During the February half term holiday a group of sixth form students and teachers from Matravers School visited The Gambia to continue their traditional links with the village of Gunjur.
As the group stepped off the plane the heat of the late afternoon sun hit them and they all knew that this was the start of a great adventure.
As they were welcomed by the Gambians from Gunjur they felt overwhelmed and the differences between England and The Gambia became clear, not only the weather was clearly different, there were deeper cultural difference that became obvious.
After a minibus ride through towns and into villages, they reached the lodge where they would be staying. As soon as they got off the bus children ran towards them, grabbing hands, smiling and very excited. After further introductions and greetings they were shown to their rooms. Much had changed since the previous year and the small rooms now included a tap with running water, a shower and a flushing toilet.
Throughout the week they had many exciting opportunities to both learn about the Gambian’s culture, and to relax and have fun. Some of the best nights were had dancing around the campfire and playing with the children.
They also spent two days at the upper basic school, which Matravers has a link with. This was a fantastic opportunity to see how the lessons differed from home and everyone was surprised to find that the topics covered were similar to the topics covered back home. Teachers from Matravers taught lessons and showed students about documentary photography, and the photographic results will be exhibited in this year’s Westbury art festival.
The group also visited the local hospital, a nature reserve, national museum, reptile sanctuary and the capital Banjul.
The final day was the hardest, saying goodbye to all of the children and the Gambians that had taken such good care of all the group; cooking food, keeping all entertained and being the group’s guides for the week. These memories will stay with the students for the rest of their lives.
If you would like to find out more about the Gambian link please visit www. matravers.wilts.sch.uk or contact David Oakley, Gambian Link Co-Ordinator at Matravers.
