The first of many unforgettable days on our Gambia Project adventure — and this one came with early alarms, energetic teamwork, and some surprisingly impressive pestle-and-mortar skills! We kicked off the day with breakfast and a briefing at 8:00am. By 9:00am, fuelled by toast and enthusiasm, we set off for Kotusilo Village and Omega School.
Our first group visited Kotusilo Village were hands-on from the start. And when we say hands-on, we really mean it!
Students tried their hand at:
- Using a washboard and hanging up their washing
- Fetching water from the well (arm workout included)
- Sweeping floors (future tidy room promises pending)
- Using a traditional pestle and mortar
It turns out that pounding ingredients the traditional way requires serious upper-body strength! The students threw themselves into every task with fantastic enthusiasm. It was brilliant to see them embracing village life and gaining a real appreciation for how different (and physically demanding!) daily routines in the Gambia can be.
Next stop, Omega School, newly built thanks to the amazing fundraising efforts of The Earls and the Gambia Project. Seeing the school standing proudly was a reminder that all those sponsored events and fundraising drives really do make a difference.
Our students picked up pencils and paintbrushes to start adding numbers and letters to the nursery classrooms. There was careful concentration, a few artistic flourishes, and thankfully only minimal paint on clothing! However, Jack wins the award for the most paint on… himself. It was a proud moment to see our students coming together.
Before heading back to the hotel, we made a quick supermarket stop.
Lunch followed at 12:30pm, and by 1:30pm it was time for the afternoon switchover.
At 4pm the students enjoyed well-earned rest with time in the pool, along with some hand-stand competitions and an exhibition of varying levels of diving. Winner goes to our very own triathlete Jonathan.
At 7:00pm, we gathered for dinner. Students sampled some delicious Gambian dishes and, for those craving a taste of home, there were also reliable favourites like chips and pasta. It’s fair to say the chips remain undefeated in popularity — though several students are becoming increasingly adventurous with local flavours!
We’re incredibly proud of how they approached the first day. They have learnt some valuable school uniform maintenance skills today such as washing, hanging up washing and ironing. We urge you to put these to the test when they return home.
Team Project Gambia
