ASSIGNMENT - Around Gambia and Senegal

While the main focus of my trip to The Gambia in December 2013 was to work with the Mansa-Collery Bojang school it seemed churlish to turn down the opportunity of a holiday. My wife and spent 3 weeks in The Gambia and Senegal and I took the opportunity to take some pictures of place - and of the people we met.

Gunjar Media (Flickr)

We stayed firstly in Gunjar Medina which is thankfully some way from the rather unpleasant Senegambia hotel strip.My favourite pictures is this one of Mr Buba Badjie who was making wardrobes at our hotel. I like it mostly because of email reply I received from Buba after sharing the picture with him.

Hi Andy, how are you and your family? hope you are all in a good condition of health. I am very happy to hear from you and i have seen the pictures you sent to me and they are good pictures and i will show it to my family and tell them about  your kindness to me.
Now the malaria  is ok . Sent my greetings to Beth, tell her i am very, very happy about you
Thank you for your help and take care
Buba

Mr Buba Badjie

Jalanbang (Flickr)

The Mansa-Colley school is in the village of Jalanbang. We stayed there for a few days - enjoying the hospitality of the village very well. While poor the folk seem industrious and resourceful as this fellows homemade gym equipment shows.

Concrete dumbbells

Casamance, Senegal (Flickr)

Next step was a trip to Southern Senegal where we stayed with a very welcoming English chap and his Senegalese family (see Simon Fenton's home and photography here http://thelittlebaobab.com). Despite the foreign office warnings the place seemed calm and relaxed as were these two delightful kids near the beach in Abene.

Girls in Abene

Brufut (Flickr)

The majority of our time was spent in Brufut, a mid size town of brick compounds that while not touristy is very welcoming. I bought a bag of rice for our young friend Ousman Jarr's family and was welcomed into his home. This is his blind grandfather. Despite having to small talk in French (the man is a Fula from Senegal) I enjoyed his company very much.

Mr Jarr