Friday 21 March 2014

13.3.14 Thursday. Belle Vue Boys to Kaur



7am was our arranged set off time today, but we had not bargained on the time it takes boys to 
get ready!  Worse than the Girls!  Atique was busy making sure his quiff was perfect for the journey; Bahsan was dressing for the North Pole I think in a quilted body warmer, Hamza was making sure his hat was at the right angle, goodness knows what the others were doing.  Omar had arrived on time and so all the transport was ready and waiting; but it was nearer to half past 7 before we set off.  Bashir and Amar were travelling in the truck with us.  We arranged to meet for breakfast at MandinaBa as the minibus was faster than our fully laden truck.  It was light almost before we got to the airport road and the shops were all open and the bread had been delivered when we arrived to buy our sandwiches.  Today is the first day for the Boys and so they are not yet used to the idea that there are no fast food outlets for breakfast and the choice is very limited depending on the season and availability of food.  However, being able to photograph banana trees was a novelty and even though some chose not to have a sandwich, snacks were available in the transport.  We set off again and reached the ferry at Soma just after 10.30am.  The traffic was busier than we have seen it for several weeks now and we had to hustle to get near the front of the queue to cross.  We waited for the larger ferry so we could cross together and managed to get into Farafenni around noon.  A quick stop to buy buckets and ladles for showers, and then onto to Kaur to end our journey.  Channeh, the head teacher at Jamwelly rang to check on our progress and arranged to meet us at the cross roads to welcome us to Kaur.  We arrived after 1pm and were met on the road by the Head Teacher, Mr Jarjussey from Kaur and Channeh, along with 4 other people from the school.  Greetings were exchanged and then we all set off for the last half mile to the school.  We drove in through the hole where the gates used to be and were met with a wall of sound; all pupils from both morning and afternoon sessions, (around 750)  were lined up down both sides of the entrance way all clapping and chanting ‘Welcome, Welcome’  Belle Vue Boys had never seen anything like it and several of them were very moved by the emotions it provoked.  We were escorted to a circle of chairs which had been arranged for us to sit down and then the Chairman of the School Management Committee, the Head Teacher, the Deputy Head and the Cluster Monitor all made speeches welcoming us all to the school.  Eventually we were allowed to rest, and after being shown the classroom where they were sleeping, the boys spent time blowing up airbeds and arranging the mosquito nets which were to be theirs for the next 3 nights.  Soon, lunch arrived, cooked by Channeh and the school cooks, plates were retrieved and spoons found.  We had decided to eat vegetarian for the duration of the trip, as it was felt unfair to ask them to cook food which they could not normally afford.  Some of the boys ate vegetables for the first time!  Although the rice was popular with everyone. After dinner we requested the keys to the library and the boys were able to see what their fundraising efforts had provided for the school. The room is just an unpainted shell at the moment, clearly showing where a door has been blocked off and windows have been created.  Tomorrow we will all paint and stock the shelves with books.  Some of the boys wanted to start work today, but as it was the hottest part of the day and their first full day in the Gambia, it was decided to wait until the relative cool of the morning.  The boys proceeded to make friends with the local pupils, Steve and I went down to Jamwelly to make up our bed for the night.  The little dog we rescued a couple of weeks ago has settled in and although her leg has been broken at some time it has healed well, just leaving a small bump on the join.  She has been named Tiger by the school children and is now a changed animal, quite happy and wagging her tail a lot.  Musa, the caretaker, is looking after her and the school cooks are providing her with dinner every day.  Steve brought a book on dog care on his last visit, and Channeh found it ‘interesting’ that animals were so well treated in Europe.  We set up our bedroom, had a rest out of the hot sun, and returned to the school in time for supper and to plan the work for tomorrow. At last time for bed, and we made our way back to Jamwelly.

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