Apologies and explanation, especially for our Gambian friends: GOES paused activity because of the sudden serious illness and death of a close family member. We're slowly returning to normal and hope to be able to back to our usual quick service.
Thank you for your patience, and for the expressions of sympathy and goodwill,
Joyce & Tom
Thursday, 17 December 2015
Monday, 7 December 2015
The power of Tweet!
I've been running a series of adverts for the Malinding eBooks on twitter. In each edition one of the minor characters - Jodie - gives her opinion of her fellow characters and bits of advice for travellers to the Gambia. Seems to be working quite well ... fingers crossed. Who knows what she'll get up to next time!
Sunday, 29 November 2015
Plodding on ...
Trying to get back to normality. Starting an ad campaign on Twitter for the Malinding Village eBooks which help to finance GOES. One of the fairly minor characters, Jodie, who features in the opening paragraphs of the first book, Empty Bananas, has volunteered for this task and has selected a photograph of her as a child and is using that to introduce her comments on the stories (and incidentally her own life story). She was too modest to submit a mini-autobiography in Happy Nest, the Malinding village archive - perhaps when it's time for the second edition she'll be brave enough and know that she's made friends with the readers!
Friday, 27 November 2015
Personal sad news
Apologies for neglecting the blog. My sister-in-law, J's kid sister, had died. She was diagnosed, on the day after her birthday, with cancer. She survived a four hour operation, and a second one two weeks later. We we convinced she would pull through but it was not to be. She died a week ago with her family around her bed.
We are devastated.
The day before she died we attended the funeral of the son of a friend of ours. He was 25. His father had died a couple of months before. We thought we couldn't feel worse. We were wrong.
So, sadly the blog has been neglected. The business of the charity carried on, somehow.
Thanks to all who expressed their sympathy. I'll write more when I feel that I can.
Tom
We are devastated.
The day before she died we attended the funeral of the son of a friend of ours. He was 25. His father had died a couple of months before. We thought we couldn't feel worse. We were wrong.
So, sadly the blog has been neglected. The business of the charity carried on, somehow.
Thanks to all who expressed their sympathy. I'll write more when I feel that I can.
Tom
Saturday, 14 November 2015
Happy Nest
Well, that's the title of the latest eBook in the Malinding Village series: it's also the shortest! It's 13k words long and is a series of short messages, stories and poems written by some of the villagers of, and visitors to, Malinding. Selling steadily here in the UK. All income from the sale of these books goes directly into the account of GOES, and from there, without any deduction, to help people in need in The Gambia.
Try it free |
Click to open expanded view
 |
* Unlike print books, digital books are subject to VAT.
| |||||
| |||||
Free Kindle Reading App Anybody can read Kindle books—even without a Kindle device—with the FREE Kindle app for smartphones, tablets and computers.
| |||||
Tuesday, 10 November 2015
Back to beginnings in Gambia.
Another day dawned, already hot. It was time to revisit the very first village we saw on our very first visit to The Gambia. We had joined a tour - Crocodile pool, Craft market, Village school and Clinic. The crocodiles had been very sleepy (probably a good thing, a very good thing!), the craft market spectacular with beautiful tie-dyed materials and hand carved wooden models of every African creature but it was the clinic, busy with patients young and old together with the little school room full of enthusiastic youngsters anxious to shake our hands, practise their English and sing for us that grabbed our hearts. We'd been back many times over the years: children and teachers had come and gone but two at least had remained and become our very good friends.
Ams was on time and we set off. The smoke from the huge rubbish dump that always seemed to be on fire drifted across the road to the SOS Children's Village where orphaned or abandoned children were given a home and a good education. GOES occasionally contributed to the funding but we were happy in the knowledge that the place was well run so we did not interfere. On through Serekunda, a huge sprawling town with an equally large market. If you couldn't buy an item in that market it probably didn't exist.
Half an hour later we arrived. We parked in the shade of a large Baobab tree near the school gates and wandered into the school's compound. We were surprised to find that there had been a complete change of staff - teachers, gardeners, cleaners were all strangers. We were greeted by the new head of the school and shown round as if it was our first visit. We made a donation to the school fund and left, wondering what had happened.
As we walked round the village a number of people with children at the school greeted us and asked if we had ever thought of taking on the management of the school.
We have realised that there are ways we can help and that there are situations we cannot resolve. We cannot take on the task of running another school. The problems in this case appeared to have arisen due to a dispute between the European sponsor and the village education committee, though even that was not clear. We hope that by our next visit the difficulties will have been resolved.
Ams was on time and we set off. The smoke from the huge rubbish dump that always seemed to be on fire drifted across the road to the SOS Children's Village where orphaned or abandoned children were given a home and a good education. GOES occasionally contributed to the funding but we were happy in the knowledge that the place was well run so we did not interfere. On through Serekunda, a huge sprawling town with an equally large market. If you couldn't buy an item in that market it probably didn't exist.
Half an hour later we arrived. We parked in the shade of a large Baobab tree near the school gates and wandered into the school's compound. We were surprised to find that there had been a complete change of staff - teachers, gardeners, cleaners were all strangers. We were greeted by the new head of the school and shown round as if it was our first visit. We made a donation to the school fund and left, wondering what had happened.
As we walked round the village a number of people with children at the school greeted us and asked if we had ever thought of taking on the management of the school.
We have realised that there are ways we can help and that there are situations we cannot resolve. We cannot take on the task of running another school. The problems in this case appeared to have arisen due to a dispute between the European sponsor and the village education committee, though even that was not clear. We hope that by our next visit the difficulties will have been resolved.
Sunday, 8 November 2015
A day off in The Gambia - or not!
We decide that we are due a rest day - we haven't stopped dashing around since we arrived. The heat is very tiring so we decide to be sensible. We stay in bed longer than normal, have showers, dress and amble down to the terrace dining room. So far this trip we've not been hit by Banjul Belly - you don't want to know the details, you really don't! Usually one or both of us is struck down so J has developed a 'paranoia kit' - disinfectant, rubber gloves, wipes and disposable cloths with which to clean toilet areas we use before we use them! It seems to be working, fingers crossed. If it fails we have Imodium and re-hydration drinks ready. We stay out of the sun as much as we can and drink lots of bottled water. As I say, it's working, so far!
We chat with people as we queue up for breakfast. It seems that every European wed meet here is contributing to humanitarian aid in some way, either as an individual or as a member of a small charity. Somebody is helping Gambian ex-servicemen with medical expenses, someone is supporting a group of nurses trying to eradicate the practice of FGM, a woman has given away nearly all her clothes an is worrying about how she will manage when she lands back in Gatwick in the middle of winter wearing only flip-flops, shorts and a skimpy T-shirt.
As we finish breakfast one of the gate-keepers arrives with news that we have visitors - would I like to come to the hotel entrance and sign them in? This isn't going to be a rest day - tomorrow, may be.
By the time I reach the gate there are three people waiting for me. First, a student nurse we support, complete with her certificate and exam results. She wants to thank J especially for her support and encouragement. I sign her in and she goes off to find my wife.
Next, a messenger from a village school: money has been stolen from the school fund: the thief has been caught but the money cannot be found so the teachers will have no wages. I make a 'phone call to check the story, which is confirmed. I agree to visit the school tomorrow and give the messenger a little cash for his return journey.
Next in line is the lady from the bureau-de-change and her young sister, the one who wants to be a doctor. The youngster has had a long spell of good health and wants to show me her school certificates. Not a single day absent from class, top marks in every subject and a glowing testimonial from her teachers. I sign them both in and we set off to find J and celebrate by the pool. So, it's mainly a good news day (apart from the robbery, but we can deal with that tomorrow). Who wanted a day off any way?
We chat with people as we queue up for breakfast. It seems that every European wed meet here is contributing to humanitarian aid in some way, either as an individual or as a member of a small charity. Somebody is helping Gambian ex-servicemen with medical expenses, someone is supporting a group of nurses trying to eradicate the practice of FGM, a woman has given away nearly all her clothes an is worrying about how she will manage when she lands back in Gatwick in the middle of winter wearing only flip-flops, shorts and a skimpy T-shirt.
As we finish breakfast one of the gate-keepers arrives with news that we have visitors - would I like to come to the hotel entrance and sign them in? This isn't going to be a rest day - tomorrow, may be.
By the time I reach the gate there are three people waiting for me. First, a student nurse we support, complete with her certificate and exam results. She wants to thank J especially for her support and encouragement. I sign her in and she goes off to find my wife.
Next, a messenger from a village school: money has been stolen from the school fund: the thief has been caught but the money cannot be found so the teachers will have no wages. I make a 'phone call to check the story, which is confirmed. I agree to visit the school tomorrow and give the messenger a little cash for his return journey.
Next in line is the lady from the bureau-de-change and her young sister, the one who wants to be a doctor. The youngster has had a long spell of good health and wants to show me her school certificates. Not a single day absent from class, top marks in every subject and a glowing testimonial from her teachers. I sign them both in and we set off to find J and celebrate by the pool. So, it's mainly a good news day (apart from the robbery, but we can deal with that tomorrow). Who wanted a day off any way?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)