''Extended Family'' by Alex, Long Term Volunteer in Gambia

Alex at the National Disaster Management Agency Head Office.

''So four weeks later much has happened, new family, new name, and new life. 
Having spent a week at the head office (NDMA) where not much was happening due to the abundance of volunteers and staff I offered my services for field work.  This was met with praise and I was immediately given a rotor where I would go from regional office to regional office spending 4 days at each, ensuring that I could still participate in my mandinka lessons.

My first region was KMC (Kanifing Municipal Council), although this covers a small area it looks after many people and is often badly affected by the flash floods.  The team here is much smaller than at the head office as is the office but I like it, there is still air conditioning and internet access although the power situation is more temperamental.  Although the surrounding area is lovely and quaint; the journey from Westfield to the office is eventful, constantly getting bombarded by taxi drivers wanting to take me to Banjul “I give you very good price”, “Well in that case then sure I will go, oh wait no I won’t”; they really need to work on their selling technique.  The easiest reply is simply I am going to KMC and they leave you alone, some don’t even say goodbye.  The field work is interesting I refrain from using the word fun because many people’s lives and possessions have been ruined.  I saw homes which were lucky to be standing and could collapse any moment on their occupants who are living outside of them, and many homes had simply collapsed or showed the remains of stagnant water which had been left standing waiting to be evaporated as there is nowhere for the water to go.  Other problems include the mass dumping of waste within 10 meters of people’s homes, and within the sewage system meaning that pollution is a major problem both in blocking water ways entering the river, and the thick toxic smells which lie there rotting in the local’s mouths.  As part of the field visits I got to communicate with the local people and get there point of view and ideas about what is happening and what should be done to prevent further damage.  This was very insightful, as many of the ideas were actually useful and could potentially help, although to implement the ideas would take some careful thinking so as not to waste precious time and money.  Overall the people seemed happy with what help they were receiving and the life style was vastly different to what I experience living in Senegambia, it looked smelt and painted  the perfect picture of a stereotypical idea of African village life.  This experience allowed me to write my own report on the situation based on what impact last years help has had on this years floods and what further help is required; I added some of my own personal ideas which may or may not be taken on board due to costs, although some of them I believe are very cost effective and would be hugely beneficial if they were to be implemented.



Alex coaching the football team.

My second regional experience was at Banjul the sleepy capital city, summed up by the fact that on my first day nothing happened; I simply sat in the office (a small apartment on the 2nd floor of a block of flats) and met the solitary other staff member who was chilled and we just relaxed.  The excitement started when Sisawo called me to say that he had set me up with a football team “Soul Samba FC” and I was to meet them later on that day, I also found out that 3 other volunteers who I had met once briefly at a meeting for the Ghana experience who had unfortunately been forced to move due to “safety” although it sounded like their hosting organization was a sham and maybe the main cause for why they came over.  Either way myself and Leah were delighted to get some company and add to our experience, “new friends”. 

Extract of Alex's Blog. Alex is a Long Term EVS volunteer in The Gambia.

Alex with other volunteers at his name ceremony (cf. his blog)

Project part of CREATIVE INCLUSION

and supported by EACEA

and the Youth in Action Programme

of the European Commission.

For more info about Creative Inclusion, visit the special webpage, clicking here.

For more information about Alex, visit his blog: http://gambiaevs.blogspot.com/