Happy memories!

Must be twelve years since I was first welcomed by the people in this compound. They've remained very good friends ever since. It was washing day - there's a lot of ironing to be done with that hot charcoal filled iron! Still, I was offered a very good meal - fish benechin if I remember rightly - and a bed was found for me in a neighbouring compound. I posted a picture of me a few days ago - taken last year, of me asleep under this same tree. Happy days. Can't wait to return.
Ten minutes walk in one direction takes you to the market place, the nursery school and the village clinic. Ten minutes in the opposite direction takes you along a sandy path through the 'gardens' (allotments or smallholdings) down to the river.

Working together.

GOES is, as I may have mentioned before, a very small charity. It therefore makes good sense to join with other charities or individuals from time to time to achieve a good result. We received the email below, which we publish with the senders permission, to illustrate a happy outcome in such a case. It also shows how determined the young people of The Gambia are to succeed for the benefit of their families and their country. We wish Xxxx every success in the future.

 Hi Tom,
Yes, he worked very hard and yes, I provided some encouragement and financial support to him. But...... you and Joyce stepped in when I couldn't and provided him with the funding for medical care he needed. You get both of our thanks and appreciation for that.
Happy for you to put something in your blog without my or his name and  that thanks to support from GOES, M was returned to good health following a severe bout of malaria and was able to gain the strength to go forward again in his life to successfully complete his studies and his exams funded and cared for by his British sponsor.
Something along those lines anyway. but yes Tom, credit where credit is due in order!!.

Hi Tom and Joyce,

Just a short good news message from Xxxxx.

They had their graduation day at Arabic school yesterday (similar to our last day of final term). He had a good time of celebration with his friends.

All pupils were called back into school today to check the lists of pupils who had failed their exams. (You will probably be familiar with this process from Mandinari). 

Xxxxx has emailed me to say that he has not failed! He doesn't know his final pass mark yet but at least has passed all his subjects.

He has tried really hard. Even to the point of not eating and losing weight in order to get his days and evenings full of study time.

I thought that you would like to know.

Next stages will depend on his results. Hopefully he will be able to secure a placement at college or university course in Banjul. If he does, I will make sure I help him every step of the way. 

Warmest good wishes. Thank you so much for your caring, loving support of him. You HAVE made a difference!! If you hadn't paid for his malaria treatment and the mosquito net, things may have been very different.

Our local agent.

Ebou and Tom. Ebou has recently agreed to be our local agent. This will save us a lot of leg work - and worry. We are very pleased to welcome him to our team.

All hands to the bantabar!

The headmaster lends a hand - it looks just like lego but it's a bit heavier!