Many thanks to Amieyo for this cover picture!

 This is the original of the picture which features on the front cover of 'The Mechanical Girl' , set in the imaginary village of Malinding, on the south bank of the River Gambia. The book features the adventures of a highly intelligent village girl, who by virtue of hard work comes to be of great value to her community in spite of many difficulties. Thanks again, Amieyo!

Thank you, Amieyo

'The Mechanical Girl', out on Kindle, now has a new front cover. We're delighted to welcome Amieyo from Bakau to our long list of friends and helpers. I explained to her the character of Fatou, the mechanical girl, and Amieyo came up with exactly the right picture of a bright village girl with an enquiring mind and a determination to help people. As soon as I've found out how to add text to the title page of the book I'll give her credt there, but I hope this will act as a thank you message!

Sorry - we don't supply sheep!

It's that time of year again and the requests for sheep are rolling in. Sorry - we can't help. We can't even afford one sheep, and this year we've had nearly twenty requests! We're Gambian Occasional EMERGENCY support: we help with education and health concerns. If a family we know is in desperate need of support we can sometimes help with a gift of rice. We have recently helped a village by providing a clean water tap for the clinic. We can sometimes help with repairs to a house. That's the sort of thing we do. Please, friends, don't ask for a sheep - we can't do it, especially a very short notice!
Best wishes to all of you - long life, good health and happiness

Who was the 3000th viewer?

We should celebrate - Gambia GOES has just reached a total of 3000 views!
1097 from the USA (I know some of you, welcome and thanks to the others!)
733 from the UK - can't be the family?
194 from the Netherlands - greetings, new friends!
130 from Russia - welcome, please keep watching.
127 from France - hello, neighbours.
118 from Germany - hello, friends and family.
52 from The Gambia - I wish there were more of you. Please keep in touch.
39 from Poland - I think some of you may be Gambians living abroad?
35 of you from Latvia and 31 0f you from Japan - I hope you will travel to West Africa one day - perhaps you have already been there?

This list only adds up to about 2550 so there must be more of you from other places. Please remember, you can add your own comments to the blog. Those of you who have our home 'phone number do remember our house 'phone does not tell us your number if you are 'phoning from outside the UK, only that we have missed your call. Please, if the answer machine plays the message that we are out do wait till after the 'bleep' and leave your name & number, slowly and clearly, then we will be able to call you back.

To all of you, thank you for your interest. We are a micro-charity with very limited resources. We cannot buy you a sheep for Tobaski but we may be able to help with some school fees or medical expenses.
Best wishes,
Tom and Joyce (Amadou & Isatou)

She's done it!

Congratulations to Joyce. She completed a 40k Cycletta charity cycle ride yesterday in 2hours and 41 minutes. (Only 59 minutes slower than Victoria Pendleton!) She has raised at least £100 for GOES and an equal amount for Gladstone's Library (where the 4 Malinding books were written to raise money for GOES.)
Joyce had a slight accident after she finished the ride. She swerved to avoid a car and fell off her bike onto gravel. She bumped her head and grazed her knees but was back on her feet a few minutes later. You can't keep a good fund raiser down!
We're all very proud of her.
Thanks to all the people who have promised donations - we promise we will find Gambian schools and clinics that really need your help.

40k, 40k, 40k onwards!

In two days' time Joyce will mount her trusty steed and pedal off on a Cycletta Charity ride to raise funds for Gladstone's Library and GOES. She's in training, getting lots of rest and practising not getting lost. While she's enjoying herself pottering along leafy Cheshire lanes and chatting to fellow riders, I'll be sitting in the cafe at Tatton Park chewing my fingers with anxiety and eating comfort food (cake, in case you hadn't guessed). Wish us luck! I'll let you know how the day went in a couple of days ...

Odds & Ends

Bit of a mixed week; work progresses on the next book, the fourth in the 'Malinding Village' series. This has the working title of 'The Alkalo' (The Chief) and is the story of Sirra and Ed's life together.
We've finally signed off Jenny's form for her Duke Of Edinburgh's Gold Award - she's managed the setting up of our web site and completed the application forms for GOES charitable status. Fingers crossed (don't need to - she's worked very hard for us, bless her!)
Bob and Lynn have offered us a large suitcase to pack the extra baggage Thomas Cook have allowed us - T.C. have been very kind to us over the years.
Don't know how much longer we can keep GOES going - a few more years, we hope. We just don't seem to be getting any younger; strange, we work hard enough at it!
House is a bit upside down, due to repairs to the kitchen. Thanks to family who have fed us during this time!