Gambia Matters

I'm off to London this afternoon, the first step on my way to The Gambia on Tuesday. My case is full of clothes for the kids, as ever, and a few odds and ends for other folk.

My love affair with The Gambia began eight years ago, when, because it was the only sunny holiday available, I found myself in West Africa in November to "soak up some rays". I had read of, and preached on, Third World poverty, but when it hits you on the face like a wet kipper, and you actually see and feel what it actually means, life can never quite be the same again.

One day I found myself outside a school in Serrekunda, the largest town in The Gambia, in a street which was constructed of hardwood, cardboard and corrugated iron, dust flying everywhere, with ten pupils and forty to fifty children trying to peer in to see what was being taught. London Corner, in Serrekunda, is the poorest area in one of the poorest towns in the world. The children outside couldn't pay for their education, and were therefore excluded. I started by paying the fees of two or three of them to attend. The rest is history.

It was like Topsy, it growed and growed, and within a year I had a fairly large number of people who wanted to buy into the concept of free education and a feeding programme for London Corner.

Today we have a beautiful school, attended by 90 of the poorest children in London Corner, and we provide free education, a free feeding programme and free health care for our children when they are sick. We employ eight or nine people from teachers to cooks to watchmen, and feed eight extended families as a result. I'm proud of the way that the people of Dumbarton and beyond have responded and have made this happen. We send out close to £1,200 every month to continue this work and the cash is closely monitored.

However, we have a problem. The landlord wants his building back and our agreement with him is due to end in January. He seems intransigent and I need face to face meetings with him to see if there is any compromise. We have spent thousands of pounds on his property and can't afford to begin again.

Is this the end of Dumbarton/London Corner Nursery School? Possibly. I need my blogging pals to pray hard that this week we can find a solution, and continue to provide free education to this area. I will do my best, but we don't have a lot to bargain with.

Today, Internet Cafes are more common than eight years ago! So maybe I can update you as the days go on!

Thank you for your prayers!

Busy Wee Weekend!

Apart from having Fiona from Taiwan, who has been a delightful and wonderful guest, much has happened over the past couple of days.

Off to High Mill School in Carluke on Friday afternoon, with Fiona, to see the children's Talent Contest. This was their final fundraiser for our school in The Gambia, and they have done exceptionally well over the year, raising cash through sponsorship, bring-and-buy and all sorts of other things. Their Head Teacher, pictured, is Anne Reifer, (nee Semple), who was a childhood "sweetheart" of mine when we were at school together all these years ago, so it was wonderful to catch up over the past few months!

We were presented with a cheque for £800 which goes an awful long way in The Gambia! We can now repair our building and enhance it after the Rainy Season. Anne.s school is moving to temporary premises until a new school is built, and we have been offered so many resources and furnishings to go in our container which is off to The Gambia later in the year.

Well done to Anne, the teachers and mostly the pupils of High Mill! You are wee stars!

Saturday morning was Synod, and I resisted the temptation to take Fiona! It was a quick and productive meeting, and gave me the opportunity to get a wee rest before having our great friends over for dinner last night. Linda produced a "Christmas Dinner" for Fiona, and even the dogs ate well!

Happy Father's Day to all you "Fathers" out there, spiritual and otherwise!

Gambia Bound

This time tomorrow, I'll be getting ready to fly off to The Gambia for ten days. Most folk will think it's a wee holiday, and yes, there will be sunshine, a chance to slow down, and all the rest, but there is serious stuff to be done and dusted while I am there.

For those of you who don't know, we run a Nursery School in London Corner, the poorest part of the sprawling town of Serrekunda, which is comprised of crippling poverty, corrugate, and broken dreams. We educate 90 children and feed them daily due to the generosity of people from Dumbarton, Helensburgh and beyond.

January is the usual time to negotiate rents, pay rises, bonuses, and teaching materials/resources, and my ten days will be full of meetings, lots of head shaking, and a few pleas for a taxi for Christmas! This year, too, will begin a hunt for alternative accommodation, as the building we operate from is in a pretty critical condition.

I will try to blog a diary when I'm there, depending on whether I get electricity or a WiFi connection that works properly!

It's with some sadness that I go. One of St Augustine's greatest stalwarts, May Thomson, died yesterday, and I will miss doing her funeral. Indeed, May, in her early eighties came with us to The Gambia to see the school, and managed to do a spot of unintended topless sunbathing! They still ask about the "Lady with the Laugh!"

Next Sunday, I'll be worshipping in St Andrew's Lamin, which is a three hour marathon, but worth every minute!

Gambian Tales

Nothing changes! I was met at Banjul airport by the tackiest taxi available! Not only did this one have no floor, but was short of a window or two! However, I'm consoled that the seatbelt works! This is a new law in The Gambia. You can drive the biggest wreck in the world as long as you have your seatbelt on, your triangle, and your fire extinguisher!

My regulat taxi driver, Babba, has lost his taxi, meantime. It is a complicated story, but most stories are here, and nothing cannot be solved with a little money. We'll see how things go. I have a jeep now, although the rear view mirror seems to be portable....  hold it up if you want to see what's behind you! As ever the tank is empty but it gobbles up the deisel.

This is Gambia, and dreadfully Third World. I am in a compound that is basic but good. The dog is a strange gray co;our. Gambian dogs are usually sand coloured, but this one is different, if a bit skelly-eyed! He looks after me. As I read my book at night on my 'balcony', I'm heartened to see the night watchman do his rounds. He has a magnificent machette! Woe betide anyone who wants to screw with Fr Kenny! I sleep well!

Dumbarton's Cup

Some years ago I started sponsoring and supporting a large group of lads in Brufut, in The Gambia. They had a large number of lads who were daft on football, but they had no kit, no jerseys, shorts, socks, boots. No nothing, except incredible skills.

Shortly afterwards, I approached Dumbarton Football Club, and they generously donated some old kit which was shipped out for my boys.

They changed their name to Dumbarton FC, and proudly wore the yellow and black, with a white jersey with blue trimmings as a second kit when colours clashed. The lads have done well ever since. I've watched them mature and grow, and rise in the Gambian leagues. They are now in a position where they are overseen by the Gambian Football Association, and must have certified officials to referee and run the line on their games.

They became, and still are Dumbarton daft. They look up their results when possible, and they even had special T-shirts printed with the Dumbarton crest on them. You can catch a glimpse behind the cup in the photo.

Yes! A trophy! This year they won the Gambian Combos Cup, and there was much celebration, as you can imagine. You can imagine too that the Dumbarton Kit is well worn and done.

Maybe Dumbarton FC will donate some more? Certainly, a Dumbarton FC in The Gambia, or anywhere else in the world, winning trophies is good news! We just need them to get into the yellow and black again. They are having to hire kit at the moment, and these guys really live in poverty. They charge 10 Dalasi, about 20p to watch their matches, and that just about covers referee fees and their membership of the GFA. Anything else they have to pay for out of their own meagre profits!

Any donations to help support this team are gratefully received!

Gambia 2011

It's been an unusual November, most of it spent in the sunshine and 30-40 degrees, and then back to monsoons in Dumbarton! The Gambia still holds that little bit of magic which means I always have a wee tear in my eye as the plane takes off from Banjul back to Manchester, but this year we found the school in terrific shape under our newish Teacher-in-Charge, Sulayman Saidy. Sulayman is a star and he certainly motivates both staff and pupils, and gets the best from both.

As always there was a great big list of needs and wants, and the Charity was in a position to give the needs rather than the wants! The children were in excellent form and their oral English has come on leaps and bounds. They couldn't all get in the picture, but we tried! One class at a time!

Raising money to keep this going, providing free food, medicine and free education for 90 kids requires a lot of effort, and anyone who wants to help with £5 a month is very welcome to join us. For those who do already, a couple of quid more every month would be like manna from heaven.

More of my time, this year, was holiday rather than work, since the school is obviously in good hands. Our Administrator, Helen Touray, does a wonderful job, and we are really grateful for her presence and expertise. 

The RW took some time off to indulge in her pet hate of snakes, yet managed to find a wonderful pal to ease her feelings of discomfort. This guy will only attack if he thinks he can eat you whole, so the RW was quite safe!

It was a great opportunity to spend some time in St Andrew's Lamin, who link with St Auggie's, and to show the weather, and the newly painted Church Hall, I add this pic!

This is opposed to what we came home to in Dumbarton....

For two days, Archie hasn't needed the River Clyde to swim in!

However, it's home to reality and a backlog of work that is frightening the pants off me! Will I make it to Christmas? Only if you postpone it to January!

The Week of the Dead

After All Saints and All Souls, and printing sheets off for next Sunday when we have Remembrance Sunday, it seems to feel like a fair old week for the dead, and I'm feeling half dead myself. It's been a busy week, getting everything prepared for my 19 days in The Gambia.

Preparing to take time off from the parish is a fairly arduous task, if you are obsessed, as I am, that things will run perfectly when you are not here! Of course everything is going to be just fine, but I check and double check, and drive folk crazy as I repeat instruction after instruction, fifteen times over. "And remember to.... "

Personal preparation is much less intense. I tend to be a pack-ten-minutes-before-we-leave sort of guy, which drives the RW a little crazy too. I have little room for clothes anyway, as the case is half full of pencils, pens, erasers, dictionaries etc etc, and some football tops for the boys in the village. Two personal requests this time too....  a box of Basilica incense and haggis! Whether the haggis is allowed through customs or not will be interesting, as we don't have a pet passport for the wee thing.

So, having been run off my wee feet for the last week, I'm looking forward to seeing the kids at our school, and haggling wage rises, terms and conditions with the teaching staff. This usually takes about five days!

At least our kids in The Gambia are creative. Hallowe'en in the Rectory didn't happen! Nobody came to the door, and the RW was tempted to eat all the goodies herself. This is different, it seems, in douce Helensburgh, where my friend Big Rab had a procession of guysers at the door telling jokes. They are articulate in Helensburgh.

"What's invisible and smells of carrots? - A rabbit's fart!"

"What do you call a Spanish footballer with no legs? - Grassy ass!"

"What does the devil keep between his legs? - Great balls of fire!"

The average age of the comedians was about eight.

Gambia in Bristol

Off to Bristol tonight for a very important meeting which involves many little lives in The Gambia. For nine years now we have been running, not supporting, but running a wee Nursery School in London Corner in Serrekunda, one of the most shocking areas of poverty I have had  the misfortune to witness. During that time almost 400 weans have been offered free schooling, a feeding programme and free medical care due to the generosity of people from my parish and much further beyond.

There is the opportunity to "go big" and join with an English charity in providing a more holistic educational experience in a complex some walking distance from our own rented accommodation. It all makes sense, but abandoning London Corner after so many years, and especially when things are going so well, will be a tough decision to make.

So, I ask you for your prayers tonight, for me and the ninety children who are educated daily in Serrekunda. It's going to be a tough call!

Dumbarton/London Corner School. The Gambia

Some film from our trip to The Gambia in January has just come my way. This is a short clip of the kids in our school out there on their annual trip. Dancing at school was never like this in my day! More information about the school and our commitment to it can be found HERE.

On the trip, the kids were being shown all the different musical instruments of their country, and as soon as the music started there was no stopping them!

Dumbarton/London Corner School has been "on the go"  for around seven years, and we now provide free schooling, a free feeding programme and free medical care for 90 students, and employ 5 teachers, two cooks, and two watchmen. It requires around £1200 per month to keep it all going, but with donations from folk like you we keep it financed - just!

One-off donations can be made HERE.

Catching Up

Well, it was a successful trip to The Gambia, and long meetings had favourable outcomes. I think they all felt sorry for me! In effect, I could have been home in three days if I'd known that things were going to go so well, but flights are hard to change without massive financial penalties. The Gambian School is secure for another three years at least, and everyone is happy about that..... even the landlord!

Left with a few days on my own, I realised for the first time that The Gambia is not the most hospitable place to be in September. (November until April is beautiful and much cooler) The rainy season has not quite spluttered out yet, temperatures are muggy and OTT, and mosquito laden puddles are still in evidence, some blocking roads that I needed access to, (I don't know all the alternatives yet), and of course most tourist establishments still closed because the season doesn't start until the end of October. Mother Nature put a couple of incredible thunder storms together for my amusement and entertainment, but it wasn't quite up to the standard of the local drumming and singing which usually keeps me entertained.

So, home! An agreement in my hand which makes me feel a bit like Neville Chamberlain, and the headache of 10 days of email and correspondence to catch up with. I really should have spent more time in the internet cafe when I was over there!

I had expected the new hall to be totally completed, but alas there are still things to be done. This isn't going to stop us having our Centre of the World Party tomorrow night. John McFall, our MP, is all set to cut the ribbon with Hannah, (Dumbarton's revered community member), and then it's down to good food and entertainment, served in the best new hall in the world!

Snagging will begin on Monday!

Synod

I'm not a great lover of Diocesan Synod. People who know me are aware of this, and know that I go simply because I have to. The agenda today was far from dramatic, and there was little chance of anyone falling out dramatically.

My attention today was fixated by "Mercy Ships", and the presentation on their work, mostly in West Africa. I have witnessed their work in Banjul, The Gambia, and know what sort of effect they have, first hand, on the people of that country. The Bishop has made Mercy Ships the recipient of his Diocesan Lent Appeal, and I applaud his decision.

However, today, something was not quite right. We had seen the most horrific images from West Africa then retired quite unperturbed to lunch which was extremely beautiful and probably cost the Diocese an arm and a leg. I know the money we spent today on lunch would go a long way on a Mercy Ship!

We could easily have put on soup and bread, and nobody would have starved. It would have been even more apt if we had been given a bowl of rice and a little sauce, possibly peanut, to keep us alive during the afternoon session.

This is unlikely to happen as we seem keen to lavish money on Diocesan events. And I'll be wrong again and get flack.

The Dean, eruditely reminded us of the whole Eco problem and how we could cut down on our waste of energy and show an example to the world.

When I take photos of Gambians living in mudhuts without a proper water supply, I wonder when the western church is going to wake up to showing an example. Perhaps for the next year or so we should budget for the norm, take the cheapest option, and give the balance to Mercy Ships? I'm sure many would approve!

Tripping Off....

After a wonderful weekend at St Augustine's, with the baptism of wee John Hardie, it's been a hectic week preparing to go off to The Gambia! The school out there is in trouble, with West African floods seriously undermining the foundations of our school building, and then there are the usual staffing problems that always need to be addressed. Nothing dreadful, but we probably need two new teachers fast!

One of the things that our school is committed to is training our teachers to the highest standards. They, therefore, can be "stolen" away by the bigger schools who want highly qualified teachers and who can pay more and give benefits which we can only dream about giving. "That's life", as they say in France.

It's certainly not going to be a holiday, but at least the work will be getting done in sunshine. :-)

I'll be back on the 13th for the Parish Production of The Wizard of Augz, following the monobloc road to wherever the other side of the rainbow is, or something like that! My tin man suit will be waiting for me, but I think I'd rather have the red shoes! Well, if the Pope can wear them.......

Below, the RW celebrates my coming departure.

Back in the Real World...

After a good morning and a fairly emotional ending to the Conference - (yes, it was THAT good) - it's back to reality with a funeral this morning and sheets to prepare for the next three Sundays. 

For it's off to Kefalonia we go early Sunday morning for a fortnight in the Greek sunshine, and chill, chill, chill. The RW and I need the break, it's been over a year since we've had a proper break together, and the Greek Islands are our favourite bolt-hole. Glad Greece won at the footie yesterday, because there will be a decided interest in all things World Cup, and I'll maybe get to catch some of the "important" games when I'm away.

Archie is staying in the house with a dog-sitter, but Peanut is off to Auntie Maggie's. The worrying thing is that we haven't seen the Silent Assassin for over 24 hours, and it's not like her to stay away so long. After losing Toastie it would be a devastating blow to lose the cat too, but I tell myself that she's bound to turn up soon.

Last night was a Gambia meeting and some tough decisions had to be made about the school over there. I'm afraid that cut-backs will have to be made and our teaching staff need to be streamlined a bit more. The free education, feeding and health care will be unaffected, but we need to reassess just how many teachers we actually need. So changes will be made before the new term begins.

I'm feeling calmer and much more settled after this week's Conference. In many ways it has had a profound effect on me, and although I still need my hols, I'm really looking forward to getting back and torn in again in July!

Brain Across the Sahara

Re-entering the world after a trip to The Gambia has always been a problem for me. Living in the Third World, not as a tourist, even for a week, always has a profound effect on me and at the moment, although my body is here in Dumbarton, my soul and brain have still to catch up. They are still floating somewhere over the Sahara!

Our little school in Serrekunda needed a visit, really to sort out staffing problems. When you are totally responsible for a school, rather than just a sponsor, there are all sorts of employer/employee issues, and some of these can only be done in person. I had a busy and stressful week, but things are sorted, again, and after a plethora of meetings and informal discussions, I can see ways of taking the next step in development, and providing a larger more holistic model for the school and what we provide. Much work lies ahead, but it will be worth it for the children.

And all this is for the children. All ninety of them. Even after nine years, I continue to be shocked by the conditions they live in and the poverty which is accepted and endured with smile and song. We now have a new Principal Teacher who has great energy, lots of vision, a good track record, and excellent qualifications. That's a big help, but without our regular contributors, none of it would happen.

Leaving is always a drag! Below, a little film of my last minutes in the school before getting off to the airport. The words are simple: "Fadda Kenny Bye Bye!" Ignore the "tubab" in the striped shirt! He's just an old dreamer who is working hard for us out there! Thanks to him and the indefatigable Helen for all they do for Dumbarton London Corner Nursery!

Holidays!

Whey! Off to the sunny Greek Island of Lesbos later this evening for two weeks of total relaxation. It's been a while since the RW and I have had a two week holiday on our own, and Gambia doesn't count cos that can be hard work!

We love Rhodes, and have been told that if we love Rhodes we'll love Lesbos, so it's with great expectation that we travel! Those who want to see where we are staying can view a wee film clip here. Wouldn't Archie just love it?

The pets are all ready to go, as the Rectory-keeper doesn't want the responsibility of looking after all the family!

Now, it's a case of running about like a blue-bummed fly to get all the loose ends tied up!

See you all in a fortnight!

The Weekend After

Usually it takes me a few days before my head catches up with my body after a trip to The Gambia. For several days my head hangs over the Sahara, and eventually body and soul and mind come together again. It's that sort of place.

For some reason, this year, probably because it was the beginning of Advent on Sunday, the first weekend back was complete overload! Friday night saw our annual Pantodine in church, this year Augadoon, (rather than Brigadoon), and we all had a part to play. Thankfully my role didn't require me to learn the words, and I read from my script perfectly! It was a great night as ever, with ham acting, a beautiful meal, and a bishop rolling in the aisles with laughter. The RW played the Good Fairy perfectly, but there was a cast of star performances.

Saturday saw us engage with serious stuff, sitting down and working out our plans for our Mission Action Plan, as required by the Diocese. Anne Tomlinson was wonderful, as always, affirming the things we are doing well, and pointing us in the sort of direction we could be growing into in the next year. It was a good session, and it gives us lots to work on, and maybe we made a good start with an incredibly emotional Healing Service on Sunday evening. Almost 40 folk attended, most of whom weren't regulars, and the feedback has been very positive.

So, Advent Sunday, the start of a New Year for the Church was maybe the beginning of something which we will be building on, and looking ahead to a special service on Wednesday, when we'll be hosting a Service of Remembrance in St Aug's for those who have died as a result of addiction. More tears are expected, but we hope and pray that they will be tears of healing.

New Hall

It feels like one step forward and two steps back, most of the time.

We are now proclaiming that the "Opening Party" will be on October 3rd. This will be our third attempt at choosing a date, and we ARE having the party! The inside work is really complete and has been for two weeks or so now, we just can't get access, although some little things need to be done. It would be nice to have the gas urn fitted, to give us hot tea, and if this could be done, plus the connection of the new cooker, I would overlook the niceties, like having white boards and notice boards etc mounted. Or even the hall cupboards being built!

Our chairs, due to be delivered last Monday have still to arrive, (I'm told today that they want the money first), and tables should be on their way. Aye! Maybe.

The fact that I'm in The Gambia from 21st-30th September doesn't bode well for the run up to October 3rd, but I have faith that when I return on the 30th the exterior will have been transmogrified!

And the phone line might still be working!

Disappointed!

This is one of my lads from The Gambia. Another in the background with an old Dumbarton top.

He's going to be disappointed today!

However, I'm delighted that Partick Thistle Nil put away another three points today, at Cappielow, no less!

C'mon the Harry Wraggs! We can still win this league!

Fr Jimmy is a Big Shot at Last!

During the closing service of Gambia Diocesan Synod-2010. Fr James Cole, was appointed by the Bishop as a non residential Canon of the Cathedral of St Mary's, Banjul.

Congratulations, Fr Jimmy, from all your friends and admirers in Dumbarton!

Birthday

Had a nice wee 55th birthday yesterday, despite the fact that the RW decided to take a day off too! This means cleaning and going out for lunch and lugging furniture around, but she did buy me the most beautiful Italian linen jacket, "for the summer". As the heavy snowflakes continue to fall outside my window, I remember the fact that I've always been in The Gambia through January for eight years now, and I've missed my dose of winter sun! I can't wait until summer, so I've put the jacket away for Easter Day, in the hope.....

The new rectory will, hopefully get a boiler fitted today, and hot water at last! Yesterday saw a bit of a setback when the joiner, who is "fixing" things, put a screw through a water pipe right above the man who was putting up a new living room ceiling. I didn't cry. I'm getting used to it! We got someone in to view the current Rectory, and we will continue to have high hopes that they'll buy it! One has to live in hope!

As I type, three dogs are sitting or lying at my feet wanting out for a run. I look at the snowflakes and think a wee visit to the new house is preferable. Living in hope doesn't always mean you get what you want!