Literacy group

Whilst some of the team were delivering the sexual health session in Brikama, the rest of the team travelled back to Gunjur and met up with a women's literacy group. We spent time helping them with reading and writing, using some resources we'd taken. It was a real eye opener for our girls to realise that women who are much older than them were still at basic primary school level.

Our group with the women

Brikama pre-nursing college

We spent the day in Brikama, a large town about 1/2 hour from where we stay. The students here all want to go to nursing college but didn't get the grades at school, so they are studying here on an access course to reach the standard required to enter the main college.

We spent the morning training them on first aid skills. We had 5 areas: CPR & recovery position, minor injuries, bandages & slings, oral hygiene, water & health.

Entrance to college, which is a Gambian Girl Guide property

Mia & Jess explain minor injuries

Water & health session

All students were given a first aid kit

Bandages & slings

CPR & recovery position

In the afternoon, we ran a further 2 sessions - firstly we covered common illnesses and how to treat them. Then we ran a session on sexual health including STIs. We kept the ladies and gents separate during this session so that they could have the confidence to speak freely and ask questions.

Exploring Kajabang and women's garden

We went for a walk around the village where we are staying which is called Kajabang. We went to the women's community garden - they have several acres and around 70 women cultivate it. They grow food for their own families as well as having surplus crops to sell to make some money. We helped them to water the crops, pulling water up from the wells which are dotted around the site.

Typical street scene in Kajabang

Walking through Kajabang village

Kajabang children

Typical street scene

Mai, the head lady at the women's garden, shows us their crops. This is a bitter tomato.

Jade & Isobel helping to water the crops

Around the garden

Millie and Hannah collecting water

Mia carries water

The team around the well

Guide camp - other memories

We are grateful to the 12 Guide leaders who organised the camp, as well as the catering team who fed them all!

Guide leaders

Firewood

Breakfast - fish, potatoes and onions - put on a sandwich

Catering equipment

Catering equipment

Catering team

We bought some new uniforms for the Gunjur Guide group who we support on an ongoing basis. These were presented at the end of camp. The leaders presented us all with bracelets to say thank you and we also gave some gifts to their leaders.

Presenting new uniforms

Our Gambian guide Alagi makes a closing speech

The Gunjur Guides in their new uniforms

 

End of camp group photo

Day 3 at Guide camp

For our final morning of sessions with the Guides, we did team building games and paracord bracelets. They loved having something to make and take home with them, although it was hard for some of them to learn how to make the bracelets!

Day 2 at Guide camp - afternoon

This afternoon saw us teaching the Guides how they can set up their own community action projects. We split the group in half so they could cover two separate topics. Group 1 learnt all about water sanitation and hygiene, group 2 learnt about oral hygiene.

It was relatively easy for us to teach the topics, but then when we asked the girls to lead the sessions themselves as if they were out in their communities, it became a lot more challenging. The girls have no experience of standing up in front of other people and explaining things.  We hope that the older girls will be able to take this forward using the resources we've left behind.

Day 2 at Guide camp - morning

On our 2nd day at Guide camp we had all 100 participants with us. In the morning, we did 'science made fun' which was a variety of practical science sessions. We had 5 zones: Human body, senses, physics, bones, chemistry. The girls had 30 minutes in each zone to try all the activities.

Human body zone - learning about blood

Bones zone - our skeleton (Boris!)

Senses zone

Chemistry - exploding film canisters

Chemistry

Bones zone

Human body zone - making inflatable lungs

Physics zone - circuit boards