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Libby
This summer I embarked on a two week trip to The Gambia with Maisie and other students from nearby schools. Our main aim was to understand the people from The Gambia, and why migration was taking place both, into and out of the country. Alongside, compiling a report which we presented in the house of commons on the 22nd of January. We also had the opportunity to help in the Gambian community, visiting schools, learning about their culture and getting to know our Gambian partners.
Whilst we were in The Gambia we met with refugees coming into The Gambia from neighboring countries such as Guinea, where there has been political division and conflict. We had the opportunity to listen to migrants who had attempted what is described as ‘the back way’ to Europe and had either got as far as Libya and met with such abuse that they decided to return - or in one case that we listened to, managed to board a dinghy designed for 30 people but was crammed with 95 other migrants and crossed the Mediterranean, losing 32 people overboard during the crossing. Pa Sherif arrived in Sicily and after three months in a refugee camp, reached Florence where he was granted asylum but then attempted to reach Germany and after two and half years in refugee camps in Austria was forcibly deported back to The Gambia. Listening to these stories in The Gambia has opened my eyes to a world that I had superficially heard about in the classroom, but about which I now know the reality from individuals, whose stories we heard.
One day when we were in the Gambia we traveled on very old boats with outboard motors that had to take all 35 of us up the Gambian river to the small island of Kunta Kinteh. Brogan managed to scare me of the danger of the hippos and crocodiles, but once on the boat it was fine. Really pretty, and very peaceful. At first.
It got rough in the middle of the river. Waves were coming over the edges and through the holes in the boat! Everyone stayed high spirited and we sang the whole way! After two hours we got to this tiny island in the middle of the river. This had been the center of the slave trade in West Africa. Here we saw the ruins of the slave houses in which slaves had been incarcerated prior to being shipped to the US or the Caribbean and we heard about the appalling abuse they had suffered such as starvation in order that they would be weaker and therefore could be better controlled and also lower their weight so that more slaves could be taken on board the ships. At first, having our Gambian partners with us made me feel guilty; I know it wasn’t us personally responsible, but nonetheless, it made me feel uncomfortable. So, it was just amazing to be there – together – and to look around and see everyone – British and Gambian – getting along and enjoying each other’s company. It was very moving.
One of my favorite days was visiting the women’s gardens. It was a very large, ten-hectare site that had been given by a family to the women of Gunjur so they could feed their families and make some extra money. The women are allocated twenty-three plots each, which sounds like a lot! But when put into perspective one woman told us that from one small plot she could grow about four hundred dalasi (about £6.50) worth of spring onions. After walking around the garden for about 10 minutes, we were hit by a flash rainstorm, this was the best part, as we had spent the whole of the past week, seeing similarities and difference amongst us and the Gambians, which you could probably predict. But, when rain came, us being British, you’d expect to see us instantly take to shelter, but we stayed outside, and got utterly drenched, while our Gambian partners raced to the shelter. After eventually realising we would have to spend the day soaked, we moved under the shelter too, here they said Muslim prayers in Mandinka, and then we said Christian prayers in English – for the continuing relationship between Marlborough and Gunjur. It was a very warming experience.
The sweetest moments was when we visited the equivalent of our British primary schools in Gunjur, and they just sang and sang to us for hours on end, with so much energy, and let’s just say singing became a frequent occurrence throughout our trip, with LOTS OF ENERGY, even on the earliest of mornings, it’s no wonder they call it the smiling coast of Africa.
We weren’t staying far from the fishing village (which was apparent from the wafts of smoked fish we would get every so often throughout the day, not the most pleasant of smells). So, one day we went down to take a look at the village. It was not what we were expecting. We were shocked by the problems they are facing due to plastic pollution and overfishing from the Chinese factories there. The pollution had caused changes in the marine populations and to the country itself. I was able to see the impact on the locals’ food source, their livelihoods, and their living conditions. As well as the environment, we took a walk along the beach and some of the views were very upsetting, but further down the beach away from the factory, the beach cleared up, it was gorgeous and we all went for a swim!
On a happier note, we were very lucky to be in the country during their festival of Tabaski. i found it amazing, beautiful, and enlightening. What struck me most was the strength of community; there was a deep, shared faith amongst everyone there. It was just believers in an open space, the sounds of the prayers of a few thousand people repeating Allahu Akbar. It was out of this world. It felt as though they spoke as one, and the sound moved through you. It was very powerful to witness. Everyone was in their best, brightest clothing: the colors where beautiful! Everyone truly cared. And everyone was enjoying themselves.
Overall my trip to the Gambia has been, I believe, a vital learning experience and one which will influence my attitudes and will remain with me for life, I am grateful to the Thriving Through Venture team and the Calne foundation Trust for providing us with this exclusive and fascinating opportunity.
Maisie
The Thriving Through Venture project is a program to help young people from opposite ends of the world connect and mutually help each other’s communities. For our project our title was Migration, young men and boys migrating from Gambia to Europe has always been a big problem, as the journey is very long and dangerous. In August of 2019 a group of around 12 teenagers flew to The Gambia to learn more about the migration problem and to write a report to the UK Government in an attempt to help their situation. I was a part of the photography group, and while in Gambia I helped to document the group’s activities, as well as migrant’s stories. While in The Gambia I met my partner Mariato. She and all the other partners were very welcoming and gave us a tour of the area on our first full day. All of the kids in the village were very excited to see us, and loved having their pictures taken. The next day we visited a school to deliver pen pal letters from English primary school children, where we were welcomed with an upbeat song and dance. The kids were all super excited to get their letters, and their welcoming, happy energy was amazing.
On our first Sunday in The Gambia we were lucky enough to witness the religious ritual of Tobaski, where everyone in the community comes together to pray. Everyone young and old were in their finest clothes and came together to worship, it was a very moving service and such a large show of faith from the community was really breath-taking. Over the next few days we met influential people in the community, elders and representatives, everyone was very welcoming and they were all keen to help us with our report, and show us round their homes. We also met some local boys out-side the compound we were staying in, and had a friendly football match. The next day we walked to the beach where we helped a local company collect rubbish which they then turn into roof tiles for locals.
Over the next few days we met with people who had tried to migrate and had failed, and people who had successfully migrated but come back to the Gambia. I met with a man called Omar whose story was emotional and highlighted some real issues especially with the way migrants are treated in camps, in places like Libya. After collecting all of the migrant’s stories we compiled them along with some of our own writing, into a report. We presented this report to local MPs in the house of commons when we returned in early January 2020. Many of the questions both us and the people in Gambia had were answered, and hopefully we left enough of an impact on the MPs that they consider taking action.
Overall, the trip was a great experience and I got to witness an amazing new culture and make great new friends, not only in Gambia but from schools in our local area as well, many of which I still keep in touch with. The experience has really shown me the kindness of people even in the hardest of situations, and I will carry it with me for the rest of my life.
