Heading Out
This was my last week in The Gambia, and it was kind of bittersweet. There was a lot going on, so I was too distracted to really think about the fact that I’m leaving. It really sunk in when Sam left, and it made me realize that I might ever see any of the friends I made here again.
On a more positive note, we had two important events this week! Last Sunday, we had our naming ceremony! We went to Ndungu Kebbeh, a village in Niumi. We took a ferry across the Gambian River, which was really cool because I’ve never been on a ferry. I was really happy I didn’t get seasick because I usually have bad motion sickness. When we got to the Ndungu Kebbeh, we were welcomed by an extremely nice family. I went on a walk with Metta, the daughter of our host, and Isatou, Amanda, and Kayla. We went to a medical center and met an American woman who has been living in the Gambia for fifteen years. It’s pretty amazing, and it made me wonder if I would ever move to another country to serve long term. I’m not sure I could, to be honest.
The naming ceremony itself was pretty cool. It seemed like a large percentage of the village showed up to watch, which was kind of cool. Since naming ceremonies usually happen 8 or so days after a child is born, I can imagine it was kind of a weird event for them, given that our ages ran from early teens to middle aged. I chose the name Haddy Kujabi, because Haddy Gaye is a mentor I really respect, and because I have formed such a close relationship with Mama Kujabi.
We also had Graduation this Saturday. It was pretty amazing, and all the students performed. Preparing for the graduation ceremony was very busy. I spent most of Thursday and Friday in the Business Center helping Mama Kujabi and Classy. I was really proud of the work we did; the Business Center looked amazing. The students’ performances were amazing, especially the choir. It made me a little emotional, because I’m not sure if I’ll ever see any of these amazingly talented and brilliant girls again.
I was really proud of my STEM students. They were all so fun to work with, and they were all eager to learn. I definitely learned a lot from them, from language lessons (I failed miserably) to life lessons. I’m really glad I had the opportunity to do this, and it has made such an impact on my life. I’ve learned so much about myself, and found aspects of my life that I want to change. I can only hope I’ve made some kind of positive impact on one of the girls. I’ve made several meaningful relationships, and I hope that those relationships were as rewarding to them as they were to me.
