Independence Day in The Gambia

Hi Everyone,

sorry for my delay in posting a  new post for a while now.  I wish i could say i was incredibly busy every day, but the truth is i was just negligent.

We finished up our work in Sanyang last Friday (Jul 17).  It was a bittersweet farewell, although we will be returning on Aug 2nd for Aminata's (the middle child in our host family) birthday; it was at the same time the last time we would walk up and down the streets talking to people and being a part of the community.  While at times it was frustrating to not be able to go anywhere without being questioned, at the same time, we felt we had been welcomed and incorporated into the community well.

Our last week of work in Sanyang was a little frustrating, because 2 of the 3 days there wasn't work for us to do... Gammol had received bad information on a pump and when we arrived it was working without a problem.  The garden, we reached a point we could no longer be of service to the garden and ended our work there a day early.

Last week we returned to Fajarra, where we are gonig to spend the remainder of the trip working with Concern Universal to re-design the Rope Pump they use.
We came on Friday hoping to get a start Monday.  As with most things in Gambia, it runs a little behind.  On Monday we met the 'shop' where we are going to be doing our work... it's an outdoor yard, with tools holed up in a shipping container.  But they can weld and they can cut, so we're in business.  The manager/owner there had to go get materials for us to use, which was Tuesday, then today is Independence day, so everything shuts down, ergo, we shall begin our fabrication tomorrow.

Since it was Independence day  today, Megan and I went into Banjul to see the festivities.  Pictures are/will be posted to picassa soon.  I think it qualifies as the worst parade i've seen in all my years.
We arrived about 40 minutes late from when it was supposed to start.  It hadn't started yet.  We soon after we arrived, saw them march the army, police force, navy, national guard and anyone else with a uniform up the main road all in formation, then take their places... where they stood for nearly 1.5 hrs waiting for the president to arrive.  That was the whole 'parade'.  It was pretty interesting watching the president arrive.  He has, at all times, a contingent of about 30 cars, plus police on motorcycle.  To 'welcome' him, he arranged to have a massive crowd, probably numbering between 200 to 300 people, who they call the 'green boys', to run, chanting, singing, screaming and clapping alongside his car while he makes a 200 m drive from his residence to the end of the red carpet leading to Arch 22.
Both Megan and I commented that it's incredibly strange to spend so much time in a country with such blatant propaganda.  The president actually authorized the printing of a cloth with his face on it, and a message stating that he's sent by god to lead the Gambians.  Everyone we saw today was wearing an outfit made from this cloth.  It's incredible how readily they have all swallowed up this stuff.  Just imagine if you saw people on Canada day wearing a dress with Stephen Harpers smiling face on it.  The idea makes me laugh out loud, bu there it's commonplace.  I'm honestly startled by it.  Everyone here honestly and thruthfully believes that he's solely responsible for all the benefits that come to The Gambia.  On the side of every schoolbus it actually reads -  donated by the president, as if he paid for the buses out of his own pocket, instead of using tax revenue, or aid dollars to purchase them.  I agree it's great to have them, but the name of the president should not be attributed to their purchase.
Regardless... it was good to go and see what was happening in the capital.  Shortly after we saw Jammeh, we left Banjul and just headed back here for the rest of the afternoon.
it wasn't quite what i would call a standard day, but had it's enjoyable parts.

In 3 weeks from now i'll be back in Canada and sharing all my stories with you. 
I'm looking very forward to being home again.  This trip has been a marathon.

Love,
Justin