Shelby Tarutis, GambiaHELP's founder and director, travels each year for a 2 months to The Gambia.  Here are her notes from the 2012 trip.

Page 1 of Shelby's Trip 

2012 GambiaHELP Office, Sukuta San Cheba

The GambiaHELP office/living room in San Cheba is spacious and stays cool even during the heat of the day.  There is electricity with little interruption.  It has a stark interior but is very functional.  During my stay the weather became very hot - upwards to 103 degrees F and so was forced to place my foam mattress on the living room floor to stay cool. No AC here!

My neighbor’s daughter, Haddy Njang

Above: Haddy Nyang as she tries to get my attention through the dining room window as I work on the computer at the table.  She is 11 years old and attends the local Koranic school.  Together we dust and mop the office on a daily basis to keep the electronics and house clean.  She is a joy to have as a neighbor.

February, 2012 GambiaHELP Container Arrives! 

Now the off-loading begins, as boxes, bicycles, tables and chairs are moved to the container on site at GPPC (Gambia Publishing and Printing Corporation) Annex.

Essa Camara, GambiaHELP Coordinator supervises as laborers off-load the container.  This is not an easy task since the temperature outside is near 92F and inside the container gets above 100F!  Inside the container, a creosote treated floor prevents termites from invading and destroying the stored book boxes.

March 1, 2012 waiting…

It is close to 1pm and I am waiting for a ride to take me to GPPC in Kanifing. Today I am helping to identify and unload items that are for the village of Essau.  Lamin Darboe, a GambiaHELP Volunteer who is here from Seattle, is ready to take them to the North Bank.  He has been staying with his friend in Bakau, an urban village, for the past few days. He is eager to get back to Essau where he is putting up a fence around his property. To get to Essau from Bakau requires a ferry ride from Banjul and then travel by bush taxi 45 minutes to the village of Essau.  The items for Essau include bicycles and women’s group materials – fabric and sewing notions.

Oops! I have 30% remaining battery power yet eager to jot down as much as I can from the past few days before I forget. Off to charge…

The computer battery has been charged up to 61%.  Power continues to be challenging.  The internet connection is slow and by the time I do connect I’ve lost 5% of my battery life.   My computer also seems to be over-heating.

Essa called and is on his way – 2 hours later.  It is now 3pm and lunch is here.  Lamin Darboe is still waiting at GPPC (Gambia Publishing and Printing Corporation) to pick up the items.  I called to say where we are and to reassure him that we will get to him this afternoon.  The delays in Gambia are consistent, persistent and inherent whenever making plans. I am still not used to it and try my best to make use of time so there is “no waiting” time wasted.

March 2, 2012 - Friday night Tina, Sam and I left the Kombo (Capital area) for Dankunku (DKK).

This is our Trekking vehicle
 

It was around 3pm when we left for up-country.  It was nightfall by the time we arrived in Soma, about 1 ½ hours from Dankunku. We stopped for a drink (bottled water and Coca-Cola) and to stretch our legs and then off again. 

Tailing us was a one ton truck loaded with goods from the container destined for the schools at Sambang, Dankunku, Bansang, Kudang and Janjangbureh villages.

Stopping several times to let cattle and donkeys pass – it was quite a journey. There is a 30 mile stretch of the two lane road where the paving has not started and where grading has just been completed.  It was like riding on a roller coaster going over the bumps while navigating pot holes, swerving several times to miss road blockages. All along the South Bank road there are military, police and field personnel checking to see who we are, where we are going and what we have in the back of the truck.  No problems.

We arrived at night in Dankunku. We were met by the school Headmaster Mr. Badjie and Fatou Fatty, one of the main leaders of the women’s group there.  She provided us with jerry cans of water, buckets, bedding and pillows.  I had sent funds before leaving the USA in order to have the Outpost cleaned and maintained.  It looked good – dusted, beams repaired, and a fresh coat of paint. 

After exchanging greetings and getting oriented, we quickly got down to setting up our beds because we were totally exhausted and dust blown! It was hot. Hotter than in the Kombo area and so I opted to place a mattress on the porch and sleep outside -thankfully, I quickly fell asleep and soooo tired I felt no mosquitoes!  Only a few wild dogs punctuated the silence with howls and dog chatter
.

Most of us woke up at around 8:30am. For breakfast Essa showed us his grill cook expertise by frying canned beef and eggs.  Bread was found in the village (from yesterday) and with it we made egg/meat sandwiches.  The meal was delicious along with VIA coffee from Starbucks. Thank you Tina and Sam for bringing!

Picture is of Essa Camara cooking at the GambiaHELP Outpost 

Right after our breakfast, elders and school children started to come by the house to warmly welcome us.

Tina and Sam were presented with shirts cut from the same cloth as a gift from Fatou Fatty and the DKK women’s group.  Shortly thereafter, the Headmaster came to collect several boxes of books and games we had for DKK Basic Cycle School.  We had an informal Handing-Over Ceremony in front of the Primary School.   

 
Tina Minor and Sam Naughler presenting books to the DKK Headmaster

Included in the donation box was a 9ft black balloon that fills using solar energy, spinning tops and games.  Thank you Ann Fasano from Seattle!

Also present with the Headmaster, Elders, women and children, were drummers and two Concorans – a mythical beast made up of red bark as a head and green leaves for a body that delights and scares young children.  Oftentimes, Concorans are present during welcoming ceremonies, festivals and circumcision rites of passage.

The children, followed by the adults, came together with us over to the school yard.  Chairs were set up under the main tree and a circle was quickly formed – dancing by the women and Kanyeleng Kaafo accompanied by excellent drumming. As Tina and Sam sat and enjoyed the gathering, Essa and I went into the Headmaster’s office to pay the school fees in front of the school committee – funds are always exchanged in front of others to ensure transparency at all times. Receipts for our records were obtained.

After the school fees were paid, we entered into the truck for a quick trip to Sambang, Katamina, Janjangbureh and Bansang.  Kemo, who drives the truck containing the hospital and school resources headed down the road first.

Outside and inside of the Sofanyama Primary School Library are pictured here.

At Katamina, we toured Sofanyama Primary and saw the library that GH built 5 years ago. 

It is in desperate need of repair.  The roof has been leaking, a bookshelf is broken and the main central table is in need of new cement and paint.  I’ve asked the Headmaster if he could take this on and he stated he was more than happy to. 

We will obtain an estimate of repair costs and get the library back into shape.  Although the room is in rough shape, it is still used to hold classes.  The cement blackboard is cracked and in need of replacement. (An Update 3/18/2012: Essa reports that the Headmaster has delivered a proposal for the library to the GPPC office on Friday)

This picture was taken from the truck – Gambian landscape

Leaving Sofanyama Primary School in the village of Katamina, we then head to the village of Sambang which is very close by.  The landscape is dry and filled with low lying bushes.

At Sambang we met with the Principal Kumba Kumay Camara and her Deputy. 

Picture here are the Principal and Deputy of Sambang Upper Basic School

Our goal was to present some books, tour the library and meet Mai, a young girl who has a donor in the United States.  We may be paying the school a second visit because we have more books, a globe and soccer balls for them.  Mai’s education has been funded by a family whose daughter used to be a Peace Corps Volunteer in Sambang in 2005/6.   Mai, Grade 8. 

Leaving Sambang, we head to Janjangbureh and on to Armitage Senior Secondary School – the only government boarding school in The Gambia. Here we met the Deputy Head and tour the library and computer center.

Here we are (Essa Camara, Country Coordinator and Shelby Tarutis, Executive Director) unloading and recording boxes for Armitage Senior Secondary School

Armitage Senior Secondary School Library

Notice the metal/treated wood shelving for books.  These are ideal in this environment to prevent termites from devastating book collections.

Armitage Senior Secondary Computer Lab

This computer lab was started 11 years ago by GambiaHELP and Garfield High School students from Seattle, Washington.  It has since been relocated into another building and at present is assigned a Peace Corps Volunteer named Joanna Le Hay.  We anticipate a request for resources from the IT staff.

There is major construction going on at the campus.  They are building a large two story building that has a mosque on the ground floor.  The Deputy indicates that classes will be held upstairs.

In Janjangbureh, we eat lunch at the Baobolong Lodge – a half chicken with fried onions and French fries.  Coca Cola for everyone!  The lodge is currently undergoing major renovations and it was very quiet while we were there.

Leaving the island we head to Bansang to make deliveries at the hospital.  At the hospital we meet the CEO Mr. Jammeh and distribute the x-ray viewing box, an ob/gyn examination table, examining stool, wheelchair, microscope, resource books and materials.

At Bansang Hospital, GambiaHELP and hospital personnel taking pictures to record GambiaHELP donations

As per procedure, we obtain a receipt – this time from Bansang Hospital’s Security officer, for anything we bring to the facility.  Mr. Jammeh, the CEO invited us for lunch and soda in his main conference room after all the work had been completed.  It was a very kind gesture and typical of Gambian hospitality.   People in the United States could learn a lot from the way Gambians treat visitors – often they are more giving and generous with their time and hospitality.

After completing our trip to Bansang we headed back to Dankunku to pick up our things and deliver the items that the hospital had been keeping for Dankunku.   During our last trip there, we had a truck breakdown and many items for Dankunku were stored in the warehouse at Bansang for later delivery. We picked up 4 bicycles and 27 boxes of books from them.

Before we leave, Fatou Fatty gives Essa a chicken to carry home and a woman from the community gives us a bowl of local coose coose.  Heading home and leaving late – about 5pm. We start onto the road at dusk and know that in 5 hours time we will be back at our office/residence – the 2-bedroom rental in Sukuta San Cheba at Junction Ba.

Overall the trip was a success. Tina and Sam were able to see what the differences were between the Combo (urban) area and the up-country (rural) area of The Gambia.  There are significant differences, not only visually, but culturally as well.

March 5, 2012 

Tina and Sam left for the USA on March 3 taking a 10:30pm flight.- see Tina's Diary

The blogs are now mine to write.  Today I read and wrote a lot. I am currently reading a book by Doris Lessing titled, African Laughter – Four Visits to Zimbabwe.  It is well written and I enjoy the contrasts she makes between her visits to an ever changing country. 

Reading The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born by Ayi Kwei Armah

One of my routines while in The Gambia is to go to a bookstore called Timbooktoo.  At the store I select a few books about Africa, some by African authors to immerse myself whenever there is down time.   

Another book which I am completing is by Kwame Nkrumah.  It is his autobiography, latest copyright 2002.  It is a fascinating book and clearly discusses the struggles that led to the formation of the independent country of Ghana from British rule.

The Roberts Family

Tonight around 6:30pm Essa and I went to visit Elizabeth Roberts, a young 17-year old girl who is seeking funding for her education.  She came here as a refugee from Liberia with her mother 12 years ago. She is in the 8^th grade and UNHCR funding for her education has stopped since the Liberian war is now over. 

I am meeting her because she initiated contact with a woman in the USA via Facebook. The woman contacted GambiaHELP for assistance.  I offered to meet the girl and her family in order to verify that the life story and family situation were consistent with what the girl has written on Facebook.  During our visit, we saw her living conditions, met her landlady and family – one sister, one young brother and her mother Sonny.  Our initial visit went very well and we continue our follow-up with a meeting scheduled with the UNHCR Refugee Officer that has worked with them in Gambia.

Started by Angella Konot, a Bainbridge Island resident in the USA – there’s a www.Causes.com  listing for “Educating Elizabeth”.  This "causes" site is to help raise funds for this family struggling to maintain themselves without a livelihood, income or any financial support.  The funding for the childrens' education was stopped after the first term and there are three terms to an academic year in The Gambia.  Currently the 4-member family is living in one room without electricity or running water.  The bed, which rests directly on the floor is not a full size and sleeps all four.  The landlady has provided them with free rent and feeding in exchange for domestic chores and for looking after the compound.  I strongly encourage anyone who has compassion for this family to support our efforts by contributing to the causes.com site: http://www.causes.com/causes/650584-educating-elizabeth

Our meeting with the Refugee contact confirmed everything we had heard at our meeting with the family.  His recommendation was to support the continuation of the children’s education, look into better housing conditions and after a period of stability look into the skill/trades development for Sonny, the mother. Sonny has indicated that she has worked in a restaurant setting and would like to pursue a small fast food enterprise in order to make money for the family.

The inherent challenge with development work is to design the program so that dependency is not created while autonomy and independence is rewarded.

Little by little we can make positive impacts in the lives of others.

Elizabeth Roberts at Deeper Life Senior Secondary School

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On Saturday, APRIL 28^th I will be attending a Benefit Concert which will be held to raise funds for Elizabeth Roberts and her family.  If you can, I encourage you to come and lend this family a hand.  The challenges this family has to face are difficult and numerous. Thank you to Angella Konot and her family and friends for taking the step forward to improve the living standards of very deserving Liberian Refugee family.