School Pictures

On a recent visit to Minteh Kunda Lower Basic School I decided to take a few pictures.

Men and their machines

Recently I went to one of the villages where Nfamara has been working. The village is called Kerr Kartim and is very close to the Senegalese border. SWAMI (the company which Nfamara works for) have been contracted to do the digging in preparation for a water pipe. Currently the villagers have to get all their water from wells but in the next few days they should have a water supply and some taps ('pumpo' in Mandinka).

The village is inhabited by a Wolof community and is very traditional and picturesque (that's if you look past the industrial machinery currently working there!) The people in Kerr Kartim seem really nice and friendly and lots of children came out to look at me! One of the villagers made me a cup of tea!

I took a few pictures of Nfamara at work and even had a little go myself! I think I filled more of the hole in than digging it out though!

That's Nfamara sat in the machine to the front of the picture

The pipe going into the hole

A nice straight line

Nfamara in action

A wonderful Tobaski

This year I spent Tobaski (Eid al-Adha) with the Sonko family. Nfamara came home for a few days and also my friend Lucy (VSO from Soma) came to stay. So Lucy, Suky (the new VSO in Kerewan) and I all celebrated this special feast at Sonko Kunda.

Though this was my second Tobaski in The Gambia it was the first time in my life that I’ve actually purchased live-stock!! As a gift to the Sonko family I brought them a ram. I tried not to get too attached in the hour or so the ram and I spent together but Lucy and I secretly named him!!

We all had a wonderful day and to make it extra special Nfamara and I wore 'ashobi' (which means we had matching material for our clothes).

If you want to know more about Tobaski in The Gambia check out the link below:

http://www.accessgambia.com/information/tobaski-feast-festival.html

My (our) ram. Purchased at a 'lumo' (big weekly market) and being transported to the 'garage' ready for the trip back to Kerewan

My (our) ram

The slaughter of a Sonko ram (not mine!!)

Dead Sonko ram

My (our) ram about to be slaughtered

Good-bye!

The slaughtered rams.

Lamin (Nfamara's eldest brother) and Sulyman Sonko (Nfamara's dad)

Alhagie (another of Nfamara's brothers) preparing meat

Nfamara cutting the meat (Sulyman, Nfamra's cousin helping)

Sulyman Sonko and Lamin

Nfamara's 'sparton' pose!

Nfamara being silly with the ram skin!

Meat for pre-luch munching

Me and some of the women at Sonko Kunda

Eee-be, Fatoumata, Aimee, Fatoumata and Surdase

Lucy with Fatoumta and Aimee

Nfamara and I in our 'ashobi'

Me and baby Asmao

Nfamara making 'lait'

Lucy and Suky in Nfamara's house at Sonko Kunda

Have you seen one like this before?

I saw this strange 'bug' in my back yard the other day. At first I thought it was a leaf but then I realised it had legs!!!

After close inspection I could see that one of its wings was damaged (that's probably why it was stranded in my back yard).

Size guide!

Kaddy Jatou Susso's baby - Assmao

I want to thank all those who expressed their sympathies regarding Kaddy Jatou Susso's death. It has been a difficult time for everybody but slowly emotions are settling and life is carrying on.

Many people have asked after Kaddy's baby (Assmao) so I wanted to reassure everybody that Assmao seems happy and healthy. She is still living at Sonko Kunda and stays with her grandmother (her father's mother).

Mimuna, the wife of another of Nfamara's brothers, feeds Assmao and also helps care for her. Mimuna is the mother of Ee-be (the little boy brewing attayah in the 'brewing at an early age' post) and she also has a baby girl called Isatou (who is about 8 months old now).

Assmao (sleeping beauty)

Assmao (awake)

Mimuna and baby Isatou

Baby baby-sitting!

When I returned from work today, little Kaddy was playing with her baby sister Sarjo (almost 5 months old now!) and also with Mama (from Ceesay Kunda). They all looked really cute so I couldn't resist taking a picture!!

Kaddy (sat down), Sarjo (sat between Kaddy's legs) and Mama.

Happy Mama! (Mama is a similiar age to my niece Hannah. Watching Mama change so much in the 14 months that I've been here always makes me think about Hannah).

Nfamara at Farafenni

Just over two weeks ago a construction company in Farafenni contacted Nfamara because they needed an 'operator' (Nafamara's trade is in operating excavation machinery however work is very limited and in the year that I have been here, he's only been employed for a few days at a time - when not 'employed' he works on his families’ farm and takes any other odd job, such as unloading delivery lorries etc, whenever he gets the chance)

Well the company in Farafenni have required Nfamara's services longer than initially expected and now he has re-located to Farafenni until the work finishes. Great for Nfamara - not so great for me!!!

Last weekend I decided to go and visit him and we had a wonderful time. On Saturday evening one of his friends (Omar) came over and took Nfamara and I to a fishing village called Ballingo. When we arrived the fishermen were bringing in their catch and I couldn't believe the size of some of the fish!!

Big fish!

Nfamara and Omar

Another big fish!

Nfamara at the farm!

The Sonko's have some farm land just outside Kerewan and every year they grow ground-nuts (peanuts) and cous. This year they are even growing water melon! (They also grow rice but in a different location because rice fields are swampy areas).

The men tend to the 'farm' and the women work at the rice fields and the 'gardens' (where they grow vegetables).

Whenever I get the chance, I go to Sonko Kunda just after 2pm (prayer time) and pick up the 'food bowl' (prepared by some of the women on the compound) and take it out to the men at the farm. Then the Sonko men (and anyone else working at the farm) and myself, all sit together (in a super little shelter built by one of Nfamara's brothers) and eat.

I took these pictures of Nfamara at the farm a while ago but I've only just got round to posting them!! Very soon the ground-nuts and cous will be ready for harvesting.

Nfamara stood in front of the 'shelter'

Ground-nuts!!

The bike that brings the lunch!!

Ground-nuts to the left of the picture, cous to the right!

Brewing from an early age!

Lots of people here love 'attayah' (the green tea) and everywhere you go you will see people (usually men) sitting under a mango tree with their friends, drinking attayah. (Some women do drink it but they rarely sit and brew it, they'll often let then men brew and then take a glass or two at the compound whilst getting on with their daily chores).

Men of all ages seem to like attayah and once you get talking to people about it you will discover that individuals have their favourite brands of green tea and their particular way of brewing it.

Well last week I was at Sonko Kunda (Nfamara's compound) and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw little Ee-be (Ebrima) tendering to the hot coals and brewing attayah!! Ee-be is about 4 and though his tea is not to the taste of the adults at Sonko Kunda, his lukewarm, extra sugary version seems to go down a treat with the other children on the compound!