Introductions!
- Jordan Atherton - taking his graduate studies in environmental engineering at Western, and hoping to do his research in international development. Jordan spent seven years in Saudi Arabia, and is intensely interested in World Politics.
- Adam Crookes - finished his third year at Western for civil and international development. Adam has a huge interest in engineering works, and has been engineering things with his dad since he was little. This is Adam's first trip off of the North American continent (and largely out of Canada)!
- Justin Philippi - also finished his third year at Western for civil and international development. Justin spent five weeks in Tanzania last summer, and has a huge enthusiasm for volunteering and working overseas in developing nations.
- Megan Moore - finished her third year at Western for civil and structural engineering. Megan has done volunteering in Mexico, and New Orleans for community projects. She has also travelled quite a bit, and has a vested interest in international development.
(See the links to their Blogs on the right-hand side of the page)
20 May - Arrival..... Patience is a Virtue!
After a 9+ hour flight delay, we arrived in Banjul, The Gambia at 12:30am on the 20th May! The airport which is usually closed at this time (as it is off-season for tourists) stayed open for our flight to arrive. The flight was my perfect introduction to the summer travels!
At Heathrow Airport we boarded the flight, and waited for more than two hours as they checked a technical fault. We were then told to wait in the departure lounge for a couple hours, which turned into about 7. None-the-less we boarded the plan again, only to be told that they needed to now re-fuel. Another hour delay and we were on our way! Finally landing at Banjul Airport (where the run way lights were not turned on until halfway through our landing) we ended up with the plane parked at the wrong spot on the tarmac! Welcome back to Africa! :)
Alpha Jallow (our orientation guide and WACD-TC leader) met us at the airport, and took us to the YMCA in Serrekunda where we would begin our stay in The Gambia. The YMCA offers rooms with beds, ceiling fans, t.v.s, a full bathroom, a desk and a closet. Breakfast in the downstairs canteen consists of a large egg, noodle, ketchp, lettuce and tomato (if you are lucky) sandwich which is not for those with a weak stomach (as some found out)! The YMCA was an interesting stay to say the least, and really introduces one to what typical guest houses in the rural areas are like (although Serrekunda is not rural).
Our first day there we explored a small portion of the closest major street, Kairaba Avenue, and visit the shops that were around. Most Western luxuries are readily available (tampax, ), and of course, everywhere has Coca-cola... in glass bottles!
21 - 23 May - Culture of Peace and Tolerance
The next three days comprised of our culture, language and area training by Alpha Jallow, Demba. We had our classes on the beach at a local restuarant and bar called Leybato. I do not believe I am misguided in thinking that this location (or amount of catering to for that matter) would not be a typical for locals taking any kind of classes!
The Gambia has many languages, but the official language is English. Other largely spoken languages unclude Wollof, Mandinka, Fulah, and a fewothers. Megan and Justin took lessons in Mandinka. Mandinka is typically dominant in rural areas. Megan and Justin will be working in rural communities this summer. Adam, Jordan and I took Wollof lessons, as this is the language of commerce in urban areas. We are working with the Department of State for Agriculture (DOSA for short), also known as the Ministry as Agriculture (the names seem to change quite often). DOSA works on projects all over the country, so visits to rural areas will also happen for Adam, Jordan and I.
On the Saturday (23rd) Alpha and Demba took us to Banjul, the Banjul Market (and the introduction of the smell of fish...really stinky fish!), Bakau, the sacred cocrodile pit, Bakau fishing pier and lastly the Serrekunda market.
Banjul is very small (as is The Gambia - only 10,000 km^2)! July 22nd, 1994 is the date of the military coup in The Gambia in which Yahya Jammeh assumed Presidency of the The Gambia.
Yahya Jammeh (head of the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction Party ) is still currently the President of The Gambia, which does hold elections five years. Opposition parties are allowed but the country is largely a one party dominant state. The major opposition party is the United Democratic Party.
At the entrance to Banjul, the President constructed Arch 22, which overlooks the city. Only the president and his envoy is allowed to drive under the arch. All other traffic must take the roads around the arch.
At the markets you can get...pretty must anything! From fake designer jeans, bags, watches, shoes to fish, local fruits and vegetables (including local peanut butter), to tourist carvings, jelewry, paintings, textiles, dresses (which can be tailor made by the tens of tailors working right in the market), and the list continues. The art of bartering for a good price is certainly something acquired over time (with knowledge of the local economy and values of goods). We got hasseled by everyone!!! People say many things, "I'll give you Gambian price, not tourist price", "Just take a look, looking is free", "You make me sad if you will not come look at my store"...
In Bakau you can see the large disparity that exists. There are tourist hotels and resorts on the beach, and only a few streets a away are pretty much slums, with seemingly inadequate waste drainage systems. During the British Colonial rule of The Gambia, there was a massive flood. After the rains had subsided, the water had no where to drain so sat and festered disease. The people demanded that the British rulers do something, and concrete lined and covered ditches were constructed for drains. These concrete ditches are still the only drainage system in place although the covers are largely broken now. The water does not move well in these drains and all the waste collects in the drains, and it smells terrible! Not to mention health effects.
There are three Sacred Crocodile pits in The Gambia. One is in Bakua. The pit is concrete lined, and not fenced in. The crocodiles can come and go as they please. They are fed at the pit by the workers, and as a result, the workers tell me that they are 'friendly' crocodiles! I was still not tempted to pose for a picture touching the crocs back!
0 comments:
Post a Comment