We started our journey to The Gambia at 4 am Tuesday when we met at Harrisburg International Airport to catch a 45-minute flight to Washington DC Dulles Airport. We had plenty of time to relax as we had an 11-hour layover before our flight to Brussels. We spent our time in Dulles reading, learning the rules of Crazy 8, eating, having great conversations, and resting before a long day of travel.
Time passed, and we were ready to board our flight to Brussels. We ended up being delayed almost two hours on the tarmac due to the weather but at last, we took off! We experienced turbulence throughout the flight but nothing too crazy. Eight hours later we had a smooth landing in Brussels. With the delay of our first flight, we had a shorter layover in Brussels, which I don’t think anyone was complaining about.
We then quickly got onto our third and final flight that first stopped in Dakar, Senegal where half the people on the plane got off. Those heading to Banjul stayed on the plane while we waited for it to take off again. The flight was a little over 6 hours in total. FINALLY, we landed in Banjul, Gambia!!
We slowly made our way off the plane and onto a shuttle that took us to immigration. We patiently made our way through immigration, then baggage claim, and then through customs. All clear!! Nyamo met us at the airport with a van driver and drove us into Pirang. We put our luggage in the guest houses and met in the main building for a nicely cooked meal made by Nyamo. We also had tapalapa bread with different chocolate dips and honey. It was a nice way to end our long day of travel. We are all very excited for what this trip has in store!
See you tomorrow,
Rena Rankin
Howdy everybody,
We began the morning around 9:00 AM, however, the rooster which began it’s nonstop crowing around 4:30 was not a big fan among the crew. Niamo prepared a wonderful breakfast featuring rice and fish which was sided by the staple: tapalapa bread.
Shortly after breakfast, we began our walk around the village of Pirang and Niamo introduced us to the two village leaders (comparable to a mayor) and the head Imam (leader of Pirang’s Muslim faith). Niamo then introduced us to the local health clinic, which is government-funded and free to anyone who needs assistance; however, for many acute conditions, the clinic does not have the resources for treatment. Patients in this condition then must find their own way to the bigger clinic in Brikama as the ambulance service is not currently functional.
Throughout our tour of the town, we became flanked by a large group of children letting the village the “tuobobs” were in town; shouts were heard from several streets away. By the time Niamo took us to his family’s compound, we had amassed a group of 25 or so children.
After meeting with Niamo’s family, we enjoyed lunch prepared by Anna which was chicken, rice, and topped with peanut sauce (peanut butter). After lunch, we had some downtime in MEHDA, and many of the children came to the compound as they were very interested in the behaviors of their new local celebrities. After dinner, which was light given the larger meal being over lunch, and spent the evening learning and playing Gambian crazy 8s with Niamo.
Until next time,
Thomas U.
Hello everybody,
Today started a little early around 8:30 when we ate a light breakfast of tapalapa bread. We have probably consumed more bread in these last two days than we have all year – but it remains delicious every time.
After breakfast, we piled into a geli-geli on-route to the GREAT institute near the coast of The Gambia. Here, we got to interact with students from the University of the Gambia (UTG) by running a climate simulation. We broke into 8 groups of 4, splitting up our group completely. This was a really cool experience because it helped us get to know the Gambian students and make decisions with them. During the simulation, we had to debate climate policies depending on what type of nation we were. It was interesting to see the different perspectives that we all had to offer during this conversation. At the end of this game, we all got pictures with the students (they particularly liked Isaac). It was really fun to see our different cultures come together during this activity.
After the GREAT institute, we made our way to the Bakau market. This was our first time seeing the Gambian markets, and it was definitely a shock to some of us. No prices were listed anywhere, and you are supposed to negotiate a fair price for whatever you want. Some of us were better at negotiating than others. Many of us were able to get unique linen items, keychains, or wooden hippos (the merchants were very convincing). Then we made our way to the Tim-book-tu bookstore where we got to browse at a wide selection of neat books. This is where Dr. DeGoede’s family would often visit during his sabbatical.
Once we got back to MEHDA, Niamo took us out bird watching behind the compound. He seems to know every single bird, and he helps us learn the names of all of them. The sunset with the palm trees in the background was unreal. For dinner, we got to enjoy a Gambian specialty: Yassa. It contains chicken, rice, and a mustardy sauce that is delicious. Niamo also cut us a papaya to go with our meal. To end our day, we played Gambian Crazy 8’s where Niamo dominated – per usual.
Hope you enjoyed the update,
Nolan Pettit
Hello everyone!
Today our daily plans began a bit later, with a “light” breakfast of pasta, hardboiled eggs, watermelon, and the famed tapalapa bread around 9:30. After breakfast at around 10, our group of 8, along with Niamo and our two new friends Omar and Aleu, hopped into our gelleh-gelleh and headed towards our adventure for the day. Over the past few days, we have had an abundance of great food, and today we headed to two farms to see how produce like we have been eating, comes from.
The first farm we drove to was owned by a farmer named Seng Jatta. A farm that his family has tended for many generations and was truly a delight to see. For many of our meals, a common fruit for us to have has been bananas, and Seng Jetta specialized in the yellow( green here in Gambia)fruit. When we entered the farm two things stood out. One was the number of pigs that were running around the farmyard. As Gambia is 95% Muslim there are few pigs, but this farm had many, and several of us (Haley especially) were very excited to see the squealing animals. The second was the size of the banana tree grove. Past the main drive and living buildings, stood a vast forest of banana trees peeking out among the palm trees. Seng Jetta led us through the grove, and we ducked around the tree bases and hanging leaves and explored the farm grounds. Clumps of little green bananas hung from the treetops, and we were led further into the grove to see Jetta’s experimental garden of yams and mint. As we walked, we were followed by many of the kids who lived at the farm, and several were very fond of holding our hands. After a few hours of walking around the farm, it was then time to head to the next farm. After saying our goodbyes, we hopped back into the gelleh-gelleh and began our second drive.
The second farm we went to was one owned by Yusapha Tourray, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health of The Gambia ( impressive friends Dr. DeGoede has). As we approached his farm, a very noticeable gigantic concrete building towered above the tree line. This building was a new home he was constructing and provided a fabulous view of the surrounding area when we walked the five stories to the top. It was the highest building we had been in, and it was incredible to see the Gambian landscape from such a vantage point. Besides the impressive size of the building, the key to this farm was the abundance of oranges.
Unlike Seng Jetta’s farm, at Yusapha’s farm, we did much less walking, and instead did much, much more eating ( and I mean a LOT of eating). We each sat or stood around the front porch of the house and consumed an all-you-can-eat buffet of oranges that were placed before us. For over an hour, we consumed a bucket full of oranges and the occasional lemon until we could eat no more. Then the coconuts came out. Several men who worked at the farm grabbed long wooded poles and began knocking down coconuts from the many trees that were around. They cut holes into the tops of the coconuts, and we passed around the coconuts drinking the delicious water. Each coconut had a distinct flavor, and it was fun to try each one. After the coconuts we’re tapped dry, they were split open and once again we began feasting, this time on the white flesh. After several hours of eating, we could consume no more, and so we headed back to Pirang our bellies full.
When we arrived back at Pirang, we all were tired and spent a bit of time sitting around and chatting before heading in for a dinner of benechin and cassava and beans. Fortunately, there was no fruit present. After eating we again talked a bit, but we are calling it an early night as we must get up early tomorrow for our birding hike. Check in again tomorrow to read how that went.
Hope you enjoyed the update,
Isaac
Hi everyone!
Today started bright and early waking up at 6:30 before the sunrise to ensure that we were able to have breakfast before our journey to the Pirang forest. We wanted to be ready to go right as the sun rose for the best chance to see any many beautiful birds as possible.
Nyamo is a master birder and visits the forest all the time and does a lot to protect the forest. We got to see lots of the trees he had planted in the forest. Because he is such a good birder and knows the forest so well, he knew all the best places to visit to see many birds. Some of our favorite birds we saw today were the Verreaux eagle owl (which is the bird biggest in the forest), red-bellied paradise flycatcher, red-cheeked cordon-blue, and pied hornbill. Along with the birds we also got to see the “jungle gangsters”, the baboons swing from tree to tree. They were just as curious about us as we were of them! There were a couple females, one big male, and 3-4 juvenile baboons that were very playful.
After birding we went back to the entrance of the Pirang forest where some of us sat at a bird bath hole to take photos of the birds and the other half was trying the ataya tea and talo also known as sponge fruit. Ataya tea is a very strong and sugary tea is poured from glass to glass to airate. A large part of the beauty of ataya tea is the showmanship of during its preparation. The talo is a neon green fruit with a chalky texture that tasted tangy and floral.
Once back at MEDA we had lunch and sat around talking and had another round of ataya tea. We got to meet one of Nyamo’s old friends who is a talented woodcarver and brought some of his work that we bought from him. When we preparing to watch a big soccer game in the village, kids came running through MEDA. We didn’t think anything of it until we were swarmed by the hive of bees that was following them. The kids had thrown rocks at the hive a couple of days ago and when they walked the bees remembered them and began to chase them. But when the kids ran past us, the bees began attacking us! Niamo, Omar and Isaac, while the rest of us were RUNNING with the kids who also thought it was very funny.
After the bee swarm, we were able to enjoy Alieou’s soccer game. The score was 1-1 with the goal scored by Alieou, the tie went into PKs where Alieou scored again, and they won!! Everyone was celebrating as the sunset and we got to watch the sunset over the soccer field and see the bats flying across the twilight sky toward the river. It was a very fun day filled with the beauty of the wildlife and nature today!
Hope you enjoyed the update! Check back in tomorrow about our trip to the Eco Camp.
Kiyara be (peace to you),
Haley
Good Evening Everyone,
Today we went to the Eco-Lodge, where half the battle was arriving due to very bumpy roads. Once we arrived, we were able to listen to a local Griot, Malang, play the kora. While Malang played the kora, we were able to dance, and he played songs with our names included in the song! I have attached a video of Malang playing the kora as well.
We were also able to explore the eco-lodge. The eco-lodge had many housing units where guests could come and stay. There was a beautiful tree house that was also a place where guests could stay! We also saw the different crops that they were growing such as avocado trees, orange trees, and peppers.
After exploring the ecolodge and dancing, we rested in hammocks and were able to rest underneath the trees. Some people even played the kora themselves!! We had a great day of listening the kora in person and meeting new friends. For dinner, we had chicken Yassa for dinner, which also contains rice and onions and is delicious. We then played crazy 8’s where I failed to win a single game (thanks Omar).
Thanks for reading,
Ava Lammersen
Good evening everyone,
It is past sunset here and we are ending an eventful day with the evening battle for the title of Crazy 8’s king or queen. I lost the game tonight (no crown for me), and I write to you while others continue the battle.
Today we visited two of Kurt’s long-time friends, Jeneba and Brewer. Jeneba lives with her 4 daughters who are in different stages of their education. The eldest, Binta, is studying at the University to pursue her teaching degree while also working as a teacher. The other three sisters are pursuing their nursing degrees. They shared with us how demanding their classes are and how difficult the exams that they need to pass in order to obtain their licenses. Fatima, who is studying for her nursing certification, passionately talked about the challenges of providing quality healthcare to Gambians with minimal resources, there is often inadequate medical supplies to care for patients and insufficient infrastructure to even appropriately triage and accurately diagnose patients. Most Gambians do not get regular medical checkups and typically end up in the hospital when they are desperate, in critical condition that might require medicines that are not available, radical surgeries with reduced survival rates, and follow-up that is not likely. There are not enough doctors, beds, and resources to care for patients. This is exacerbated by insufficient patient education. Fatima talked about diabetic patients coming to the hospital because of advanced neuropathy and infected wounds on feet (commonly seen in advanced stage of untreated diabetes) that require amputation. In a country like Gambia, with minimal public transportation, where mobility is essential for supporting one’s family, amputation can be a life sentence. Fatima also talked about the high rates of mortality seen due to childbirth.
Jemena and her daughters also spoke of the many challenges that the country is experiencing under the current president, Barrow. They spoke of increased violence, the increased costs of living and the lack of financial support for education, which used to be free under the previous president Jammeh
In spite of these challenges, Jemena and her four daughters keep pushing forward, maintaining a beautiful garden and growing cassava to sell in the market and working hard to obtain their degrees. Their determination, strength, and passion are inspiring.
After our visit we met with Brewer for lunch of a beautifully prepared domida.
We returned to Mehta to be greeted by children playing soccer and Omar making the the ataya tea. Thomas was learning how to properly prepare the ataya, so he will be ready to hold the ceremony when we return. Tonight, as every night here, I end the day amazed by the generosity, kindness, and joy of the Gambia.
Hope your days are going well. We miss our home but are incredibly grateful to be here.
Good night.
Anya
Good Evening Everyone,
It is hard to follow up Anya’s amazing email from yesterday, but I will try!
This morning we left our compound and took a short walk down our road to the community garden. What a great way to start the day! We were all shocked by the size of the garden as it just kept going and going. From the front of the garden, you cannot see the end of it. They told us the tree line in the distance was the back of the garden. We all took turns learning the correct technique of watering the plants. You must get the water budget low to the plant and swoop your bucket forward making sure to not miss any spots. We also took turns pulling the water from the large well to fill the water budgets. Definitely intimidating looking at how deep the well went while trying not to think about slipping in!
After watering a large section of onions, we left the garden and headed back to the compound. Some of us did laundry while others walked the fields looking for birds and other animals. Before we knew it, it was time for cooking lessons with Anna. She invited us over to her compound to learn how to cook yassa. Today we made chicken yassa, but you can also make it with fish. We all helped in different ways, and I think Kurt and I will be ok not cutting onions for quite a bit of time. We sat there for a long-time cutting onions and every time we looked at the bowl it looked like more appeared. Aliou saved the day by taking over and finishing the job. Ava cut the potatoes, Thomas started the fire, and Anya did an amazing job cooking the meal with the help of Anna and Mariama.
While the meal was being cooked a group of us sat under the tree and watched Omar make attaya tea. It was a very relaxing afternoon!
We then came back to our compound and ate the yassa which was just amazing! We then agreed to go on a walk to the river. Nyamo lead the way over the salt flats and down the dusty roads. We enjoyed each other’s company along the way.
Then it was time for the big show down back at the compound. We decided to switch it up tonight and play spoons the card game. It was a very intense game that had all of laughing as we jumped over the table to grab the spoons. The final came down to Thomas and I. Thomas had the upper hand since he was dealing, and I wasn’t able to grab the spoon quick enough making Thomas the winner. I’ll be back though.
The night didn’t end there. We decided to watch bread making tonight as well. It is a long process that takes a lot of work. The bread maker we watched usually makes the tapalapa bread between 12am-7am. We helped mix the flour and add the water to make the dough. Some of us then went to bed after watching the first phase but Ava, Anya, Kurt, and I were able to stay awake to help with phase two which is rolling 387 balls of dough which will then be stretched into long loaves to be baked.
It was another day of learning and experiencing the Gambian culture!
Come back tomorrow for another update!
Rena
I wuhlara,
Today was pretty chill.
After a late night watching the bread baking process, much of the group showed up to the 8:00 breakfast at 8:15, alarm or not. We began our day by traveling to the West African Academy of Science and Technology (WAAST) to meet the leaders of Africa for tomorrow and deliver textbooks and laptops donated by various Etown College departments. Our group was received by the heads of the Academy and its 7th years (equivalent to 7th grade in the American school system); we were welcomed with a series of speeches from the WAAST group, which outlined their goals to defeat corruption within Gambia and the rest of West Africa.
WAAST then presented a series of gifts to our group, which traditional African style clothing for the men and bags for the women, they are fire and we look forward to holding fashion shows upon return to the United States. After the exchange, we were given a tour of the school, including: a chemistry lab which allows students to understand the physical implications of their learning and some of the classrooms to meet some of the other students.
After the academy, our 8 West-African expeditioners traveled to the Start-up Incubator: Gambia, where we sat-in on a lesson regarding how Gambian entrepreneurs should handle challenges with suppliers. The head of the incubator then gave us a short tour of the facilities available to the group, highlighting their cooperation with local climate activists to use the abundance of cow and goat dung to produce organic manure.
On the way back to MEDHA, many group members fell asleep in Gelli, succumbing to the heat of African sun and a sugar crash of Real Natural Pineapple Juice (coming to a local market near you). After our return, we enjoyed Bennika for lunch prepared by Anna, and many group members completed their afternoon siestas, while the rest competed in a small futbol match with the local village children.
As the remaining hours in afternoon ticked away, we were allotted some very well-deserved downtime in MEDHA before a light dinner and our nightly game of cards over peanuts.
My turn to deal, goodnight everybody!
Thomas U
Good evening everyone,
We had a pretty eventful day today that all started around 8:30 for breakfast (9:10 if you’re Ava or Rena). Nyamo made a delicious pasta with cod fish that I had many spoonfuls of. Along with that, we ate more tapalapa and bananas. After breakfast, Kurt and Anya went to exchange money for our day at the Brikama market, but sadly the money exchange place had no power so we had to wait.
Once we got to Brikama, Kurt hopped out of the Gelli to exchange money, and the rest of us found ourselves navigating through the bustling streets of Brikama – Lamman showed off his impressive driving skills through tight alleyways. We only got yelled at once by the parking police. Once we got Kurt back, we drove to the Brikama wood market where we browsed through shops and negotiated prices. It was a bit more peaceful than the market in Bakau, allowing us to get lower prices on some interesting keepsakes. We made our way to the back corner of the market where Kurt arranged a drumming lesson from his friend, Abdou.
This drumming lesson was ELECTRIC. By the end, I think all of us had pain in our hands. We learned where to hit the drum properly to produce a sharp bang. At the end, Abdou and a couple of his band members performed a short routine that included the wildest dancing I’ve ever seen. This guy popped off – he definitely would’ve been a Just Dance champion.
To end our afternoon, we visited Sakou Njai. At his compound, we enjoyed a delicious meal of benechin and some couscous mixed with a peanut sauce and cow lung. The cow lung was definitely a change but honestly, not bad. The main reason we visited Sakou was to attend the ceremony for his daughter’s wedding. We drove to the mosque where the women and men entered through different doors and were separated throughout the service. The leaders of the service spoke a lot of Mandinka and Foulah, and the Imam spoke some Arabic. Not going to lie, we didn’t really know what was going on, but it was a cool experience nevertheless.
The drive back to MEHDA was pretty calm, unlike our drive to Brikama where we were singing all sorts of songs. We also enjoyed freshly roasted peanuts from the vendors along the street. At MEHDA, we got a fan favorite, domada, for dinner. We will definitely miss Anna’s cooking when we go home. And of course, we are about to wrap the night up with our daily routine of Crazy 8’s.
Thanks for staying tuned to our adventure!
– Nolan Pettit
Dear Friends and Family,
Today, we embarked on an adventure that defies all logic and reason — a river tour, a humble boat, and nature’s unyielding wrath. What was meant to be a tranquil excursion became, in a heartbeat, a battle against the elements.
As we gathered at the river’s edge at 7 AM, the air was biting, the wind howling, and the water? Well, the water knew we were there. It could sense our presence. We thought we were prepared for anything…
A boat so small, it seemed more like a floating coffin than a vessel of exploration. But we climbed in anyway, four brave souls in the front — Nolan, Ava, Thomas, and Rena. The rest of us followed behind, hoping for the best.
Wrong. From the very start, things took a turn. We stalled in the vines. The boat refused to move. Nolan was attacked by the trees (yes, attacked), as if the jungle itself had a personal vendetta against him. But that was just the beginning.
As we finally broke free and made our way to the river, a sharp gust of wind sent a chill through our bones. Then, disaster struck. Water began to seep into the boat, and not just a little. The first splash, we thought, “okay, maybe this is the worst of it.” But oh, how wrong we were.
The front seats, our brave pioneers, quickly found themselves tasked with the thankless job of finding the bucket to bail out the water. And then… THE WAVE. It came out of nowhere, a colossal force of nature that crashed over us, drenching us to the core. We all joined Rena in the splash zone. We were not dry anymore.
For the next three hours, we fought for survival. Waves upon waves kept smashing against us, the salty sea turning our journey into a wet and wild hellscape. The boat filled with water. No, it flooded. We were told to move to the front to help balance the boat and try to keep it from sinking. As we scrambled to assist in this makeshift bailing operation, Thomas kept us sane with a relentless stream of Would You Rather questions. Thank you, Thomas. You were essential to our survival.
And then, the cold. In Africa. Yes, we were freezing. The icy winds and frigid water conspired to turn us into shivering, frozen shells of our former selves. Anya, being the saint she is, had to hold me like the child I was because I could no longer feel my limbs.
Meanwhile, Nyamo was a picture of serenity as he nonchalantly birdwatched from the middle of the river. “How are you enjoying your swimming session in the front?” he asked, as we clung to life, water pouring over us.
Nolan, in his unwavering perseverance, fought off nausea twice, dry-heaving at the side of the boat, as if to prove his dedication to surviving this ordeal. In true fashion, Thomas and Nolan displayed their resourcefulness by peeing off the side of the boat — an impressive feat given the circumstances.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, we reached the pier, soaked, shivering, and completely unsure of whether we had just survived a near-death experience or were simply part of some twisted African initiation. But there was no time to dwell. We were handed over to a tour guide and whisked away to a nearby village and museum, where we learned about the region’s history of slavery and abolition. A sobering, yet deeply impactful experience.
After the tour, we devoured lunch (yes, many of us opted for chicken sandwiches or the famous “Chicken Yassa” . The second part of the journey was nothing short of a miracle: a bigger boat, calm waters, and smooth sailing all the way back. We finally had the peaceful ride we were promised.
Now, as we settle back at MEDHA and enjoy a well-earned meal of cassava, bananas, oranges, grapefruit, and tapalapa, we can’t help but reflect on the chaos of the day. The cold, the water, the waves, and of course, the battle for survival in that tiny boat.
It was intense. It was ridiculous. It was unforgettable. And we are so excited to share this wild, dramatic, and absolutely surreal story with you.
Until tomorrow,
Ava Lammersen
Good evening and welcome to the last day of our adventure.
We got up early in the morning to get to the Paradise Beach as soon as possible. After yesterday’s tour on the “floating coffins,” we could not wait to spend the day lounging around, swimming, and resting.
The beach was true to its name; white sand covered by beautiful shells, surrounded by pines and palms, and plenty of loungers in the shade. The water was cool and calm. Some of us spent the day sleeping, reading, and catching up on journals, others played soccer and cards.
In the afternoon we had a lunch of fish and chips made especially for us by Mama, who owns the Black and White restaurant.
It was a calming, beautiful, slow, and bittersweet day. We saw a beautiful sunset and took more group pictures. We miss you all and can’t wait to see you. But we are also not fully ready to say goodbye to this incredible adventure and the amazing people who truly made this trip unforgettable.
Tomorrow we will pack, say our goodbyes, and head to the airport in the late afternoon.
Good night and until Jan 14.
Anya
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