DAY 25 – THE PROJECT IS FINISHED

Getting into the spirit of Ramadan we decided to fast today which means no food or drink while the sun's up – perhaps a little irresponsible in such a hot country but figured the Gambian's have to do it for 30days so 1 day shouldn't hurt us. Emily Rice says that under no circumstances is her Mum persuading her to do it for a month!! (which was the plan last year I think)

Anyway, the shelves were fitted, the floor was finished and we sifted through the toys and games and layed them out. It looks amazing. We've worked so hard and blood, sweat and tears have been put into the project. A huge thanks to Lizzie as well because it would not have been finished on time without her help!! Miss you and wish you could have stayed for another 2 weeks!!

Also, a huge, ginormous, gargantuan THANK YOU to friends and family who have made this trip possible for us. The opening is on Monday so there will be loads of pictures but for now, here are some pictures to show you the finished outcome (whilst it is tidy and dust free!):

22,23,24

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday – finishing touches of the project and last minute 'ethnic' characters were drawn and painted as we realised – being silly British people – that we had only drawn white people in a predominantly black country – whoops!!! Doesn't help that Walt Disney was a tad on the racist side and there is only one black princess/fairy which was only created last year!! So now, hopefully that critera is fullfilled!

We were hoping to have the project finished on thursday but sadly the carpenter was very ill and taken to hospital which means we needed to find someone else to fit the shelves. Also, there wasn't quite enough flooring bought (wierdest flooring ever!) and so we laid as much as we could – as neatly as we could - until tomorrow when we'll pick up some more! I think it's safe to say that the floor could definitely be decribed as a 'bodge job'!!

20, 21

Sunday = REST DAY!!

Once again, the traditional sunday trip to the beach was welcomed with open arms! The sea was beautiful and we filled up on chip buttys for lunch!! It started raining towards the end and by the time we got back to the lodge it absolutely chucked it down – so of course, we just had to dance in the rain.

For dinner we had barracuda and chips because tomorrow KC and Mariama will be fasting (and we're considering giving it 'a go' on ONE day!) so it was a special treat.

Monday – back to the project and spent some time outlining characters and touching up. Looking really good now!

In the evening we went to visit Alfa's compound which we've been meaning to do since we got here! And got an early night ready for another hard days work at the project. The aim is to get all the painting finished but thursday/ friday so we can start moving things back in.

15, 16, 17, 18, 19

On tuesday we drove lizzie sadly to the airport after saying goodbyes and stayed with her until the flight left. We spent the evening relazing and planning a schedule for the remaining time at the project.

From wednesday to Saturday we got up early, arriving at the project around 9 and stayed till 3 or 4 most days. The progress looks absolutly amazing if we do say so ourselves :)

The characters now consist of:

• Alice
• Winnie the pooh
• Eyeore
• Hiss
• Cheshire cat
• Jimminy criket
• Snow white
• Merlin
• Thumper
• Ariel
• Flounder

Which we recon is quite an achievement!

Although no pictures of the finished walls will be revealed until the end!!!

The shelves are soon to be fitted and when all the painting is done the floor will be put down which will transform the room!

All very exciting! Has been hard work and longs days with paint fumes getting to us but is DEFINATELY worth it!!

Day Thirteen and Fourteen

Forgot to mention that on Sat evening we went to a program in Kunkajang which was amazing fun!!

Sunday - Beach. Today, no severe burns, which is an improvement! Tide was quite strong so lots of waves to surf/crash into. A lovely end to the week!... Oh, and chip butty's for lunch!!!

Monday- Back to the project and the drawings and paintings were well underway! Winnie The Poo, Eyeore, Jimminy Cricket, Hiss (snake from Jungle book), Alice (in Wonderland) and the Cheshire cat... oh, and the mini self portraits of us (you will soon see!) were drawn and some painted! Definitely challenege's Leonardo's Sistine Chapel!! came back to the lodge at 3ish and some slept, some washed, some read and some mended clothes..... can you guess who did what? (not who you think!)

Very sad tonight because it's Lizzie's last night in The Gambia :'( Mariarma cooked Domada (Lizzie's favourite – and all of ours!) and we spent the rest of the eveining playing drinking games and getting throughly gazebo'd (as Michael Mactintyre would say)! …. hope it doesn't show!

Night night xxx

Day Eleven and Twelve

On Friday went to Bangalingding to continue painting. We managed to get the whole room finished as the teachers had removed the rest of the boxes and toys. Looking really good now! Amazing what a lick of paint can do!

Here is the otherside:

And very excitingly on fridy after we'd been to the school we went to friday prayers (which was extra important because it was a bank holiday) BUT meant that we had to wear traditional muslim attire, which, we looked pretty darn special in.... as you will now see!!!

Not how you're used to us looking like right?! But was a really good experience and totally different to anything we know...! Not sure what was said at the prayers as it was in Mandinka but we may now be muslim...... hmmm.

On saturday we went back to the project so that Lizzie could make the most of her last few days [ :( ]. We drew the tree on the main wall and painted most of it (apart from the shadows) ... got throughly messy in oil paint (which is a Bu**er to work with!!) .... here's a little taster of what it is looking like so far:

Day 8, 9 and 10

Spent the last 3 days working in the deaf school. Even though their exams have finished they still go into school but the teachers are busy writing reports etc so we got to do crafts such as, butterfly painting, leaf painting, snowflake stencils as well as playing group games outside with the children. It was suprisingly easy to communicate with the children by demonstrating but anything we had trouble with the teachers signed for us. Very strange being in such quiet classrooms!!!

The Akalu's wifes adopted daughter, Agi, in february was sponsered by mark short to go to St Johns school for the deaf and although she's still learning to sign and is a little tyke(!!!), seems to be thriving at the school.

Harry and Emily (M) are being taught a Gambian dish tonight (Palm Oil Stew) by Mariama - so we can cook it back in England - definately won't be as nice as hers but we shall see...!

Played a few drinking games last night and chilled out after a tiring day's work!!

 Agi

 Playing Duck, Duck, GOOSE.... but obviously an adapted version - they LOVED it!

 Cheeky bit of Ring Of Fire. Standard.

Any guesses for the Rice's where this is?!

Day Seven - Monday

Went to the project at Banjalingding today. Cleared out the room, found a nest of cockroaches, numerous dead spiders and loads of massive centipedes!! Gross. As 2 rooms have been knocked into one we gave one room a lick of paint, and it looked absolutely transformed! the other side of the room we need to wait for the shelves to come down before we can paint that end. On Friday going to start decorating which we're all really excited about.



Moving tables and boxes

Getting going!!

All done... for today!

Play time.

Well deserved banana and rest after our hard days work!

Tackling the journey home after copious amounts of rain!

...This isn't wonky photography!

Day Four, Five and Six

Friday was a early start but due to the GMT (Gambian Maybe Time) breakfast turned into brunch. When we finally set off to visit the deaf school but encoundered alot of traffic en route. We arranged with the Head teacher when we'd be working there and what we'd be doing as on Friday the children had exams. We had a mini crash course on how to sign in Gambian and have learnt our names, the alphabet, good morning, how are you, yes, no and thank you - not sure how far this will get us though!! Looking forward to working there on Tuesday, wednesday and Thursday but think it will be a challenging experice for us all.

 Busy street market.

Resident lizard.

On Saturday we decided to experience the tourist area, which really WAS an experience! Being their winter, and quiet season, not only were we the ethnic minority but literally the only customers there so you can imagine how much we were targeted! Amongst being escorted from stall to stall we managed to buy some loverly jewellery and traditional african bits, with thanks to Emily's (Rice) master bartering skills!!

In the evening we were invited to what the gambians call a program but we call a party, which was literally in the middle of nowhere which invloved lots of dancing and lots of fun!

Woke up (Sunday) to thunder and lightening like you've never seen or heard before!!! We all sat out wrapped in blankets and watched the down pour creating feet deep puddles everywhere!! So this is the rainy season...

Oh, and the bugs thrive from the rain and are multiplying monster insects! Makes eating a little difficult and bug was definately on the menu that night! (Lizzie cooked lasagne! Yummy!)

'Tunder storm'

Spent the day at the beach, had a chip butty for lunch and enjoyed the cool sea in the mid day heat!



Our local :) ... 20 Dalasi beers - Julbrew (about 40p!!)

Day Three

Emily and Harry here reporting from The Gambia in the early hours of the morning because it's hot, sticky, sweaty and humid... and the heat and malaria tablets are inducing some cranky dreams and hallucinations!!

Today Tibatou school was having a leaving party for the older children which are moving up to the next school. We had the honor of presenting some of the children who had the best attendance and grades with some awards (wrapped presents). Literally experienced a Vicar of Dibley "4 Christmas Dinner" situation as platter after platter was put in front of us all day!!! And when with 'Alfa' (another chiefy type of guy) we had to eat with our hands which was interesting... and I think perhaps a little less messy than with cutlery?

Oh and some exciting news, we've been invited to a massive celebration party in a near by village and will get to meet The Gambian president!! I think this is on the 28th but they said they'd remind us nearer the time! So hopefully can let you know all about it soon!

KC's little girl Ashya. Possibly the smallest and cutest thing in the world!

Alfa is the guy in an Emily sandwich. .... Eating our 5th meal with our hands :) cause we're native.

Day 1 and 2!

ABIN-YAR-DAY (hello in mandinka!)

Arrived safe and soundly at Banjul Airport at about 4pm local time. Was welcomed by an almost unbearable heat and humidity for our English origins!!! Although the travel to the lodge in an open top rangerover (from the Faulkland war) was bliss! Bumpy but bliss. We were welcomed with 'wonjo' (the nectar from a sweet flower and banana essence) and the near by villagers and Akali (the chief) came to say abinyarday! Everyone's absolutely lovely and very friendly! Stayed up until 3 in the morning sat by a fire, under the stars, playing cards (and drinking) with the locals while a couple of the boys were drumming.

Today, went for a tour of some of schools4schools projects which was really interesting, especially for Em and Lizzie who can see what differences have been made! For the majority of the trips we all had a swarm of children around us with a minimum of 3 children attached to our fingers! At around 3 we went to 'paradise beach' and had fish and chips which were A.MAZING. Needless to say, a swim in the sea was inevitable!

Intrepid explorers, at the airport.

On the Rangerover.

'Segi' on the left.

Jabang school.

Chatting to the kids.

Paradise beach!

Dinner with the Akali.

The Gambia.

 So you'll be able to see (just!), that The Gambia is squeezed into the West coast of Africa. In the picture below you can see how The Gambia consists of a river running down the middle and a slither of country either side of it!

 Now I *think* but no doubt will have to be corrected, but the box drawn on the picture below will be the vicinity where we will be staying in - I tried to get a satellite image but Geography skills weren't great and all I could find were vast area's of nothingness.... although, that's probably about right!

The hut is the visitor centre where we will stay throughout the 4 weeks. The bedrooms are twins and pretty basic to Western standards but nicely furnished and clean.



PS. 6 DAYS TO GO!!!!! =D