Two Years in Africa, Still Two Weeks to Go

Before I start, I'm pleased to announce that I have finally stopped being the nurse's pin cushion, having completed my extensive course of vaccinations. That being said, it is Valentine's Day next week, so if any of you are in need of a pin cushion for a gift, I'm open to offers!

Moving on, you may well have been expecting me to be in the Gambia by now. Unfortunately, due to a mix-up over my medical clearance, my departure has been delayed until Sunday 20^th February, when I will be flying via the Casablanca of Bogart and Bergman fame.

There were some positives to be found however. It gave me the opportunity to have my third and final rabies jab; allowed me to meet His Excellency, Mr Bojang, Deputy High Commissioner of the Gambia and, importantly, spend a little more time with family and friends before I leave.

My audience with Mr Bojang was particularly encouraging and marked the first time I had set foot on African soil. Expectedly there were some cultural differences, but I found Mr Bojang to be friendly, articulate and an accommodating ambassador for his country. Mr Bojang has asked me to keep him abreast about my observations on disability policy, the quality of life, and access to services by disabled people, whilst in the Gambia.  I gladly accept this request, in the hope that my reports may reach the Gambian Minister for Health & Social Welfare. Combined with my introduction to a Minister in the Department of Commerce, who has offered to help me settle into the country, I am hoping that there will be other opportunities to be created from these relationships.   

Admittedly, I feel slightly envious of friends who have already departed for their overseas placements, but if any of them are reading this, then I wish you a safe journey and the very best of luck. Go knock ‘em dead!

Remember, it is important work that the VSO does, and one which relies soley on the generous donations of people like you. As part of being a volunteer, VSO has asked each of us to raise £900 as a way of giving something back. I personally like to think we can reach £1,000. So, whilst you read these pages, I hope you might click on my just giving page and donate a little to this fantastic organisation. You will also be able to find out more about why I believe this to be a worthwhile cause.


  

Two Years in Africa, Three Weeks to Go

Welcome to my blog.

Starting in three weeks, I will be jetting off to the sun-soaked plains of Africa, where sponsored by the Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO),  I will working as Organisational Development Advisor with the Gambian Association of the Deaf & Hard of Hearing (GADHOH). It is here that I hope to help facilitate the empowerment of deaf children and their families. With the UN reporting that 98% of disabled people in some developing countries do not attend school for example, there is plenty for me to do.  

This is not all it is about though. It is an opportunity for me to experience a culture as old and rich as civilisation itself. Even as I write, my mind fills with visions of what awaits. In fact over the last week, I have had the pleasure and privilege to have heard the stories and seen the photographs, from those who have gone before me. I am particularly looking forward to having Gambian dress made at the tailors, dinner parties with the neighbours and sampling the local cuisine - I bet gunpowder tea, the Gambian national drink, must be mind-blowing! 

If that doesn't wet your appetite, I will have Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Mali, and many other cultures surrounding me. During the course of both my job and my travels, I hope to meet many interesting and diverse people; making a difference to their lives and contributing to the ongoing process of development along the way. That I have been given such professional and effective training by the VSO, further instills me with confidence.      

Throughout the two years I will spend living in the Gambia, I will be blogging not only about my personal experiences, but also on the development issues that I will be getting to grips with there. It is important work that the VSO does, and I hope as you read these blog posts, you might click on my just giving page, dig deep into your pockets, and donate a little to this fantastic organisation.

Watch this space - you'll read it here first!