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Meanwhile
arrangements are underway for the building of a shed to house the rice
milling machine. At the present time the milling machine handing-over
ceremony has been scheduled for Friday, February 7. A training program
to ensure that the women have the skills to operate and maintain the rice
milling machine will be provided by Inter Agro & Engineering Enterprises
and is funded by GambiaHELP. The training program will last 5 days and
will be held in Banjul. After the initial training, a community development
specialist will provide a 12-month-long program which will include management
of the cash and in-kind payments, maintenance of the machine and lessons
in bookkeeping. Because of the limited cash on hand, many villagers will
choose to pay to have their rice milled with foodstuffs. The foods will
be stored for later withdrawal during the hungry months which traditionally
begin during the rainy season in July and August. In addition to the training,
GambiaHELP has also provided the initial seed funds to purchase gas and
oil for the machine and to provide training. The project will formally
begin when Shelby Tarutis meets with the Molu women's group, next week.
Related to the GambiaHELP Micro Lending Project, it was learned that the President of The Gambia has donated two rice milling machines to two other villages. The funding for both machines was apparently provided by the Social Development Fund, although it does not appear that the machines are part of a lending project.
We will have an update on the project, the dedication of the machine and more in the coming week. Remember to visit us again to learn more about the project and new developments related to the arrival of the container of books.
A
Note from Beverly
Being an American woman in The Gambia has brought a deeper understanding
of “cultural diversity.” These words suggest a different appearance,
dress and food as well as how things are done. However, one needs to go
beyond the obvious for a clearer understanding and to avoid "seeing"
this world through one's own experience and expectations. The "why"
is key. Observation and seeking guidance before taking action are important.
When we give someone a gift we enjoy presenting it and seeing the person's
reaction. So when we arrived there with our gifts for the family members
with whom we were staying and visiting, it was surprising to see them
all laid out and Shelby and her Gambian sister deciding who would receive
each gift. This was a very serious process and when it was completed two
hours later, Suma (Kumuna's older brother and head of the household) looked
at what had been decided and gave his approval. Then Kumuna took the gifts
to each family group within the two compounds and someone within the group
distributed them.
An American eye might see this as very controlling and also miss the opportunity of being personally thanked. A Gambian eye sees this as being sure everyone shares in the gifts and that they are equitably distributed. Everyone knows and appreciates who brought the gifts even though they actually receive them from someone else's hands.
In our culture it
seems we give a gift for what it gives back to us, whereas in the Gambian
culture a gift is given solely for the pleasure it brings the recipient,
whomever that may be. I hope I will remember this lesson of giving freely
without expectations…
– Beverly (known as Bef here because
it is easy to pronounce by Gambians)
A
Note from Joanne
To all those back home
waiting for an update from The Gambia – Greetings! The life style
here is slow-paced and ulcer-free. Peace and harmony are their way of
life. The culture has many differences but also so many that compliment,
and can add to, ours. The friendliest people you will ever meet…
– Joanne
