The Gambia Blog

We featured a guest post from Natalia Finfando back in February, about her experiences in The Gambia and her impending trip to volunteer at a local school. The post generated a good deal of interest, with many people getting in touch to ask how they might be able to help out, visit schools, or indeed volunteer in a similar way to Natalia. Today we present Natalia’s account of her recent trip and her time visiting a couple of local schools, with plenty of practical advice on how we can all help. Natalia has also generously given her contact details for anyone who wishes to get in touch for more of her expert advice.

Natalia with grade 4

So the Gambia welcomed me again. This time I visited two primary schools in one of the towns. I think I learnt a lot from this adventure and just thought that I might share some ideas with those of you who want to want to have a similar experience.

First of all, schools are very welcoming and it is extremely easy to visit them. You can do it through one of the trips organized via your tour operator and I am sure it will be a worthwhile experience. Another option, however, if you have a bit more time, is to get in touch with some locals and ask them to take you to a school where their offspring learn. All teachers and headteachers I met were happy to meet me, show me around and talk to me about their school. They were extremely kind and welcoming.

One of the schools offered me a placement and I spent a few days co-teaching with a local teacher. It was a very enriching and inspirational experience. We had a chance to compare our methods and children’s ways of learning. I learnt that maybe here in London we have more resources and teaching gadgets, but in fact teachers all around the world play the same games and use similar tricks to control children’s behaviour!

Natalia in the classroom

What these schools really need are links with other schools and children. We in London need it too! It is great to have a pen pal in the Gambia and I strongly recommend it. Most of the Gambian schools, however, also need sponsors as they are poorly resourced. They need more books, blackboards and quite often simply chairs or pencils and pencil sharpeners as they are not that cheap in the Gambia. As I wrote before (my first blog entry), people have to pay for children’s education and buy all the stationary. When you have many children, this is not an easy thing to do.

Hence, if you are thinking what to take with you for a trip to a local school, I would advise you to buy a few packs of pens, pencils and text books (available in many local shops and often even at your hotels). Go with an open mind and enjoy. Enjoy the eagerness with which children learn and greet you. Their natural curiosity when they ask you about your country. Their kindness when they share with you their lunch and their smiles when they talk about their families.

If you have a bigger budget, think of starting off a library for a school that might not have it (most of them don’t!). Again, ask some locals or existing charities if you need further guidance. I promise that it will be a wonderful and rewarding experience. You could also sponsor a child or a few children and pay £30 per year for their education. That would be an ultimate gesture of kindness and possible life changing experience for children who would not go to a school otherwise. You can make friends for life and you will have a valid excuse to come to this gorgeous warm and the kindest country every year! The best deal ever!

PS If you need further guidance, I am happy to be contacted on finfando@hotmail.com