My move to Kannefing in the Kombos is so that I can take up a position with the School Improvement Unit, a department of the Ministry of Education, located in the annex building only ten minutes walk away from The Pink Palace. I am proud to say that this move was endorsed by the Permanent Secretary for Education himself!
My work here began with a three day training course on School Planning for Head Teachers, Senior Teachers and Chairs of the SMC (equivalent of the schools’ Governing Bodies). This provided a wonderful start as I got to meet many of the people I will be working with. They seem to be a lively, good humoured lot. For example on the first day of training when establishing the ground rules for effective team work, they decided that in the interest of efficiency, repetition was to be avoided. They believed this to be so important that they repeated it four times!
Since moving here, 12 days ago, I have not had a night alone. Suki and Gareth have both stayed one or two nights and Sarah has been here since the first day. But today, Sunday, Sarah set off early to return to Basse.
I have loved having all these young VSOs to stay and will miss them. Hopefully they know that The Pink Palace Hotel will always welcome them.
Having seen Sarah off safely, I took the half hour walk to “Traffic Lights” where Lynn lives. Lynn is a long serving volunteer. She was ready in her car to take a group of us down to the Cabana Hotel on the beach, where we sat around the pool, chatting and reading until lunch time ( I had delicious butterfish with chips) before resuming our pool positions well into the afternoon.
You can see how rapidly my life has changed recently. This has caused me to become a little reflective………
Working in Region 4 at the directorate offices in Mansa Konko for the past three months gave me quite an insight into rural life in a developing country.
“It is not easy” as the Gambians say.
No running water in the tiny corrugated roofed houses, many of which do not have electricity. Shared latrine toilets are the norm. Whilst there, I was lucky enough to have my own latrine and part-time power, as well as the means to buy it. The water tap was also within my compound. Many locals, always the women of the household, have to walk along the sandy roads to their nearest standpipe, carrying large bowls of water back on their heads. They do this journey many times a day to ensure adequate supply for drinking, cooking and washing. Despite the difficulties people take a pride in their appearance. Children going to school and adults off to work wear clean clothes, dried on the bushes and pressed with a charcoal iron. The clothes, including shoes, do not fit well and show evidence of many years wear. The poverty is more evident when people are at home, in their “everyday” ragged wear. For the young children this often means very little at all.
Children have no toys but often play with the bits and pieces they find on the rubbish piles.
Most children walk miles to school, many of which operate a “double shift” system with morning sessions from 8.30 till 1p.m. and afternoon sessions from 2 till 6.30 p.m. Young children are therefore walking to or from school in the full strength of the African sun; those on late shift are still on their way home after dark, as sunset is around 7p.m. As it is beneficial to learn in the morning, classes often alternate shifts fortnightly. This is especially good for the girls, who have numerous chores to do when they are at home. Morning classes mean that education really does come first.
Pupils learn English, Maths, Science and Social Environmental Studies. Other aspects of learning such as Sport, gardening and scouting are available as extracurricular activities. The school gardens, tended by the pupils, are a means of education and also supplement either the school meals directly or school cash flow. Last month I saw a bush fire take hold of a large school garden. When the master saw the flames, he called immediately for help. Not by phone of course but by bellowing for Year 6 to rush out of their classes with buckets of water or long thin branches as fire fighting equipment. After half an hour the crisis was over. School fire drill here is certainly different from Hertfordshire! There is a fire station on the main Soma/Mansa Konko road but presumably a bush fire travels more quickly than the engines!
Gambia has embarked on a huge drive for universal education but many families still need convincing of the value of enrolling their children in a school; following this up with regular, punctual attendance. There is so little money; at a personal and national level that the costs involved are often prohibitive. This effects both the provision and take up of the intended service, especially in the "up country" areas. Rural life is hard here and although I was befriended by so many people who were unbelievably kind and generous there was a certain prevailing tension about the town, indicative of the relentless struggle. Such poverty brings lack of control and absence of choice. Many people have little to do other than the grinding chores of survival.
Why am I writing this now? It is because living in the city provides the distance to see Soma life more clearly.
The structure of education remains the same, but here close to the capital there is greater parental expectation. There are also many more schools and ECDs (nurseries) available. Many families are markedly affluent with all the choice that brings. The more comfortable standard of living of many is apparent on my morning walk to work, still on sand but now alongside a 4 metre wide strip of tarmac. Here the children wear well fitting uniforms and have less far to walk. Some even go to school by car. Life here is better for many of my Gambian neighbours as well as me.
It is strange that when I first came out in September I did not notice all of this. Gambia hasn’t changed in the four months since I arrived but my perspective has.
I came here to help with education and instead it is me that has had the lesson.
I do hope that I can help in SIU. I’ll certainly try, appreciating the unique opportunity I have been given to do a two part placement, both rural and urban.
