13 November 2009
Pippa and Ian's October 2009 trip - part 4
Monday 19 October: Today we set off early for a trip to Brikama via New Yundum (where we stopped off to pay some sponsorship to a couple of families). Our main destination was Brikamadina Pipeline Nursery School, where we were to assemble yet more bookshelving in their little store-room and to give out a considerable amount of school uniform donated by Southwater County Junior School. It is always a pleasure to visit this little school and today was no exception - and the children were thrilled with the uniform. Particularly popular were the white polo shirts that carry the Southwater crest in red on the front - these were given to the elder children who take some responsibility in the classroom. While the shelving was being assembled (no Yankuba today as he was in college) the teachers and I discussed what additional materials they would like: a First Aid box and contents were top of the list followed by a handbell to ring for the end of lessons, a seesaw for the playground, a mattress on which tiny children could have a nap, some posters (simple numbers, shapes and colours) and a bucket and drinking cup for the second classroom. We will see what we can do....
Back to the hotel via a couple more families - another busy day....
Tuesday 20 October: Ian was not feeling too good today so he stayed in the hotel while Wandifa, Abdoulie and I did a grand tour of the south of The Gambia - my goodness, it was a long day. We visited Tanji (family visiting), Banyaka (school and sponsored children's families), along the road (see the photo!)
to Jambanjelly (where we gave a pencil-case to a newly sponsored child and saw little Modou Lamin getting around really well on his new crutches), Siffoe (family visiting plus checking on the considerable amount of shelving to be assembled at Siffoe SSS), Brikama (to see a family me missed yesterday) and finally to Farato (to take photos of some children in need of sponsorship) before returning to the hotel! When I got back Ian looked and felt a lot better - and he had a Julbrew ready!!
