make friends when you find games you all enjoy.’
‘Amelia, aged 14, loves her life here and is happy to show people who are
almost complete strangers new games and talk to them about her life. She
is a most interesting and friendly girl whose English is amazing even
though she has never been outside the country.’
‘I enjoyed the walk with the Kajabang 8 around their village and compounds and then down to the Holy Rocks where Muslims will go to pray for
hours. Walking along the beach and messing around in the sea at sunset
was beautiful. Having a communal tea was really funny and a good experience. We all shared one big plate of food together.’
Page 18
Youth Brain-Drain
Throughout our life-changing trip to the Gambia, we
heard many stories from the people we talked to about
an issue that everyone was aware of, the country’s
youth brain-drain.
Brain drain is also known as “the human capital flight”. It
can be simply defined as the mass emigration of technically skilled people from one country to another
country. But Gambia is facing this problem with a twist;
the people who are leaving are the next generation.
Brain-drain can be caused by many reasons, for
example;-political instability of a nation, lack of opportunities, health risks, personal conflicts etcetera. The
Gambia is predominantly an area of political stability, but this could soon change for this topical
reason.
In the Gambia, Tom and I had found opportunities to interview
some local Gambians on different occasions about this issue
and the reasons given were expressed in all the interviews. The
fundamental causes that I understand are the lack of opportunities, low quality of life, country wide poverty and the ‘frustration’
that the individual has not accomplished much in his/her lifethe need to fulfil the potential of the person’s acquired skill. This
problem is does not only involve male youths but I found when
asking some of the Kajabang 8 that some women also leave The
Gambia (although they pointed out that it is a tiny amount of
the economic migrants).
Alaja, our guide, told me many tales of the migrants. Many of
them risk their lives in reckless attempts so get to the ‘glowing
Europe’ through different ways. Alaja knew some people who
went by walking to North West Africa, to then put their life in the
hands of a ship that cannot withstand some of the waves the
Atlantic Ocean or the Mediterranean Sea throws at it. They go through this illegal process out of
desperation and lack of money to afford a flight out of Gambia. He said that the majority of people
who attempt the sea voyage to smuggle themselves out of Gambia often end up getting
kidnapped or even death by sea or crew occurs. Those who choose to leave by the safe transport
of flight have to trek all the way to Morocco or Egypt so they can get a more guaranteed visa
through legal means, although the majority of the time it is not granted; another reason why the
sea is chosen.
This concept of endless employment opportunities is not the case at all. Many UK residents livie
off the ‘dole’ but a newcomer to the country will not always get this luxury.
Page 19
In The Gambia, countries like America, Spain and the UK are seen as
countries with employment waiting for everyone. This image has
been created by tourists who have a very Western impact regardless
of the Gambian culture, which causes some ‘copying’ in The Gambians.
They see the tourist from Europe and America spending like money is
no object. The tourist are so naive of their impacts, they treat Gambia
as a cheap Spain in terms of tourist appeal (climate and nightclubs etc.
have been introduced). The more tourists come, the more this image
is exaggerated.
at in the UK.
People lin The Gambia often hope of becoming a doctor, a lawyer an
accountant but the competition is so high among the residents of the
country that only the top percentile with the best education achieve
their goal. Schooling in The Gambia is a poor area that needs developing. The Kajabang boys were older than me, they were 16, 17 18 even
19 but in school grade eight maximum, which is what a 13 year old is
Omar, a friend of mine in the Kajabang eight, was talking about how he wanted to be a doctor in England but I could only hope things work out for him. He was 17 years old and he was only in grade eight.
There is only a slim chance that he can get into medical school and pass before he is too old. I do hope
he fulfils his ambition to become a doctor. All of the boys in the Kajabang 8 wanted to leave because
there weren’t any decent job opportunities available. They wanted to make a lot of money abroad and
then return home. Pamood, another friend I made, has a father in Spain. He managed to save sufficient
funds to fly to Spain but he has been there for six years and they haven’t heard from him. He was
supposed to return after three years and Pamood thinks this is just a delay. It is common for Gambians
to venture to Europe for a job and find that they cannot afford to return back home.
This youth brain-drain is hitting the Gambia hard
with a missing generation as they have travelled
to Europe. That means that The Gambia has to
suffer, as without youths there will be no adults in
the future and there will be a gap in the employment for Gambia. If this brain-drain issue is not
sorted out by providing opportunities with development, Gambia can only pray that their
economy can survive.
‘The most interesting person I met on this trip was
our guide Alaja. He knew everyone; was so interesting; had so many stories and experiences to share.
He was so sincere and warm and passionate about
his country. He really made the trip special for us.’
‘
Page 20
Food in Gambia
Wonjo Juice
We’re all back from The Gambia now, and contrary to our expectations, we’ve managed to put on weight during our trip! This is mostly
due to the attentions of our hosts at the Gunjur Project Lodge, who
plied us with a wonderful selection of amazing food. Even Becky, the
fussy eater of the group, was completely won over by the freshlyprepared local cuisine. We had several different chefs catering for us
at Gunjur Lodge. I interviewed the only male chef, Mahmadou, to try
and get an insight into the workings of a Gambian kitchen. Here is a
selection of his favourite recipes (there are no quantities specified as
much is down to personal preference. I’m assured they’re pretty
foolproof, so have fun experimenting!)
Remember that in Gambia, it’s customary to serve all the food in one
large dish and eat it with your hands. While this might not be to
everyone’s taste, it’s definitely worth a go for the authentic cultural
experience!
This is a delightfully sweet juice we tried, with a vivid purple colour. Serve warm in the cold British winter!
Dried hibiscus flowers are available online or in specialist health/foreign food shops.
Put fresh or dried hibiscus flowers to a pan of cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer this until it
becomes thick syrup, and strain it through a sieve. Add cold water (or hot, if preferred) and sugar to taste.
Baobab Juice
This is a lovely thick juice, which we were served in a local compound as a celebration drink. The berries
grow high on baobab trees, and when the wind blows them down children collect them and sell them in
the market for some pocket money.
Boil the baobab berries until they’ve absorbed a reasonable amount of water. Remove the stones and
mash the white flesh. Strain the juice and add water. Add millet powder and sugar to the juice. If desired,
mashed banana, pineapple or coconut could be added to the juice.
Chicken Chou
Tomato is a key ingredient in Gambian cuisine, and
this recipe is no exception. It’s an incredibly versatile
dish, as it’s very simple so it’s easy to exchange ingredients to cater for individual palettes.
Ingredients: meat or fish, carrots, potatoes, onions,
garlic, tomato purée.
Fry garlic and vegetables, and add lots of tomato
purée. Add raw chicken and simmer until the
chicken is cooked. If using fish instead of chicken, fry
the fish first and add to the tomato sauce very late, or
the fish won’t hold its shape. Serve with rice.
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Ghicken Yassa
Our chef confessed that Yassa was his favourite meal! As you’ll see, it’s a really easy dish, but absolutely
delicious and very impressive – perfect for dinner parties! In fact, we chose it for our farewell meal on our last
night. Again, the chicken can be exchanged for beef or fish, but remember not to add the fish too early as it
will disintegrate.
Ingredients: chicken, chopped onion, chopped peppers, herbs, lemon, chicken stock.
Fry the chicken with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add all other ingredients and simmer until the juice has
reduced. Serve with rice.
Domoda
A type of tomato and peanut soup. Tomatoes and peanuts are widely produced in The Gambia, so this is a
very popular dish. Great as a starter or a meal in its own right!
1kg beef (stewing beef ) or a chicken
4 med Onions (quartered)
Garlic (half a bulb)
Tin of plum tomatoes
Good squeeze of tomato puree (couple of table spoons)
Squirt of lemon juice (two good tablespoons)
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
½ jar of smooth peanut butter (mug size) (try to get one without sugar and organic is best)
Scotch bonnet chilli if you can get it and if you like hot pepper, any chilli will do if you can’t and it is lovely
without.
Maggi or Jumbo cube (stock cube)
Water
Cooking Method
Cube the beef and fry in a little oil until browned on all sides. Remove from oil. Adjust oil amount as you need
just enough to stop the onion/tomato mixture from sticking.
In a blender added the onions, tomatoes, tomato puree, garlic, black pepper, stock cube , chilli (if you like it
hot) and whizz up.
When the oil is hot add the mixture from the blender and cook until it has darkened just a bit...usually 5-10
minutes. Now add the meat, two or three tomato cans of water and put the lid on to boil for half an hour to
an hour, it depends on how tough the meat is.
When the meat is almost tender then scoop out half/three quarters of a jar of peanut butter (add whole chilli
here if you like it not so hot) and add to the boiling meat and cook until it starts to thicken, so have the lid
on the pan but allow steam to escape so that the sauce reduces. When it has started to thicken then add the
lemon juice and salt.
Once the sauce is ready oil will start to appear on the surface. This can happen quickly or take some
time...don’t be in a hurry this is African cooking. Adjust salt and eat with basmati rice...
.
‘When I lived in the UK we sometimes added halved button mushrooms just 30 minutes before serving. In
The Gambia some families add chopped potato 20 minutes before the end of cooking and some add
carrots...but in the villages it tends to be served alone or with bitter tomatoes.
This stew tastes better on day 2 and keeps well in the fridge. It also freezes really well so for those of you from
small families this amount will do a few meals. Enjoy.....’
Page 22
Reflections
‘I now understand that more than aid is needed to benefit someone
else. They need education and guidance in how to help them
improve their livelihoods and develop their country.
I learnt that aid is important but offering the training for citizens to
contribute to and run the development in their own country is a lot
more sustainable and probably more successful in the long run.’
‘I often confuse development and aid. Before this trip I thought you
could just give people things to solve the problems in their lives. I
now realise how wrong this was. I now believe that EDUCATION is
the most important instrument for social change. Give a man a fish
and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for life.
How true that is.’
‘It had never occurred to me
before but if you build a school or clinic it doesn’t mean they are going to
be used. You need to have nurses, doctors, teachers trained before the
buildings can be used and they need to be sited in the right place. It begs
the question whether all charities are doing the right thing to help
people. It is up to the people themselves to say what they need not be told
by others who think they know what they need.’
‘This visit has shown me that Concern Universal doesn’t just help people
by throwing money at projects, but instead they offer education and
support to help people run their own development projects and progress
using their own work, courage and motivation. This means at the end of
the day it is their achievement, what they want and a sustainable form of
development begins.’
‘I feel increasingly sad as the trip nears its end but I also feel as a group we have not wasted one moment
and we have all learnt so much. This has been a once in a lifetime trip!’
Acknowledgements
We would like to express our thanks to the Citizenship Foundation G-Nation team and Concern
Universal for giving us the opportunity to go on such a life changing experience.
We would like to thank the team at Gunjur Project Lodge and the Kajabang 8 for your help, support
and kindness.
Thank you to the staff at the many projects we visited who made us so very welcome and looked after
us so well.
We really appreciate the work that all of you do and it has been a real privilege to work with you.
You have given us all a greater understanding of issues in the Gambia.
A big thank you from all at Queen Elizabeth II High School
Photographs by Sulafa Silim and Lesley Sleight
Page 23