Some short but memorable stories during the TNT/WFP fieldtrip in The Gambia

Before the departure I promised you all that I would keep you posted via this blog about my experiences in The Gambia. Obviously I failed to do so, there are several reasons why I didn’t blog in The Gambia, the internet connection was from time to time quite dodgy, the day program was fairly busy, but the main reason was the intensity of the trip, not that I’m complaining, but rather working on my blog in the evening I choose to talk to my fellow field trippers or the amazing crew of The Roc Height Lodge, like Jerry, Landing, Marco, Lani or Ballad. These chats helped me to understand The Gambia even better. So without any further adu...

1) We arrived at the Banjul Airport in the afternoon, customs was easy, and we didn’t have to wait too long for our suitcases to arrive at the carrousel. In the arrival hall the 3 WFP drivers, Emmanuelle, Ceedee and Abudoulah who accompanied us all week welcomed us. Being addicted to cigarettes I urged out, a man walked up to me, repeating the question: Sir, Sir are you a doctor? No I said extinguishing my cigarette, do you need help? No replied the man, I just think you look like a doctor, and I like doctors. Lighting a new cigarette I told this man we are here to vistit the WFP. Great organization the man said, they really make a great difference, and little did I knew at that time, the man is right!

2) Tuesday morning I woke up at around '5 in the morning, the anxiousness of a toddler in me pushed me out of my bed. I walked downstairs and after a coffee and a little chat with the receptionist Marco who was about to end his nightshift I decided to walk down the street, hoping to catch a Gambian Sunrise, I passed a man, Salaam Aleikum, Aleikum Salaam and we nodded friendly, the next man I met stopped me for a short conversation, obviously the big white man I am, he could tell I was not a Gambian native, he was curious why I was here in Bakau, The Gambia. I explained the reason of our visit. And what I’m about to describe happened without any exception all the time during our trip. This man his 3 sons received a daily WFP meal at school, he said thank you too many times, shook my hand, and gave me Allah’s blessings. Without exaggerating I believe it’s save to say that Manuela, Jen, Hanny, Janny, Hilde, Ludovick, Tim and Marcel can you similar stories like this. It makes you realize that the WFP is highly respected and they reach the entire Gambian community.

3) The first school we visited was in the area called Old Jeshwang, the Simon Bolivar School, the headmistress was a proud strong African lady like you see many in the Gambia, with a smile but firmly she ruled the school, after a tour and a football match against the Old Jeshwang Boys (The WFP/TNT team stood no change, we lost 4-1) we had to leave. We shook hands & said goodbye. I was about to step in the car and a little girl walked up to me, she pulled my arm and asked me with a sweet voice, could you please take my picture too. I took her picture and showed it to her, she laughed in the shy way little girls do. I asked the little girl what she wanted to be, she replied firmly, Mother and businesswoman. The convinced smile she produced gave me the hope that the new generation of strong African women is already lined up

4) After another intense day, we started in the morning with a meeting with Nuha Ceesay of UN AIDS, like many African countries HIV/AIDS is a huge problem. Not only long distance truck drivers who lack sex education, but also sex tourism make the struggle against HIV/AIDS a hard and long one. It’s hard to imagine for us people in Europe that distribution of condoms, education on how to practice safe sex, the medicine needed are miles away. It’s so good to see a man like Samba Touray of the Northstar alliance is setting up mobile clinics who not only spread the word on how to practice safe sex,but also test both sex workers and long distance truck drivers on the HIV virus.

There is still a lot to win on the HIV/AIDS fight, but every journey starts with one step, I truly hope that we as TNT can continue to walk with the Northstar Alliance.

5) Thursday we visited a rural school, the KLBS School in Kerewan. All the children lined up in a double row singing ‘welcome, welcome, welcome’ it truly was a Royal reception. In the welcome word by the headmaster he said that we (WFP/TNT) are like fathers to the children, because it was of us that the kids received at least one hot meal a day. I’ve been tougher that I am, because even now, a week later writing this down, tears burn in my eyes.

Later we helped the volunteer mothers to hand out the meals, and as a gesture the headmaster asked if we all could planted a tree in the well maintained school garden. Again I took many pictures of the kids, the kids just can’t get enough of seeing themselves back on the small screen, and to be honest I can’t get enough either. On the way back to the the hotel the driver told us we passed the fort where Kunta Kinta was detained before he was kidnapped and later on deported to the United States. The impressiveness keep on going here in The Gambia, there is so much to see and tell, small but worth mentioning stories , from a herd of cows crossing the main road to a mother breastfeeding her newborn with so much love in her eyes, than there is the ferry, cars are being squeezed on, nobody is worried about the paintwork, and than a group of kids is watching me, the first one walks up to me, and asks me where I’m from, when I reply with, 'Amsterdam the Netherlands', and the 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th. 5^th, etc. ask the same question over and over again, every time the kids reacted surprised and happy on my answer, never before I enjoyed answering the same question over and over again like that day.

6) Both men and women of different citizenship work within the WFP,and without any disrespect of the men because they do an amazing job too, I like to honor the women, in random order:

Vitoria Ginja, Country Director for the WFP in The Gambia, originally from Mozambique this lady worked for the WFP all over the globe, she works with a smile, sits down on her knees embraces the children like they are hers, and you can feel when you walk in the WFP office located at the Kofi Anan street that the is well respected for her skills, knowledge and her personality.

Sarah Yehouenou a Gambian Native, and programme assistant for the WFP, mother of a new born, but that doesn’t stop her to put her effort in the other children of The Gambia too, blessed with a soft toned voice she knows what to say and when to say it.

Teresita Mosquera Del Castillo, Head of Programme for the WFP in The Gambia, This woman from Equador, been stationed for WFP before in Jemen and Iraq gives now her passion for the children in this small African country.

Mariam Sey Njai, National Logistics Officer for The WFP, A Gambian native of the Wolof tribe.This proud mother of 3 beautiful children in university, is always polite and modest, she combines it with a bright smile and is a very sharp and quick thinker

Isatou Nasir Cham, National Programme Officer, just another example of an African native women stepping up, taking responsibility and always looking for the sustainable solution.