Family

Recently I took some photos of my family at Sonko Kunda. It's almost impossible to find a time when everyone will be at the compound so this is not an exclusive collection of family members as quite a few are missing!

The lady in the middle with the white top on is Sainabou, Nfamara's eldest sister. The lady sat on her right (with a blue vest top on) is her eldest daughter Mariama and the baby on Mariama's lap is her child Mo Lamin - So here you have three generations! If Nfamara's mother was in the picture that would be four generations!

The lady in the picture is Mimuna (the wife of Saikou, one of Nfamara's brothers) and her two children Ebrima and baby Isatou. Mimuna also cares for baby Assmao (whose mother passed away)

Nfamara's father has two wives (the second wife is called Nkey) so Nfamara has two brothers and a sister from a different mother. The lady on the left of the picture is Fatoumata (she is married to Ebrima, Nkey's son) and on her lap is Assmao (Sheriffo's baby, Sheriffo is also Nkey's son). The lady in green is Binta, she is Nkey's daughter and Nfamara's sister.

The lady at the back of this picture in pink is Nfamara's mother, Sutay. She is surrounded by children, grandchildren and even great grandchildren. In this picture there are four generations!

Two sisters, Fatoumata and Aimee (Fatoumata is Nfamara's sister Sainabou's daughter). Aimee is Sainabou's husbands child to his first wife who is also called Fatoumata.

Fatoumata (Nfamara's younger sister)

Lots of Sonkos. Back row from left to right, Sutay (Nfamara's mother) holding Mo Lamin (her great grandchild), Sulyman (Nfamara's dad), Bakary and Ebrima (two of Nfamara's brothers), Nfamara, me, Saikou and Ba Lamin (two of Nfamara's brothers). On the front row there are the two Fatoumata's on the left of the picture (the fisrt Fatoumata is Nfamara's niece and the second is his siter. Then there is Aimee (with the purple cardigan on) who is Nkey's niece and if you look really carefully you can see Sudaise and Ebrima (Nfamara's nephews)

Me and the in-laws! Nfamara's father Sulyman and mother Sutay

Sulyman with his two wives, Sutay (Nfamara's mother on the left of the picture in pink) and Nkey (in blue). Sulyman has 9 children with Sutay (7 boys and 2 girls) and 3 children with Nkey (2 boys and 1 girl). I now have two mother-in-laws!!!

Sutay with her grandaughter Fatoumata (on the left of the picture) and her youngest child also called Fatoumata (on the right of the picture)

Me and some of the children at Sonko Kunda

Compound life at Sonko Kunda

Commonwealth Day 2012

Today some of the children in Kerewan came to the Regional Education office as part of their 'Commonwealth Day celebration'. The children were all dressed up and the girls had put sweets and biscuits in their hair, all carefully braided and sewn in! Most children wear their best clothes but some get dressed up in traditional costumes like those once worn by their ancestors.

The children only came to the office for a few minutes and then went back to school. Normally on Commonwealth Day children spend the whole day at school cooking food, making flags and banners and learning about the Commonwealth.

I wonder how many children in the UK know what the Commonwealth is?

There are a few interesting websites for children about the Commonwealth. One of the best is the ‘Young Commonwealth’ site at www.youngcommonwealth.org

The girls in this picture are wearing traditional dress

The outfits here are from some of the different tribal groups in The Gambia

Lovely Basi (from my compound)

Greetings from Mr and Mrs Sonko!

On the 29th February Nfamara and I tied the knot making us officially Mr and Mrs Sonko!!

It was an interesting day though not as straight forward as one might imagine a civil wedding to be! However once all the appropriate people were given their 'incentives' and all the unkown 'well wishers' paid to bugger off we managed to complete all the necessary paperwork and also enjoyed a lovely evening meal at a super hotel called Ngala Lodge.

Nfamara and I would like to thank everyone who expressed their best wishes and hopefully in the not too distant future I will be able to introduce you all to my wonderful husband!

Mrs and Mr Sonko

Some of my VSO friends and Nfamara's family who attended the signing

Waiting in the hall

Not quite married yet!

Reading the documents

Reading them aloud!

Nfamara signing

Me signing!

It's official - Mr and Mrs!!!

The lovely couple (also getting married on the same day) who lent us their rings?!! (That's a whole story in itself!!)

The wedding car (thanks to Suky who got ribbons to decorate the taxi!!) The driver assured us that the 'F' was the right way round when you sit in the car!!

The 'V' works fine which ever way you look at it!

The happy couple at Ngala Lodge

Catherine, Suky, Me, Lynn and Mary at Ngala Lodge

Daniel, Nathan, Nfamara and Gareth at Ngala Lodge

Suky and Nathan

Mary and Catherine

Daniel, Gareth and Lynn

Me and Nfamara

Nfamara at the end of the night

Me at the end of a lovely day!