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!

Kaddy Jatou Susso

Just over a year ago Kaddy Jatou Susso married Sherrifo Sonko (one of Nfamara's brothers). 14 days ago she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. 7 days ago she celebrated a naming ceremony for her new baby. Yesterday I chatted with her on the compound as she cradled her daughter and last night she passed away. Today she will be buried.

I was informed that at 11pm last night she had chest pains and was taken to the local health centre and that she passed away an hour later. Cause of death unknown.

People here tell me not to cry and that this is God's will (In sa Allah). I can't stop crying, crying for Kaddy Jatou Susso, her baby, her husband, her family and her friends but also I can't stop crying for a people so familiar with death and suffering that they have had to learn to rationalise such sadness, accept it as God's will and quickly move on.

Please keep in your prayers the soul of Kaddy Jatou Susso, her family and her friends.

Kaddy Jatou Susso - A beautiful lady

Kaddy's baby - Assmao (picture taken 7 days ago at the naming ceremony)

Kaddy and Kaddy

Peace and quiet

Living on a big family compound can be great and having lots of children around and people to talk to ensures that life is always interesting. However sometimes it's quite hard to get a bit of peace and quiet.

It's not only me that feels this way, a few times I’ve had adults and children alike seeking refuge in my house telling me to close the door and not tell people where they are just so that they can get half an hour or so of peace!

Well baby Sarjo (who is almost 4 months old now and as beautiful as ever) often finds it difficult to rest in her own house. Her 'loving' sisters just want to play with her, pick her up, carry her around and just generally keep her awake. So, whenever she gets the chance, Isatou (Sarjo's mum) will sneak Sarjo into my house and tell me to close the doors so that her baby can sleep in peace.

And sleep peacefully she does as I sit at the side of her tapping away on my computer! Peace and quiet at last - well that is until her curious sisters come banging on the door!!

Death by chocolate cake?

On a recent trip to the Kombos, I decided to treat myself and splashed out on a black forest gateau from one of the western style supermarkets.

The picture on the box was enough to make your eyes water and both Lucy (friend and fellow volunteer) and I were keen to open the box and sample a piece.

Well the cake did not disappoint, it tasted wonderful - how we didn’t eat the whole thing I just don’t know - BUT.... I'm glad that we didn’t.......

About half an hour after eating the cake I started to feel a strange tingling sensation just above my upper lip. The tingling became more and more intense and I felt certain that I was going to come out with some sort of rash in the shape of a moustache above my upper lip.

At first this sensation was strange but when Lucy started to describe the same tingling sensation just above her upper lip the two of us started to panic!

After about an hour the tingling became more like a burning sensation and though it was confined to the moustache area both of us became more and more concerned that we were having an allergic reaction of some sort to the cake.

But why would we both have exactly the same allergy? And why would it affect us in the same way? There was only one conclusion to be drawn - we had been poisoned and we were both going to 'suffer' death by chocolate cake!!!

As Lucy and I contemplated our fate all I could think about were my poor parents having to tell people that they lost their daughter in Africa. "What happened to her?" people would ask. "Was she savaged by a lion? Crushed by an elephant? Fatally wounded in a tribal conflict?" "Not quite" they would have to say, "she was, well, err, she died of chocolate gateau."

Needless to say we didn't actually die and we both lived to tell the tale. By morning both Lucy and I were no longer experiencing the burning sensation though neither of us have any idea what it could have been that caused us to react that way?

Has it put us off chocolate cake? I'm afraid not however we decided it best not to finish the rest of the cake!

Anyone for a piece of cake?

Breakdown!

I set off on my bike nice and early Sunday morning heading to Farafenni however about 10 minutes into my journey I started having some bike problems!

Over the last year I have become much more confident on my bike and now I really love it. I'm also getting much better at recognising when there is a problem and what it might be. And sometimes I even remember to check the petrol and oil before making long journeys!

However on Sunday morning I was at a loss as to what the problem might be! The petrol and oil were fine, I checked and cleaned the spark plug (the ignition and 'on' switch were on! - something that people always ask me when I breakdown!) But the bike sounded bad and the engine kept cutting out.

Being the skilful rider that I am, I was able to ride the bike very slowly to 'Riders' and then I sat and watched as the mechanics looked for the problem.

They basically stripped the bike (something way beyond my abilities - if I take the spark plug out I have to really concentrate on where it goes back and what was connected to it) and concluded that the last lot of petrol that I put in my tank was dirty (it was from them!) and that the sand/dirt in the tank had damaged almost everything, clogging it up and making it cut out.

So they cleaned everything up. Removed the tank and emptied the petrol (they showed me the sand and there was a lot of it!) and then poured the petrol back into the tank but filtered it through some material.

It took them almost three hours and though I watched carefully I don't think I can even remember how to take the seat off let alone anything else!

Once again I had a camera to hand and took some pictures!!

It would be painful if I tried to ride it like that!

I wanted to help but I was too busy taking pictures!

This is the bottom of the bucket that they emptied the fuel tank into - just look at that sand!

A year in The Gambia!

Today is my one year anniversary in The Gambia. It has been such a wonderful life-changing experience. The year has had its ups and downs but I thank the Lord for the opportunity to be here and the many blessings that have been put before me.

Thanks to all my friends and family who have been sending me packages, cards, gifts and also those following the blog and sharing their interest in my 'adventure'.

Thank you EVERYBODY and thank you Gambia!!!