Pageant News

Ian had a poor night with a lot of coughing, so stayed in bed today. So, the three Gambian musketeers and I have had another day of family visiting and tracking down children who weren't where they were supposed to be!  One young man has changed schools every year during the five years he has been sponsored, although his family has not moved house in that time.....why, one wonders?

We are gradually filling in the pages of children with signatures (the parents sign when they receive their payment) and the file containing the letter pages (for the children to write letters to their sponsors) is weighing a lot less than the 1.5Kg that we brought out on the plane.

We finished a little earlier than usual so that I could check on Ian - also, I had bought a supply of tonic water that has been unobtainable in the hotel for about two weeks and it seemed advisable to bounce it around as little as possible...

The weather has mercifully cooled down a bit during the past two days and today the on-shore breeze was so strong that we had real breakers crashing onto our beach.  It almost looked like Newquay!!

Linda is coming to dinner here this evening - we have been promised a staff show, so I felt we should support it.  I believe Eddie has been training them.... past Atlantic guests will know who I mean.  I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow....

Pippa

We started off today with a highly successful visit to the labs at the main Gambian MRC facility in Fajara.  We phoned early and were able to make a 10am appointment with the laboratory manager.  We took both the schools version of the WaterScope, which was similar to the one we took to show them in November, and the higher magnification version that has sufficient resolution for the MRC malaria and sickle cell work.  The tablet and smartphone from staff of the in-house lab facility had no problem interfacing with the microscope and we have left it for them for a week, to try out in earnest.  Very encouraging...
[more about MRC The Gambia Unit]

We also left a selection of baby clothes with the staff of the MRC post natal ward, who were delighted with them.  They would love more, particularly hats, mittens, little knitted jackets and tiny socks or bootees... all these are of particular benefit to the malnourished babies, who have a very poor thermal regulation system.

Then, on with more visits... most schools are still closed for an extra Independence holiday, so it was a good day for finding families all at home together.

I managed to catch up with one of my earliest sponsored students - he has been able to follow a path of accelerated promotion within the police force, due to the qualifications he worked for during his sponsorship, and is now an acting Inspector.  He should be made up to full Inspector after a couple more months, when he has finished his final 'rotation' through various posts that are giving him expertise in the sort of things he may encounter.  He was full of enthusiasm for what he is doing and I feel sure that he will do well.

Back to the hotel in time for a swim and....you guessed it...happy hour!!!  I'm not sure what we are doing tomorrow but I am sure that Wandifa et al will tell me when they arrive.

Pippa

Breakfast was very colourful as  a large group from Senegal is staying at the hotel, having come for the Independence celebrations.  All the ladies looked beautiful in their best outfits, it was a delight to see them.  The group has taken over some of the villas at the far end of the hotel complex, which works very well - we see them at meals and later in the evening if there is any entertainment, but they do not seem to want to use the pool area and do not use the corridors in the main hotel building where we have our rooms.

Just family visits today, as schools are closed on Gambian Independence Day. Over the last two days, we have seen 36 students - not bad......

We have now seen the chickens in residence at Humanity and there is another building for more under construction (I'll add the photos when I return to UK). Faks is very pleased with how it is all going in general, although he did lose some of the birds during a very hot and windy spell of weather.  He has now learnt how to cope with such conditions, and all the current inmates look very healthy - the older ones are just about to start laying eggs.
More about the Humanity Chicken House Project

We have arranged to take one of the older students, who is just finishing his tailoring apprenticeship, to buy a sewing machine as the final gift from his sponsor - this is planned for next Wednesday, in Banjul.

We have also arranged to buy a bicycle for another student and a special tablet for school for yet another, both on next Tuesday if all goes according to plan.

In the evening we had dinner with some other Pageant members, who are staying at Ocean Bay, and have arranged a trip to the North Bank with them for next Monday.  Very early start for that as we are no longer staying in Banjul, of course..

A hot day in Brikama today!  Ian was suffering from a sleepless night and a bit of a cough, so Wandifa, Abdoulie, Yankuba and I set off just after 9am.

First, back to Pirang school to take to Mr Darboe, the very keen science master there, a light kit of laser plus lenses for the school and also to show him the prototype "WaterScope" that is being developed at the Cavendish at Cambridge. This tiny microscope is made on a 3-D printer and the images are accessed via a Raspberry pi onto smart phone, tablet or pc.  This sort of imaging was just what Mr Darboe had been asking for last year, so to say that he was enthusiastic is an understatement!  He was extremely sad that we could not leave it with him.... next year, maybe...
More about the WaterScope

We then went to Gambia College to leave a kit of materials there for one of the new lecturers to use with the trainee teachers and then a long list of families and schools to pay sponsorship, check on progress, give out letter forms and take photographs.

Back in time for happy hour!!

Pippa

Kathy has returned to the UK, so Pippa now takes up the story:

We spent most of today sorting out all the remaining science kit that is left after the workshops. The home-going part of the team piled all their boxes and bags of kit into our room yesterday, so we had walls of stuff down each side of our little entrance "lobby" at the door to our room.

Our three lovely Gambian guys helped us take it out to the quite large bantaba bar area and we spent a long time spreading it all out over the tables and floor, counting it, making up some kits for a few places and then repacking the rest of it into crates and boxes to store til the next time!  It all took a long time but at least we now know exactly what we have got - and where!!

We had time to visit a couple of schools afterwards and got back to the hotel for a very welcome Julbrew....

A long day of school and family visiting lies ahead tomorrow, so we are just heading off for a fairly early supper.

Cheers, Pippa

Saturday we went to Presentation school for the last workshop. It was cleaning day today, so this meant everyone was supposed to clean their environment and no cars were allowed on the roads between 9 and 1. So the teachers were all on time at 8.30 - which was a first.

The workshops went well and they were happy, so that's success. Now we are all exhausted and eating at the hotel tonight.

Kathy

Arrived at Presentation in the early morning on Saturday

All set up at Presentation school

Teachers waiting to start the workshop at Presentation

Helen and Michal setting up

Feedback time at the end

Friday we had booked to go to St Joseph's girls school for a workshop with the senior girls there. They were waiting for us when we arrived at 8.45 and all had lab coats which was unexpected. They were due to have a practical chemistry lesson so all the tables were covered in bottles of acid ammonia and alkali as well as beakers test tubes and other equipment. This made the setting up and using of the microscopes and the lever experiment for physics quite tight for space and unfortunately at one point someone did knock some glassware onto the floor. However the teacher was very tolerant and the girls had a great time as we did too. 

Friday evening was dinner at Luigis Italian with good pizza if you fancied a break from Gambian food.

Kathy

Thursday was a workshop day in Jambanjelly. Another very early start - up at six and arrived without any breakdown or trouble so a great start. Only issue was Helen was not well, so we had to go without her which was a shame. All workshops went better than the first which is always the case. We get into our stride and everyone knows what they are doing. A very hot day again but you can't get too tired as the teachers are so keen and really bright and pleasant.

Some photos to show the workshops. Michal lost his voice from talking so much Demonstrating the electronics.

The calm before the start of the workshop

Teachers looking down the microscopes in Jambanjelly

Bob showing chemistry. A very popular addition to the workshops

 Michal demonstrating the electronics

A fairly quiet day today but an early start. Off to St Augustine's in Banjul for a science workshop with senior boys in grade 11. We started off OK but got stuck in an M25-like traffic jam on the approach to Denton Bridge. Lots of cars were being pulled over to a large parking area so the traffic was very slow and we were late arriving at the school. Given that the boys were charming and keen to learn asking lots of questions. Yankuba did the lever experiment where they found the weight of different objects by comparing against a known weight using a metre rule and a pivot. Pippa, Wandifa and I looked after the microscopy area, and Bob demonstrated surface tension and the ability to generate electricity using a potato clock. 

Then back to the hotel for a lazy afternoon while Pippa and the others went to visit children. Last night we ate at a Lebanese restaurant up the road, and the food and service were really good.

Kathy

Well, following a day where Bob had gippy tummy, Helen was ill during the night too. However both were recovered enough to come out on a tourist day today. We went to Calypso which was next to Ocean View Hotel. It was a very scenic spot with a small lagoon just behind the beach, which had about 12 crocodiles sunbathing on it. A great place to view them. Nothing to stop them walking on to the beach.

 Calypso near Ocean View Hotel

Calypso - one of the seating areas in Calypso Beach

Then we visited Lamin Lodge which is as lovely as ever with the naughty monkeys that steal your drink given the chance.

On a day off visiting lamin lodge on Monday. This is the access bridge

We hope to visit the MRC at Gambia to show them a novel microscope developed by scientists from Cambridge who feel this could be of use in the field. Maybe tomorrow after the school workshop we are doing on the morning. Weather has been very hot today. Probably about 36.

Sitting in the lobby of the Sands Beach Hotel Resort. It is fairly cool at 7.45 in the morning but the cicadas or black crickets are chirping away still as the sun has only just risen. There are a few mossies around but not as many as at the Atlantic Hotel where we used to stay. Odd that they vary so much in a small distance.

Early morning view standing at the front of the hotel

Tomorrow is a "rest" day so we might go to the North Bank. This is an expedition in itself. If you come to The Gambia it is worth taking a guide to visit the quiet North Bank.

Pippa and Ian at Wandifa's

I hope we can get back at a good time today to get a swim in the pool. It is about 34C here most of the day and seemed hotter yesterday. Very muggy at night. Thank goodness for air conditioning. The rooms here are generous. The bedroom is separated from the large bathroom by a lobby. You think in the bedroom that it is quite a good temperature then walk into the lobby and realise how hot it is everywhere else.

Today we had the first of the workshops at Pirang school. Had breakfast at 6 and ten out of ten to the Hotel Sands Beach since all was laid out and they cooked eggs to order.

Left before 7 and the minibus broke down at Brikama. Luckily Abdoulie knows everyone and we soon had a replacement bus to take us all on. The day went well and the teachers enjoyed it all especially the chemistry which they hadn't had before.

We were late back to the hotel as we had to wait for the bus to be fixed. Abdoulie did a fantastic job getting it sorted so quickly.

 Pirang school. First of the workshops

Helen (and Bob in the background) doing chemistry
 

Setting up the microscopes
 

Wandifa showing a teacher the microscopes
 

Ian showing the pendulum experiment
 

Michal showing the electronics experiment
 

Feedback session at the end of the workshops
 

The Banta in the school where the staff go and where we held the feedback session

(Kathy is having problems with internet access in The Gambian internet. This makes it very difficult to post directly to this blog. So she is emailing news and photos to Dave who is then posting them.)

Spent today sorting through all the kit and teaching us all the physics electronics and chemistry we are going to do with the teachers. Its an early start tomorrow leaving the hotel at 6.45 so breakfast at 6.

Hoping to go and visit some compounds on Sunday. The photo shows some of the team sorting and practising the experiments in the Banta bar here at Sands Beach hotel at Kotu. I took more but they have oddly disappeared. The hotel is very good with lovely staff so we are very comfortable.

(This photo has not yet arrived, but I will post it when it does.)