After a week and a half here, based in the main VSO office in Fajara near Banjul, I now feel far less nervous than I did before leaving the UK.
Much of this is down to the Gambian community as a whole, the VSO staff here and the group of volunteers who came out with me on 1st September.
I'm sure the nerves may return in a fortnight when those of us who are to be working "up country" undertake the long road journey to our rural homes to begin our work in earnest. In the meantime we continue with our training here. Our first week was in the delightful Safari Garden Hotel, but we have now moved into houses, either as individuals or a group for more autonomous living: shopping, cooking, cleaning and attempting to hold conversations with our Gambian neighbours who are amazingly welcoming and friendly.
VSO's training has been well planned; establishing cultural awareness links, language lessons in Mandinka or Wollof as well as time to socialize as a new team.
We laugh often and learn much, despite (or perhaps even because of) our wide ranging backgrounds, skills and ages. We certainly have much to look forward to in the year to come.
As they say in Mandinka "Tanante", no problem.
