Erin Poirier completes her long run around The Gambia

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Matt Smith

We’ve been keeping close tabs on Erin Poirier as she ran her way across The Gambia (all 424km of it!). She was running for the Nova Scotia Gambia Association, a Canadian charity looking to raise awareness of issues surrounding HIV and AIDS, and she has kept a detailed diary on her blog and her and her team have taken some astounding photographs which you can see on her Facebook page. And the important bit – you can still donate to the project at love4gambia.com. Before she went, Erin kindly said that we could reprint any of her blog entries as she went, but in truth it’s all so evocative and so beautifully put down, it seems a shame to isolate any of it – so go to the site and read the lot!

That said, one of her final posts, on a (well earned) rest day at the Leybato Guest House, Fajara Beach is so wonderful and so moving, we thought we’d share some of it here. All images are taken from the Love4Gambia Facebook page

Erin and Team Gambia. Image from Love4Gambia Facebook Page.

“Sunday, August 1, 2011, 1030am

Leybato Guest House, Fajara Beach

On Tuesday, July 26, around 1030am, I ran into the Altantic Ocean after running 424km across The Gambia. I ran made it to the ocean because I always believed that I could. And because I had my team: Ashley Sharpe, Pa Modou Sarr, Kebba Suso and Spider (Dodou Bah), with me and behind me every step of the way.

WE DID IT!!!”

Ashley and I have been relaxing on the beach and we’ve been processing the incredible experience that we’ve just had together with Pa Modou Sarr, Kebba Suso and Spiderman Dodou Bah.

In “Running the Sahara,” Charlie insightfully states, ‘this experience was so big that I can’t fit it into my head.’ We relate to that.

Ashley and I have been keeping a list of what we’ve run through, what we’ve been through… for our own memory bank as we try to fit experience into our heads.

We are so lucky that we ran through pretty much everything that West Africa had to offer. You’ll see just how lucky we were, as follows.

Roadworks, Gambia style. Image taken from Love4Gambia Facebook page.

We ran through:

A wedding
A funeral
A naming ceremony (remember all Muslim events, we are in a Muslim country)
Refugee processing near the Casamance (Senegal) conflict
3 presidential convoys
1 presidential convoy causing a monster traffic jam in Serrekunda requiring us to run through heart and centre of said traffic jam
1 presidential convoy in Soma that caused a stampede exactly where we were standing in which a young girl got trampled. Our guys, Kebba and Pa Modou, turned into American football players instantly, bear hugging and protecting us in a huddle.
Dirt road
Paved road
Partially paved road
Side of road
Road with monkeys
Road with bushrats
Road with snakes at pee stops
No roads with nile monitor lizards, thank God
Rain
Never enough rain
Sun (34-35 degrees)
Hotter sun (37-38 degrees)
Hottest sun (42 degrees)
Humidity- worse than hottest sun
Humidity and sun so hot that on the last day in Banjul, as I stood motionless next to our truck as we waited to begin, I felt cold. It was 29 degrees. The weather was “cool” for The Gambia. In that moment, I knew that my brain’s temperature recognition was thoroughly messed up.
2 pairs of melted sneakers
We ran through more than these “things:” events, roads, animals and weather.

(Dad, you may not want to continue reading this list. Disclaimer- it’s just as safe here as anywhere else in the world. All cities have crime pockets. And we had a team of very protective men with us. Ashley once said that she was scared of a guy with a stick, thinking he might like to hit her with the stick. The man was mentally ill. If the man hit her with the stick, peaceful Kebba said very simply, “Well then I would tear him apart.”)

A bit of sightseeing... Image taken from Love4Gambia Facebook page.

We ran through rice fields, ground nut fields and couscous fields.

We ran and drove through long hours together where my team’s bond and friendship turned into family. If you want to really get to know an African country and 3 African men, there’s no better way to become close with the country and its people than to run across it with them. West African societies, especially tribal relationships, are incredibly complex. I now have a wealth of knowledge stored away from conversations that our feet carried us through.

We ran more kilometers as a team than I did alone. Days 8 through 14, I didn’t run a single step solo. On Day 15, I ran 9 km solo (7 by request) and those were my last solo kms.

We enjoyed hours of laughing together.

Ashley and I sometimes giggled late at night until we cried.

We enjoyed hours of a dramatic production where Pa Modou was president and we were the people, engaged in an election campaign. When there’s no television, internet, stereo… you entertain yourself in other ways.

We entertained ourselves with a rotating “boss:” the team member who (besides me) ran the most kilometers that day. We laughed hysterically as the boss tried to wield their power until it expired at midnight.

We enjoyed hours of Serere vs Fula jokes until I had one hour too many and started running between Pa Modou and Spider hoping they would finally stop. They stopped while running, continued the rest of the hours of the day.

We ran through the brief illnesses of 3 of our team members and learned that when one team member is down, we are all down.

We ran with 3 amazing groups who joined us: children, mamas in rice fields and soldiers on convoy. We loved them all equally. While the soldiers in the Gambia National Army and the National Guard didn’t run any steps with us, they began to recognize us and would salute me from their convoy (sometimes up to 6 trucks and over 100 soldiers). I would salute them back.

Erin and Ashley on Day 3. Image taken from Love4Gambia Facebook page.

We ran so long on the same road that the bush taxi drivers began to recognize us and would give us a happy beep and wave instead of an irritated “get the heck outta my way” beep and wave.

We went through a few mornings where I didn’t want to get out of the truck and run. On these mornings Kebba always felt my fatigue and would say, “Oh, Erin. I hate to let you out of the truck.” Ashley would push me out and Pa would drag me onto the road. Once pink sneakers are on the road, fatigue would be replaced with happiness. My team just had to get the pink sneakers onto the road.

We rested for 2 hours under 15 different trees along the South Bank Road and led way more than 15 curious youth through yoga practice.

We ran through the mysterious disappearance of Akon for 3 days.

We stayed in places where our dinner was killed before us. Although in Ndemban, the 10 year-old boy entrusted with killing the rooster with a dull butter knife only managed to mortally wound the rooster and Spider had to step in to relieve the boy of this duties and finish the job.

Ashley and I peed and changed clothes in many hidden spots in the forest together. Sometimes we were only hidden from the truck and that was perfectly acceptable. Sometimes we just changed next to the truck “hidden” by my camping towel.

We ran through forests renowned for armed robbery, although the last incidence was more than one year ago. Though such is the reputation that locals remain weary and police checks are more numerous.

We celebrated each overhead shower and each room with more than one electrical outlet.

We endured a robbery at our lodge in Janjanbureh where the thief knocked off the screen on our window and possibly entered our room. We’re not sure; the runner was dead asleep and Ashley just rolled over in bed without noticing. We heard that he was a very unskilled thief who only made away with one wallet from a guy in another bank of rooms. We did get a lot of mileage out of this thief as he was named as a suspect in the disappearance of Akon.

'Homework'. Image taken from Love4Gambia Facebook page.

We knew that we had been running and living “in the bush” a long time when we were in Ndemban, staying at a local compound next to the road leading to Senegal and site of the Casamance civil conflict. Kebba told us: “We are 3km from Casamance so if you hear gunfire overnight, don’t worry, it’s just coming from the rebels across the border.” And we easily replied, “Yea, whatever. Is there an electrical outlet here so we can charge the Garmin?” Then Ashley and I didn’t even think to talk about this conversation for another 4 days.

We ran so long that Stephen Harper was starting to look good.

I ran so long and got called “toubab” (Mandinka word for white person) so many times that I started following Pa Modou’s lead and began calling “morfing” (Mandinka word for black person) back.

We ran so long together that I felt like we could run to the end of the world together.

When Kebba drove us back to Leybato Guest House after our victorious swim in the Atlantic Ocean, we sat in the driveway next to each other in the front seat. We were both silent for about a full minute. I finally looked at him and said, “Kebba, I don’t want to get out of the truck because when I get out, it feels like it’ll be over.” Kebba nodded his head slowly. After a few moments, he looked at me and said, “Our team will never end.” Then we were brave enough to get out the truck.

My team’s goal was accomplished but after what we’ve travelled, experienced, endured, been through, supported each other through, run through together… being a team will never end.

Erin Poirier: Two feet, one heartbeat = Change

Posted on April 28, 2011 by Matt Smith

Today we have a guest post from Erin Poirier. In June, Erin will be running across The Gambia, a distance of some 400km in 17 days, and in heat approaching 40 degrees. She is doing this for the Nova Scotia Gambia Association or NSGA, a charity based in Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada. It’s a charity that seeks to educate children into the dangers of HIV and to teach them how to disseminate this message amongst their friends and families, but in the last two years the charity has run into financial difficulties, which is where Erin comes in… Her run will hopefully raise enough money to keep the charity solvent and allow it to continue to carry out its vital and ennobling work. We wish Erin (and her co-runner Ashley and the rest of her support team) all the luck in the world with this, and urge you to visit Love4Gambia where you can find out more.

Erin Poirier and Ashley Sharpe in The Gambia

Two feet, one heartbeat = Change.
By Erin Poirier

On my third day in The Gambia I looked down at my key chain thermometer, yanked it from the hook on my gym bag, and threw it in the trash.

It read a blazing 38 degrees and I was realizing the hard way that temperature is irrelevant on the shores of West Africa – there was only hot or hotter. “Hot” means you’re squirming in a small pool of wetness under your clothes and your coffee-colored hair feels hot to the touch. “Hotter” means your bra and underwear are saturated in sweat and your hair just won’t seem to dry after your shower.

I was there during a scorching summer in 2007 when I worked as a nurse with the Nova Scotia-Gambia Association (a registered Canadian Charity)’s Gender Equity and Youth Leadership through Health and Human Rights Education project. Big project name, big ambition: to keep kids alive through HIV and malaria education.

This July, I’ll once again brave the heat of The Gambia to lace up my sneakers in an attempt to run all the way across the country in support of the same cause. Over my 430km route, I’ll be raising money for the Nova Scotia-Gambia Association (NSGA).

In 2007, I went through a life-changing experience when I taught youth to be peer health educators. These kids returned to their schools to share HIV prevention messages with youth in their communities.

In a country that does not offer sexual health in school, the role these kids play in preventing HIV is vital. It’s not something we often think about in a country where health care is readily available and going to school is a right, not a privilege.

But when I returned home to Nova Scotia, Canada, I couldn’t get The Gambia out of my mind. I thought about how my teenage students, some as old as 19 years, would sit three to a two-person desk, often with their arms around each other in affection. I thought about how they valued education in a way that you can only understand if 50 per cent of your peers can’t afford school fees.

Erin Poirier in The Gambia

I thought about the answer I got when I once asked my class: “How do you help somebody with HIV stay healthy?”

“They need love and caring and understanding,” they said, “They need hope for the future, and a positive attitude.” I joined the NSGA board of directors and this year, after 25 years of operation, NSGA began to run into financial problems.

We had endured two years of financial loss and were looking at a third. Like many other charities, our donor base was down and some board members felt that we may have reached the end of the organization.

I thought about my Gambian youth and couldn’t reconcile their thoughts. I wanted to do something.
Then I thought about running. I’ve had lots of success racing. The Gambia is a small country. It would be possible to run all the way across The Gambia.

So this is what I’m doing. I’ve called my campaign Love4Gambia. I’ll begin my mission on July 4, and over 17 days, I will run 430km (that’s a half marathon each day) from Basse, near the Senegalese border, to Banjul on the Atlantic coast.

Four support people will join me. My friend and fellow NSGA volunteer nurse, Ashley Sharpe, will be my medical support. Two members of our NSGA staff in The Gambia will also accompany us.
Sure it’s going to be tough. The heat will present my biggest challenge because I know that no matter what length of time I spend in Africa, I’ll never acclimatise to it.

So I am trying to prepare my body for the heat by going to hot yoga at Halifax Yoga Studio. Sometimes in the studio, I feel like I’ve become one with the melting air. Other times, I think: “Gentle Lord! It’s 37 degrees in here!” I look like I just got out of a swimming pool and this is average temperature I’ll be running in.

On these days, the preparation isn’t so productive.

Right now, my marathon training with coach Cliff Matthews is geared toward my third Boston Marathon. I’m running 85 km-plus per week, fitness that will carry well onto my plane to Africa.
Running is the easy part. Cliff dictates my training plan and I do exactly what he says. It’s hard work, but it’s something I love.

Erin Poirier on MacDonald Bridge

The really brutal part is doing the extra things I need to do to stay healthy in this long training cycle. I’m piling food into my body like I’ll never eat again. I’m forcing myself to strength training.

I have chiropractor Dr. Jason Gray working with me for free- his contribution to Love4Gambia. Weekly treatment keeps me healthy and he sets my strength-training program. I’m lucky for this.

The sidewalks have been in poor condition during this wicked winter we’ve endured on the East Coast of Canada. The wind freezes my cheeks and sometimes my contact lenses, blurring my vision.

The “nicest” place to run outdoors in the entire city has become the MacDonald Bridge sidewalk deck where plowing and salting are thorough. The Halifax Ocean Terminal at Marginal Road, with its bright lighting and quality snow removal service for transport trucks and trains, has also been kind to winter runners.

An average training week for me is 6 days and looks like this:

Monday- easy 6-8km + hot yoga
Tuesday- track workout with Cliff- often short and fast intervals, such as 10 x 800m, total 14-17km with warm-up and cool-down
Wednesday- recovery 12km + strength training
Thursday- track workout with Cliff- often long intervals close to marathon pace, such as 3 x 15 minutes, total 14-17km
Friday- recovery or easy 12 km
Saturday- long run 2-2.5 hours including quality speed segment every 2nd week.
Sunday- rest + strength training

So yes, it’s going to be tough. I knew that when I said I’d do this. But it’s worth it.

While volunteering in The Gambia, I saw how the NSGA’s programs directly impacted the youth. When the NSGA ran into trouble, I knew I needed to do something to help these programs continue. And that’s what I’m going to do.

To support my Love4Gambia campaign and to follow my progress as I prepare for and run across The Gambia in July, visit me at www.love4gambia.com

A short film about people helping other people

Posted on February 10, 2011 by Kathryn Burrington

You can imagine my delight when, on a chilly morning between Christmas and New Year in a very quiet office, I received an email from The Gambia Experience clients Lou Hamilton and Paul Lang saying that they would like to make a short film about responsible tourism, The Gambia Experience’s School Development Fund and Nyodema.

Lou and Paul were going on holiday to The Gambia and as professional film makers wanted to use their skills to ‘give something back’. As luck would have it I too was going to The Gambia on the very same flight and offered to show them around some schools. Just to explain: as well as working for The Gambia Experience as a graphic designer, I am part of the UK team for the School Development Fund and chairman of a community group called Nyodema (meaning ‘helping each other’ in Mandinka).

Here is the result of a wonderful week. I found it fascinating being involved in this project and would like to say a huge thank you to Lou, Paul, Ali and everyone who helped in the making of this film – a wonderful way to show people in the UK how they are making a difference to the lives of people in one of the world’s poorest countries.

For more information please follow these links:
Lou Hamilton/Createlab
The School Development Fund
Nyodema
Karmic Angels
Chris Diallo/Hands on Skin

Buy malaria medication online & raise money for Gambian schools at the same time!

Posted on February 4, 2011 by Kathryn Burrington

Next time you are travelling to The Gambia you may wish to consider buying your medication onine from Lloyds Pharmacy.

They can either deliver them to your pharmacy on the same day or direct to your home the very next day. Simply follow the link from our website gambia.co.uk and for every purchase made 8% will be donated to The School Development Fund.

The School Development Fund recently donated £1,390 to cover the costs of the materials to build a library at Jeddah Lower Basic School. The local community will provide transportation costs and labour.

FSF Mosquito Net Appeal

Posted on March 29, 2010 by Matt Smith

A mosquito net - such a simple solution

If you’ll allow me a rather clumsy metaphor, malaria is something of the elephant in the room when it comes to The Gambia – it has a huge looming presence and yet is rarely talked about in the tourist areas. You take your pills and try and forget about it. But behind the scenes, it goes about its quietly devastating business, taking more lives than you ever thought possible. And the worst thing? It is possible to tackle, and at a relatively low cost. So, whilst a vaccine remains elusive, and prolonged exposure to available anti-malarial drugs a health risk, for as little as £7, a vulnerable child or family member can be provided with a mosquito net – a simple remedy hugely effective in the fight against this horrible disease. Yet those that need them most simply can’t afford one.

Which is why the superb Fresh Start Foundation are trying to raise £7000 by the beginning of the rainy season in July, to take out 1000 mosquito nets to give to vulnerable children and pregnant women in The Gambia. You can find details of the project on their website, and can donate by going straight to their Just Giving page. Here’s hoping they reach their target.