For a few short weeks, I was a Gambian Peace Corps
Trainee named Safi Camara
So I was to leave
behind all hope of returning to Lesotho and the St. Camillus Centre and begin a
new life as Peace Corps Volunteer, Health sector, in The Gambia! Before leaving my interim 6-week home in the hotels of Washington
D.C. I prepared myself with a few facts & figures about my new country.
Like Lesotho, The Gambia is tiny, poor, and has a population of just under 2
million. Like Lesotho, The Gambia has one predominate religion though it is
over 90% Muslim instead of 90%
Christian. Like Lesotho, The Gambia is virtually surrounded by one nation,
Senegal (just a small coastal boarder prevents it from being an enclave). Like
Lesotho, The Gambia was once a British protectorate and gained independence in
the mid-1960's. Like Lesotho, The Gambian population are subsistence farmers
whose families face many hardships such as malnutrition & lack of
employment. Unlike Lesotho, The Gambia has many tribes, many languages; is flat,
tropical, and has abundant water resources from the Atlantic Ocean & The
Gambia River. Unlike Lesotho where the HIV prevalence is 24%, The Gambia's HIV
rate is 2-3% but the population suffers significantly from malaria.
Once again I packed
my now meager possessions and boarded the long flight to Banjul, the capital of
The Gambia. I was met by the wonderfully kind Country Director, Jennifer Goette
who greeted me with the traditional Peace Corps Gambian welcome gift, a very large, hand held woven
fan… ok, that's the sign it is going to be HOT, very HOT & HUMID! After a short drive I arrived at the PC
Transit House in Serekunda just outside the capital. The house is a comfortable
4-bedroom, 24-26 beds/bunks, home with large kitchen and comfortable living
room; where I would live while I completed an accelerated 2-week PC training
(typically training is 10 weeks). During
my stay there was a steady flow of PCVs in/out as they gathered to attend
classes, workshops, and/or meet family & friends in transit for visits. The
Gambia PCVs were all impressive: friendly, consistently expressing very
positive attitudes about the country, their sites & host families, and all
involved in challenging but worthwhile & fulfilling projects at their sites
such as preventing & treating malaria, teaching primary & secondary students,
improving sanitation & health, introducing improvements to agricultural
& food security.
Every day, weekends included, I walked along sandy streets to the PC headquarters for training: a few hours each day meeting program managers to learn the PC methodologies for health, sanitation, and agriculture; and a few hours reserved for language & culture. I was really impressed with all the staff - the program managers were knowledgeable, caring, & seemed to be leading effective programs.
I felt so comfortable with my LCF (language & culture facilitator), Bakary Camara, a wonderful man who did his best to teach me enough Mandinka language & culture to safely survive my first few weeks in the country (42% of the population speaks Mandinka & it would be the predominate language at my new site). Lunch & dinner time I was on my own, occasionally meeting up with other PCVs or venturing off on my own.
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| The Gambia River |
Pre-Service Training
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| Peace Corps Offices, The Gambia |
Every day, weekends included, I walked along sandy streets to the PC headquarters for training: a few hours each day meeting program managers to learn the PC methodologies for health, sanitation, and agriculture; and a few hours reserved for language & culture. I was really impressed with all the staff - the program managers were knowledgeable, caring, & seemed to be leading effective programs.
I felt so comfortable with my LCF (language & culture facilitator), Bakary Camara, a wonderful man who did his best to teach me enough Mandinka language & culture to safely survive my first few weeks in the country (42% of the population speaks Mandinka & it would be the predominate language at my new site). Lunch & dinner time I was on my own, occasionally meeting up with other PCVs or venturing off on my own.
The transition to
this new country was challenging as I am not really comfortable in such hot,
humid climate; I missed the 4-seasons, wide open spaces & grand vistas of
Lesotho; and most challenging, I missed my colleagues & amazing job at St.
Camillus. However, I vowed I would
overcome the dramatic changes and I vowed I would put my best face forward
every day and work hard to transition into my new role & new country. I did
my best - but secretly I was struggling.
Unbelievable turn of events
Only a week after
arriving I received a shocking email from Home Affairs, Republic of South
Africa… my waiver request to regain visa privileges was approved! Technically
this meant I was no longer barred from entry & I could travel freely into
& out of Lesotho! All those months
of sending weekly emails to Home Affairs, pleading my case, had finally
resulted in re-instatement but… here I was, in The Gambia, having been
transferred to a new position after so much involvement & effort by PC
Lesotho, National PC Africa Region, & PC The Gambia. I felt intense joy to
receive the waiver - something good finally came of my exile, but I also felt I
had made a decision to accept the transfer & I must accept my new
assignment in my new country regardless of how much I wished I could return to
Lesotho. I kept the news of the waiver approval to myself.
Towards the end of
the second week of training, Bakary accompanied me on my site visit. I would be living & working in a small
village outside Brikama, not too far from The Gambia River and only a couple
hours from PC Headquarters in Serekunda. My worksite was a 230-bed hospital
where I would facilitate grant writing among other duties. I met the
administrators & toured the facility. The management team & staff were
very kind & enthusiastic about my assignment. I admit I was overwhelmed to
see the poverty in this district hospital but impressed to see how well the
staff cared for the patients. The
hospital had only about 35 patients in surgical, maternity, & pediatric
(malnourished kids) wards but I was told that malaria season (just a month or
two away) would bring massive numbers & the hospital would be soon be
overflowing. The visit was intimidating but I knew I would find a way to settle
in - I could always spend some time with the mothers & new babies &
certainly always find a little one to help feed.
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| Street Market |
My counter-part accompanied me & Bakary to my new home; once again "posh" by PC standards. I stayed in the night in my new place; a small unit in a 3-plex with living room, bedroom, kitchen & bath (electricity, shower & flush toilet!). Thank goodness there was a floor fan that I had to keep on all night just to survive the heat. I was determined to make it work … I had visions of installing a sink and making friends with the creepy crawlers & geckos that hid in every nook & cranny.
Taking a chance
But still - thoughts
of missed opportunities in Lesotho lingered & I kept recalling the
wonderful faces of my loving little pals back at St. Camillus. To others I
really tried to appear happy & adjusting but actually I was still in a
miserable funk. Shortly after I received the waiver approval, I made the huge
mistake of showing some of the PCVs at the Transit House my photos of Lesotho
& St. Camillus. Everyone was so impressed by the natural beauty of the
country… & I just sunk further into a quiet depression that, for the most
part, I was successful in keeping from the PCVs & PC staff. However… one day I was sitting outside
waiting for lunch at a small café and I struck up a conversation with a British
ex-pat about my age, Pam. She sensed something was wrong & asked to join
me… & well I could not seem to stop my story from just flowing out. Pam was such a delight & an especially
compassionate person. She has her own
mission in The Gambia - she rescues street dogs; feeding them & getting
them back to health & sometimes even adopted. She befriended me &
introduced me to her best friend, another British ex-pat. Over the next couple
days I visited with them & felt genuine friendship. They encouraged me to ask for a transfer back
to Lesotho - why not?
During this second
week I was emailing Lesotho PC back & forth about my personal belongings
left at my Mohale's Hoek home. PCV pals Tracy & Eloise had gone to pack up
my things for me and it turns out my belongings were significantly over the 100
pound baggage weight limit that PC was authorized to send. After several
communications with Lesotho PC it struck home… why not? Since my belongings are
still in Lesotho, since I have been re-instated in RSA, since I have not yet
been sworn into The Gambia PC, since I have not yet moved to my new site… why
not at least ask if there is any chance I could go back to Lesotho? I spent
several days thinking it over & decided … why not? There were only a few
days left before I was to be sworn in & then moved to my new site but I
took the chance & wrote to the Lesotho Country Desk Officer in Washington
DC. I learned I would have to have
approval from all three: National PC Africa Region Director, Lesotho PC Country
Director, & The Gambia PC Country Director.
So - I wrote to Lesotho & DC Directors & spoke with The Gambia
Director; I presented a business case my return that focused on the benefit my
return would have for Sr. Juliana & the St. Camillus Centre. Then… I waited restlessly for the few days
needed for a decision to be reached. I never expected my request to be approved
- it seemed too much to ask.
On the day I was
scheduled to be sworn in, I met with The Gambia Country Director. She had news…
it was up to me… I could return to Lesotho! I was stunned but ecstatic, I said
YES, please, I want to return! I called
Sister Juliana immediately & she was so happy - we were both in a state of
happy shock! But now I had to face all the wonderful people who had taken their
time to train me. I felt so awkward… but each & every one of the staff was
so supportive & told me they understood & that I had made the best
decision. Their generous acceptance of my shift in plans was such a huge
relief!! It took just under a week of
preparation but PC made all the arrangements & I was booked for multiple
flights & nights in hotels to make the long journey back to Lesotho. I was on my way back!
Memories of The Gambia
My impressions were
that Gambians are very friendly & helpful, open & kind. Like in
Lesotho, greetings are very important as they show respect & bind
communities together. The Gambian greetings tend to go on a bit longer -
expressing friendship, concern for family, & wishing peace of course. There
seemed to be a lot of laughing & joking when people get together; teasing
each other is a way to relieve tension & maintain peace. The Gambian people are very handsome &
somewhat tall & trim. The women wear
gorgeous colorful fabrics whose dresses are cut just off the shoulder &
whose large head wraps are elegantly tied at an angle. The men often wear long
tunics with baggy pants to keep them cool & traditional embroidered skull
caps. Fabric stalls seem to be just
about everywhere and tailors equally abundant. "Tie & Dye",
batik, and exotic prints are the norm & quickly made into whatever article
of clothing one desires. It is very
popular for friends & family to wear matching prints, "asobe" to
special functions such as weddings or conferences - the asobe reinforces the
bonds that families & groups make.
Though the terrain
is very flat - the roads on the western side of The Gambia River are lined with
palms & cashew trees. Walking is common, but unlike Lesotho, the taxi vans, "gelly gelly" are quiet
(no blaring music from surround-sound) & honking is limited. The small
coast line is simple with off white sand, lots of shells, & plenty of
colorful sea worthy fishing dhows. The
villages are made up of family compounds closely clustered under large shade
trees & the evenings are lively as families & friends gather to visit
once the temperatures cool. As in most Muslim communities, I always enjoyed
hearing the singing of the call to prayers from the neighborhood mosques.
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| Colors, Crafts, Music |
The food is delicious - a common stew is "domada", a mix of veggies & meat simmered in a peanut based sauce; rice is the staple. Families eat together, dipping their hands into a common food bowl (males & females eat from separate bowls). It is customary to offer anyone passing by whether at a village home, in the market, or wherever food is being served, a dip into the food bowl; it is considered polite & respectful to accept such an offer. Alcohol is rare due to the Muslim faith but a wonderfully strong sweetened green tea, "attaya", is brewed everywhere (on the street, at businesses, etc.) & shared among friends & strangers.
Before leaving, I had the chance to spend the night in a lovely river-side lodge.
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| Cruise along the river & mangroves |
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