The Gambia

VOLUNTEER ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION

Environment/Agriculture

Country:

(Post Name)
Program: Environment/Agriculture
Job Title: Environment PCVs

Dates of Service: December 2014 December 2016

Staging Dates: *October 14, 2014
(in the USA)
Pre-Service Training
(in The Gambia): October 16, 2014 December 12, 2014
*dates subject to change

AA110 = 2036BR
AA117 = 2035BR

This document is intended to give an overview of the project you are invited to work on in the
Peace Corps. For more detailed information about The Gambia and living there, please read the
Welcome Book via the link included with your invitation and check out the related Web sites
referenced in the welcome book.

For further information about serving as an Environment/Agriculture PCV in The Gambia, call
the Country Desk Officer for The Gambia at Peace Corps headquarters in Washington, D.C.,
(9AM to 5PM, EST):
Toll-free: 1-855-855-1961, press 1, then extension 2307;
or directly at (202) 692-2307
or via email at TheGambia@Peacecorps.gov

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A Note from Your Program Manager for Environment

Dear Peace Corps Invitee,
It is with pleasure that I write you this invitation to The Gambia - West Africa's "Smiling Coast."
Like most developing countries, The Gambia has limited resources. Agriculture, mainly peanut
farming, is the mainstay of the economy. Over the years, tourism has also become a significant
foreign exchange earner for the country. Other characteristics typical of a developing country
include high illiteracy rates, especially among females, low per-capita expenditure on
environmental protection and management, inadequate environmental education and
awareness and inadequate investment in the agriculture and natural resources sector for
sustainability.
Despite the primary role of the agriculture and natural resources sector in the economy, its
performance and share in most key socio-economic indicators in the past decade have not been
consistent, and in some years, performance in production stagnated or even declined. This has
been attributed to a combination of factors including the following; adverse climatic conditions,
declining international agricultural commodity prices; soaring prices of food commodities and
essential production inputs; inadequate domestic policies, institutional support and investment
in the sector, particularly roads and equipment.
The predominantly agrarian rural population, which was 91% in 1963, has continuously been
decreasing, averaging around 49% presently (2003 Population and Housing Census). The data
indicates that the active farming population as a proportion of the national population has been
shrinking. From the Population and Housing Census 2003, it is evident that more females have
been involved in agricultural activities (nearly 80%) than males (around 60%). About 60% of the
population is under 25 years of age.
Peace Corps The Gambias Environment/Agriculture project seeks to improve the quality of life
of Gambian Community farmers and protect their environment through improving their food
production and environmental management practices. The focus of the project is on women,
children and youth, because they suffer most from food insecurity and environmental
degradation.
The majority of Environment PCVs are assigned to rural areas where they live with host
families. This places you in an advantageous position to observe and to see the food production
and storage practices in your community and note both the good and bad practices, as well as
to offer timely advice or solutions. Some PCVs, depending on the number of partner institution
requests, are placed in institutions (NGOs, CBOs, agencies or departments) that are working in

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relevant areas of our project plan goals and objectives. PCVs are placed with these institutions
based on their skills, interests and experience.
Among other things, Environment PCVs:

Train and support the community to implement improved food production and
storage techniques.
Conduct regular farmer-field schools at selected farms with follow-up monitoring
and evaluation visits.
Work with community partners to establish and maintain tree nurseries and
woodlots.
Create school environmental/agricultural clubs or reanimate existing, stagnant
school environmental clubs.
Train and support the community to implement environmental awareness programs
and sustainable natural resource management activities.

The opportunities are endless. All that is required is your willingness to adapt, and be openminded and flexible. With your qualifications and background, you can contribute immensely
to improving the quality of life for many Gambians.
We look forward to having you here.
My best wishes to you.
Saikou Njai
Environment Program Manager

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PEACE CORPS The Gambia HISTORY

Peace Corps volunteers have been working in The Gambia since 1967 in a variety of different
programs. Currently there are approximately 90 Volunteers working with Gambian
counterparts in the national development priority areas of environment/agriculture, education
and health. You have been invited to the environment/agriculture program because we believe
you have the skills and education that, when coupled with resourcefulness, flexibility, patience
and perseverance will enable you to make a positive contribution to the development of The
Gambia.
As you may know by now, The Gambia is one of Africa's smallest and poorest countries. Over
the past 40 years a combination of rapid population growth, low rainfall and unsustainable
exploitation of the natural resource base, coupled with a low environmental awareness, have
caused a dramatic decline in agricultural production and severe environmental degradation.
This has resulted in impoverishment and food insecurity.
Peace Corps/The Gambia's environment/agriculture project is being implemented to increase
food production, arrest the current trend of environmental degradation, increase awareness of
environmental problems and promote sustainable land use practices. The program seeks to
improve the quality of life in rural communities by working with them on agro-forestry, crop
production, horticulture and management of natural resources.
Environmental and natural resource management efforts began in earnest in The Gambia with
the Banjul Declaration of 1977. This declaration was the first government policy to recognize
environmental degradation and the ramifications it had on society. In 1991, The first Gambia
Environmental Action Plan (GEAP I) was adopted. In June 2010, the second Gambia
Environmental Action plan (GEAP II) and The Gambia State of the Environment Report (SOER)
were launched. These documents recognized that deforestation, environmental degradation
and the associated decline in food production were major national problems; they also
provided the framework for Peace Corps The Gambias (PCTG) environment/agriculture
programming focus. Recently, through consultation with many of our partners and volunteers
we have reviewed the Peace Corps role in the Gambia and revised our project goals to align
with the priorities of the government of The Gambia and the realities of volunteer work in the
field.

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YOUR PRIMARY DUTIES

As an environment/agriculture PCV, your assignment may involve working with counterpart(s)
to:

Train community members in the use of community assessment tools, to discover

community assets, resources, and needs prioritization.

Facilitate community discussion concerning techniques for increasing yield and

variety of crops.

Train and support the community to implement improved food production

techniques, with community partners taking leadership roles.

Conduct regular farmer-field schools at selected farms with follow-up monitoring

and evaluation visits.

Study alternative rural water lifting and irrigation technologies for efficient garden
management.

Train and support the community to implement improved storage techniques and
create food and seed storage facilities, with community partners taking leadership
roles.

Build the capacity of garden masters to build and maintain school garden plots with
the assistance of students.

Encourage active student leadership within environmental clubs.

Train and support the community to implement environmental awareness programs

and sustainable natural resource management activities.

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OPPORTUNITIES FOR SECONDARY/ COMMUNITY PROJECTS

You will be encouraged to become involved in activities and community projects outside of
your regular responsibilities. Your involvement in these activities will greatly expand your
understanding of local culture and facilitate your integration into your communities. This is
possible whether you interpret your community as your immediate village, the surrounding
villages, or some group with whom you have become involved.
Being active in helping others help themselves is not only one of the three goals of Peace Corps,
but is the best way to make your stay here memorable, worthwhile and lasting, both to you and
to the people you touch. Funding for secondary activities can be sought with the help of your
program manager and program assistant.
Possibilities for secondary projects are limited only by the needs you discover and your
imagination. These include activities with out-of-school youth, sports, gender and development
programs, working with non-formal literacy groups, environmental education or helping your
community with a specfic development project. You may also be asked to tutor local teachers
in English or mathematics, or help children in your compound with their homework.

WORKING CONDITIONS
Available Resources:
Most environment/agriculture volunteers are assigned to the rural areas where resources are
limited, but where the majority of the population lives and also where the needs are greatest.
Volunteers seek out and work with a host of extension workers and community members.
There is need for creativity, flexibility and readiness to work with or improvise using locally
available materials. You will be able to take advantage of manuals and activity books that can
be provided by Peace Corps.
You will be expected to take the initiative to identify the most appropriate interventions in your
project area, taking into consideration your own background, the needs identified in your initial
assessments, and the advice of local officials and your colleagues.
You will be working with the opportunities you seize in your community rather than stepping
into a well-defined situation. Your motivation, willingness to work hard, and your ability to
work in an environment of ambiguity will be critical. Since the grass-roots approach of the
Peace Corps is unique in the world of international development, it may take time for your
colleagues and community contacts to understand the assistance you are providing and the role
you play as a volunteer. However, persevere, learn the culture and language, and your efforts
will pay off.

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Location of Job:
The project is being implemented in all the five administrative regions and the municipalities of
Banjul and Kanifing. Your work zone depends on your site. It may be a 10-15 kilometer radius
for those at the village level; you may also be assigned to institutions, NGOs or other agencies
with region-wide or countrywide coverage. You will receive an all-terrain bicycle for travel to
the villages located in your work zone.

Working Hours:
You will be on duty 7 days a week. Your work schedule will be flexible, and will not necessarily
follow a typical American work schedule of Monday through Friday, 9-5. Often work in rural
villages will be in the early morning or late afternoon (when the sun is not at its hottest). At
institutions or similar agencies, you may have more structured work hours. Programs and
workshops can often be held on the weekends. With this great amount of flexibility, it will
often be up to you to be both motivated and act responsibly in order for projects to be
successful.
You will work with agriculture and forestry staff and others, including other government and
non-government staff and community members, depending on the project(s) being
implemented and/or the institution or agency to which you are assigned. You may not be
supervised on a day-to-day basis, but will be responsible to the supervising officer of the
institution.
The program manager for environment/agriculture, program assistant
environment/agriculture and other Peace Corps staff will provide program direction.

Cultural Attitudes and Customs in the Workplace:

The Gambia is culturally and religiously mixed, with about seven major tribes. Muslims
comprise 85%, Christians 14% and traditional animists 1% of the population. Each of the ethnic
and religious groups has its own distinct culture and traditional practices, although the
differences are not readily discernible due to intermarriage, urbanization, modernization and
assimilation.

As a volunteer living and working in a culture very different from your own, you will need to
take time to observe your work environment, whether it is in an office or in the field. Western
norms for achieving immediate success and short-term goals are often not the driving force in
the workplace. Your ability to foster change and realize success and progress towards
incremental goals will take patience, flexibility, focus, sensitivity and motivation. Your preservice training program will provide you with both insight and understanding, to enable you to
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integrate well, be trusted, strive for change and be engaged in worthwhile and satisfying
projects.

Dress Code:
Volunteers must be aware that dressing appropriately is extremely important in Gambian
society. To help you to be taken seriously at work, you should dress relatively smartly and
professionally. Dressing inappropriately may make your counterparts not readily accept you at
work, and for women, may attract unwanted attention. For both men and women, T-shirts and
loose fitting pants are acceptable for extension work. For meetings and other professional
gatherings, particularly at institutions and in the Banjul area, collared shirts, long pants, long
dresses, skirts, slacks and Gambian dresses are recommended. Flip-flops, shorts and jeans and
T-shirts that are torn or have holes are not acceptable.

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TRAINING FOR YOUR JOB

In preparation for your assignment, you will join an eight-week pre-service training, phase-one
of a three-phase training program. The training will begin immediately upon your arrival in The
Gambia and will include personal health and safety, local language, and cross-cultural and
technical skills that you will need to conduct your work.
Local language and cross-cultural training will facilitate your integration into the community
and enable you to live and work with Gambians. Cross-cultural training is designed to increase
your awareness of cultural norms and codes of behavior of the society, and to enrich your
understanding of the history, economics, literature, and arts of West Africa and The Gambia.
Throughout your pre-service training program, you will undergo continual formal and informal
assessment of your adaptation, motivation, technical and language competencies, cultural
sensitivity, and overall suitability for volunteer service in The Gambia. You will be invited to be
sworn-in as a Peace Corps Volunteer only upon satisfactory completion of the objectives of preservice training.
At the end of your pre-service training, you will be expected to have an American Council on
the Teaching of Foreign Language (ACTFL) level-2 proficiency in your requisite language to serve
as a volunteer. A level-2 indicates that you can engage in superficial discussions on current
events, can talk about yourself, your family and your work, and can handle limited work
requirements like giving simple instructions, explanations and descriptions. Pronunciation at
this level should always be intelligible. You should also be able to construct simple sentence
patterns with accuracy. As unbelievable as you may find it now, most trainees easily attain this
level after their pre-service training.
Pre-service training is conducted at the end of the rainy season when the weather is still very
humid and hot but will starting cooling down by the end of Pre-service training. Pre-service
training is community-based, conducted mainly in villages. You will live with a Gambian host
family. You will have formalized language training, daily interaction with your host family, and
be assigned cultural and technical exercises emphasizing community involvement. These
experiences will be complemented by a series of technical, personal health and safety and
cross-cultural seminars at Massembe Training Center. The seminars allow you to meet trainees
from the different training villages and compare ideas, progress and experiences.
The Training center has simply-furnished rooms and most facilities will be shared with other
trainees. During the training period, you will attend a workshop at which you will meet a
representative of your community or institution you will work with. This will be followed by a
site visit for a few days to see your new house, meet your host family and become familiar with
the area in which you will work for the rest of your stay.
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You will be provided with information and skills that will enable you to best apply your previous
education and experiences to the Gambian context. Pre-service training will include orientation
and technical training, as well as community needs assessment techniques. It will also provide
you with insight into the structure and functioning of the national agriculture and natural
resource system, policy and its main objectives. Training will also include assignments such as
gardening, tree nursery preparation, composting, making organic pesticides, surveys on
different tree species and their uses, and preparing and teaching environmental education
lessons and learning aids.
Phase two of your training will be at your new work site, where you will meet your counterparts
and practice the skills you have learned as well as those you brought with you. During phase
three, after approximately three months, you will come together again as a group, to reflect on
your experiences and further develop your expertise. During your two years of Peace Corps
service, you will attend in-service trainings to upgrade your skills and to promote the
integration of your activities with those of other volunteers through cross-sectoral activities
such as HIV/AIDS prevention and control, gender equality and womens empowerment, and
environment education issues.

LIVING CONDITIONS
Housing: Houses in rural areas are usually made of mud block and are round with thatched
roofs. They are generally situated in or near a family compound which contains several other
such houses. In towns, cement-block (rectangular or square), two-room houses, with
corrugated tin roofing are more common. Volunteers posted in larger towns normally live in a
compound for renters or in a family compound. Volunteers who live in the capital area may
have a similar arrangement, or some may share a house with another volunteer. For Americans
who value their privacy, these living arrangements are often one of the more difficult, but
important aspect of community integration.
Water & Electricity: Most villages do not have potable tap water or electricity. Potable water
is usually obtained from deep wells in family compounds or from a nearby concrete-covered,
manually-pumped, communal well. Where there is no electricity, candles, flashlights, kerosene
and/or gas lamps are the sources of night-time lighting. Telephone service is now available in
or near most villages, but is erratic and unreliable. Cell phones are widely used, although
network coverage also varies from area to area.

Transportation: Public transportation is often crowded and unreliable. Some shoving and
pushing to get on board is not unusual. Public buses and saloon passenger vehicles (vans) are
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the primary means of travelling to and from your site and to the Peace Corps office. They can
be hailed along the main road or at car parks. For very short hauls from one village to another,
you may travel by donkey or horse-drawn cart, or choose to bike or walk. You will have a bike
at your disposal for work-related activities, as you may be working in two or more villages.
Food & Diet: The staple food item in the Gambian diet is rice. Cereal supplements include
sorghum and coose, which is similar to millet. Corn (maize) can be found in village markets.
Depending on the time of year, vegetables, fish and meat may be difficult to find in rural areas.
Strict vegetarians will have a difficult time maintaining their dietary restrictions, but some
manage to do so on a relatively monotonous diet of rice and beans or lentils, plus vitamin
supplements.
Imported canned or packaged foods can be obtained from retail shops in larger towns or
Banjul. You can pay for a daily lunch bowl (which most volunteers do) or fix your own meals, if
you like cooking. If you plan to prepare your own meals you will want to bring some "must
have" items such as your favorite packaged sauces for rice and spaghetti, a knife sharpener and
any other item you can't do without in the kitchen.
Living Allowance: You are expected to live as close to the level of your Gambian colleagues as
possible. You will be paid a living allowance which is adequate to pay your monthly house rent
and purchase food, clothing, other essentials, as well as travel expenses.
Mail: Mail service is fairly reliable. A two-week time range is projected to receive or send mail
to and from the U. S. but this may vary.
Tobacco & Alcohol: Smoking is not allowed in public places or on transport. Drinking alcohol
in your village, at work or religious gatherings is not advisable as The Gambia is predominantly
Muslim.
Safety & Security: When it comes to your safety and security in the Peace Corps, you have to
be willing to adapt your behavior and lifestyle to minimize the potential for being a target of
crime. While The Gambia is considered one of the safest countries in West Africa, volunteers
have experienced petty theft, pick pocketing, and home break-ins. You can reduce your risk by
avoiding situations that make you feel uncomfortable and by taking precautions. Crime at the
village or town level is less frequent than in the larger cities; people know each other and
generally will not steal from their neighbors. Tourist attractions, especially in large towns, are
favorite work sites for pickpockets.
Perhaps the single greatest risk to your safety in the Gambia is public transportation. While
public buses, taxis, and private vehicles are generally safe, many accidents occur in bush taxis.
Bush taxis are the main mode of transport for Gambians and may be the only type of local
transportation available to and from your community. Because of bad roads, poor auto
maintenance, and overloading, bush taxis are prone to breakdowns. During the rainy season,
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road conditions deteriorate and accidents are even more frequent. To minimize these risks,
volunteers are encouraged not to travel at night.
Pick-pocketing and bag-snatching most frequently occur in congested areas such as
marketplaces, bus terminals, ferry crossings, and while traveling on public transportation. Being
aware of your surroundings and projecting a confident attitude can reduce your chances of
becoming a victim of petty theft. Volunteers are safest in their host communities, where people
know them and value their contributions, but house break-ins sometimes occur when
volunteers are away from their residence. Remember to always lock your doors and windows,
even if you are leaving for just a short time.
Diversity Issues: In The Gambia, as in other Peace Corps host countries, volunteers behavior,
lifestyle, background, and beliefs are judged in a cultural context very different from their own.
Certain personal perspectives or characteristics commonly accepted in the United States may
be quite uncommon, unacceptable, or even repressed in The Gambia.
Outside of the Banjul area, residents of rural communities have had relatively little direct
exposure to other cultures, races, religions, and lifestyles. What people view as typical
American behavior or norms may be a misconception, such as the belief that all Americans are
rich and have blond hair and blue eyes. The people of The Gambia are justly known for their
generous hospitality to foreigners; however, members of the community in which you live may
display a range of reactions to the cultural differences that you present. To ease the transition
and adapt to life in The Gambia, you may need to make some temporary, yet fundamental,
compromises in how you present yourself as an American and as an individual.
Gambian women, especially in rural areas, have very traditional roles. As a result, North
American women may not be able to exercise the freedoms to which they are accustomed. In
addition, it is common for women to receive stares, comments, and requests for dates or sex.
Female volunteers develop a variety of creative strategies to handle these situations (as do
male volunteers who do not conform to the machismo image expected of them). Married
couples may find villagers surprised by their sharing of domestic chores.
Gambians may expect African-American volunteers to learn languages and adapt to the culture
quicker than other volunteers. African Americans may also sometimes be mistaken for Africans
and may experience impatience on the part of Gambians when they do not demonstrate
expected behavior. Asian, Arab, and Hispanic Americans may also be associated with their
ancestral origins rather than their American nationality. It is helpful to remember that these
reactions come from a simple lack of understanding and that they afford an opportunity to tell
Gambians more about the diversity of America. Older individuals are highly respected in The
Gambia, which is certainly a plus. But with this respect comes the expectation that senior
volunteers will have relatively more knowledge and experience. Because acquisition of a new
language is often more difficult for seniors, they may become frustrated with difficulties in
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communicating ideas important to them and may need to be assertive in developing an

effective individual approach to language learning. The Gambia is conservative by U.S.
standards, and many Gambians disapprove of homosexuality. Because of this, gay, lesbian, and
bisexual volunteers have not been able to be open about their sexual orientation. However,
Peace Corps/The Gambia provides an open and supportive atmosphere for gay, lesbian, and
bisexual volunteers, and there is an informal mutual-support organization of volunteers that
meets periodically. Peace Corps staff have received training on this issue.
The Gambia is overwhelmingly Muslim, with a small Christian minority. Although most
Gambians have little knowledge of other religions, there is a high degree of religious tolerance
in the country, and you will be free to practice your religion if that is important to you.
Occasionally, a Gambian friend may encourage you to explore or convert to Islam.

POTENTIAL CHALLENGES & REWARDS

Please reference the Welcome Book for more detailed information regarding diversity and
cross-cultural issues, and safety and security in the Peace Corps.
Peace Corps is not for everyone. Your work as a volunteer requires greater dedication and
commitment to serve than almost any other work environment. You must be confident, selfstarting, resourceful, sensitive, flexible, open, non-judgemental, able to establish successful
human relations at all levels, and interested in assisting The Gambia to change and develop in
beneficial ways. You must also be interested in increasing human understanding across
cultures. If you have the personal qualities needed to accept this challenge and can
demonstrate them in two years of service in The Gambia, you will have a rewarding, enriching,
and memorable experience, while making a much-needed contribution to the promotion of
sustainable, food production and natural resouce management practices.
Environment volunteers are usually posted up-country, living and working in villages or small
towns. Traditional community structure and indigenous languages remain intact and as a
volunteer you will have to understand a local language, integrate into a local community and
work within the confines of traditional village hierarchy in order to effect long-term, sustainable
change. In the beginning of your service you may feel out of place or isolated because of
language barriers or homesickness, or you may experience difficulties in adjusting to the culture
and the pace of life.
Your work situation may also present challenges and as a volunteer, you will inevitably confront
difficulties and experience frustration as you attempt to reach project goals. The lack of critical
resources, limited supervision and support from host country supervisors, different perceptions
of time and work, and the necessity of identifying your own counterparts and projects in the
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community are some of the obstacles to overcome.

On the other hand, the
Environment/Agriculture program allows some flexibility, allowing volunteers to work with
organizations and individuals to formulate projects and activities best suited to their needs.
Once embedded into the community, volunteers are required to consult with their program
manager on all possible projects.
As a Peace Corps volunteer you will confront many issues that you may not have encountered
before, including frequent deaths, HIV/AIDs, malaria and malnutrition, motor vehicle accidents
and other unintentional injuries, domestic violence and corporal punishment. It is important to
be aware of the high emotional toll that disease, death, and violence can have. As you strive to
integrate into your community, you will develop relationships with local people who might die
during your service. You will need to anticipate these situations and utilize supportive
resources available throughout your training and service to maintain your own emotional
strength, so that you can continue to be of service to your community.
Learning to live with these challenges, and with those whose views differ from your own, will
demand tremendous sensitivity on your part. The staff here will provide you with as much
support as possible to assist you to successfully navigate two years of Peace Corps service in
The Gambia. Your successful adjustment, however, will depend on your maturity, acceptance
and dedication. Your willingness to serve in smaller towns and villages and to sacrifice U. S.
standards of space and privacy in your living accommodations will be greatly appreciated by
your local friends.
It is essential that you work with counterparts so that tasks begun during your service will
continue after your departure. Your energy and motivation will not always be matched by that
of your colleagues. You will need to seek and find projects that will benefit from your skills,
motivation and ability to collaborate effectively with counterparts, so that you leave something
behind when your service ends. Your acceptance into and understanding of a different culture
and the acquisition of a second or even a third language will also be significant rewards.
Sometimes you will find yourself in situations that require an ability to motivate yourself and
your colleagues, and to take action with little guidance from supervisors. You may work for
some time without seeing any visible impact and without receiving much feedback on your
work. You must possess the self-confidence, patience and vision to continue working towards
long-term goals without seeing immediate results. Judging by the experience of former
volunteers, the peaks are well worth the difficult times, and most volunteers leave feeling that
they have gained much more than they anticipated during their service.
Even with the many economic, social, political and environmental problems confronting The
Gambia today, there is an atmosphere of excitement and hope. The changes occurring are
some of the most important in the country's modern history. To join Gambian people in this
effort, and to be part of this historically pivotal and defining moment, will be both fascinating
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and satisfying to any volunteer willing to work hard, be tolerant of ambiguity and give
generously of their time.
Despite the many unexpected challenges and frustrations, the potential is here for you to have
a very rewarding Peace Corps experience. Historically, volunteers who serve in The Gambia
have a safe, healthy and productive experience. The Gambian people are famous for their
warmth and hospitality - they are truly the country's greatest asset and will make your service a
most rewarding experience, one in which you will learn much about another culture and its
people, and much more about yourself.
You were selected because we believe you have the skills and education to serve as an agent of
change, as well as the flexibility, maturity and resourcefulness to handle the challenges of living
in a developing country. Your assignment will be challenging, but will present exceptional
opportunities for professional and personal growth, as well as for a rewarding volunteer
experience.

COMMENTS FROM VOLUNTEERS

In the Gambia, every day is an adventure. Its hard to know what to expect when you step out
of your hut in the morning, even if you have plans. On an ordinary day, if you can call it that,
you may find yourself doing a little work on three different projects, helping your family
through their everyday chores, meeting new people, and being perplexed by yet another local
custom or cultural practice. It can be very hard to plan things here, which requires you to be
flexible and resourceful when it comes to getting things done.
Each day I awaken early and do the daily morning routine. Open my door and greeting my
family itself can take twenty minutes; Gambian families tend to be large and most of them will
be up before you. While collecting water, washing, watering the garden, and preparing
breakfast, I try to think about what I would like to work on for the day. Some days its
preparing a tree nursery, sometimes its a long day in the garden or possibly a trip to nearby
village to chat with the women about selling vegetables at the loumo and other topics.
Possibly, I will spend the whole day around the compound with the family, playing with the
boys, sharing gardening tips with my host mothers, or going out to collect firewood with the
men. Oftentimes a friend will come by to greet me, never with any warning. But greetings are
very important in Gambian society, so the work comes to a halt as I offer my friend a drink and
sit with them to chat for a while.
Mothers from nearby compounds visit often to pick moringa leaves from my backyard, which
they will use to make an herbal tea that is high in vitamins. This can lead to an impromptu
Health talk, a follow-up trip to teach them even more ways to improve their diet, and possibly
an invitation to come have dinner with the neighbors. Sometimes its frustrating how even
though I pass out moringa seeds often, the women dont seem interested in growing their own
trees. But when I think about it, all the trips to my trees keep me busy and provide
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opportunities to talk to people and experience more of the culture. The seeds will still be there
after I leave, and maybe they will plant them later. For now, the visits are fun.
After noon, it can get really hot in up-country Gambia. If its too hot to work outside, there is
always something to fix, write up, or work on inside. Another way to pass the time is to grab a
spot on the local bantaba, a large wooden bench, and brew some attayah, a local tea, with the
men. These bantaba trips can be anything from a quiet time to reflect on your day, to a loud
and boisterous conversation with some of the elder men in town. Even in small villages, the
men often listen to their short-wave radios and have many opinions on the topics being
discussed. If the bantaba is empty, a walk in the bush can lead to some interesting finds, or
bush-fruit picking with my host brothers will provide our family and friends with a tasty local
treat. After the heat dies down there is usually a little time to get in a few more visits to
villagers or gardens, and then its back home to wash up before it gets dark.
Sunset transforms the village, as all the women who were out working and kids who were at
school all day return home. Mandinkas, the ethnic group I live with, are known for their
loudness, and the evenings are full of drum beats, shouting conversations, laughter, and music.
This is the best time to relax on my own and spend some time reading or writing letters to
friends back home. In the cold season, to Gambians, a fire is always lit and sitting around
sharing stories from America, or learning new proverbs and jokes in Mandinka can be another
great way to get the most out of the day even if there is no light.
Sometimes the days fly by, and sometimes they drag on and on, but each day has one thing in
common; I know that there will always be something new to learn from these people, or a new
thing to do with my family and friends here. Trying to plan out all my activities just wont work
here, but if I just get involved and try to be a part of my community, the opportunities and
adventures will come to me!
PCV Dan Niebler
Salaamalekum! When I signed up for Peace Corps, I knew there would be challenges, but just
as they teach us in training, there will be things that will challenge us in ways we never
imagined. My primary work has been working with the NGO AVISU in Kaur. I spend on average
30 hours a week at the office, but it varies a lot depending on what projects are going on, if
foreign donors or partner organizations are visiting, etc.
The last few months at AVISU have been very rewarding. A lot of the problems that I
encountered when I first started working at the office have been changed now, and so I feel like
the work I put in over the past months has really paid off. For the first 6 months I was there,
there was no management whatsoever. Soon after I got there, they hired a component head
for the Environment, Natural Resource and Agriculture Program (ENRAP) which they haven't
had in place for 2 years and whose job I was doing until now. The new component head started
a week before I came, and I spent a lot of time orienting him to the office, to his job and his role
and responsibilities. Over the next few months, I see my primary goal as working with him as
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my counterpart and capacitating him to fulfill his role in whatever ways are necessary. One
important area will be computer-training and report writing.
My main project with AVISU, aside from capacity-building and management work, has been to
start 4 tree nurseries at 4 of the community gardens AVISU supports. I worked with the ENRAP
field staff posted in each of the gardens to come up with a plan that involved the women in the
communities in taking ownership of the tree nurseries and making it as sustainable as possible.
So far, the nurseries have been a huge success and exceeded my expectations. The women are
taking excellent care of the seedlings, and we are letting them decide what they will do with the
trees when it comes time for out planting. Each garden has between 200 and 400 trees for a
total of around 1000.
I found that the best way to lead is by example. The harder I work at AVISU, the harder the
field staff works as well. It's also important to assign people responsibilities and follow up to
find out if the work was done. There is a lack of initiative and leadership at AVISU that I am
trying to change, and have seen change a lot already.
My main impact has been on AVISU and the staff I work with, because I feel like that is where I
can be most effective. Building the capacity of staff who understand the problems and culture
on the ground much better than I ever could and who will be here long after I'm gone is much
more sustainable than doing the work myself.
But I think my work with AVISU has had an impact on the communities in my area. I know that
the tree nurseries would not have happened if I hadn't really pushed for them and initiated the
work.
Kate Curl Peace Corps Volunteer, Kaur
The culture here in the Gambia is so rich and diverse and what is most exciting is that you actually get to
be a part of it. The more I am here, the more it feels like a complete rebirth. From the first days of
getting a Gambian name and dancing at your own naming ceremony, to saying your first words in the
local language, to gaining the respect of your village, to finishing up your project with tearful goodbyes,
you live a whole lifetime here in just a few short years. The best part about it is that you wake up one
morning and realize you are a completely different person, which may sound scary, but from now on you
can go out into the world with the confidence that you can adapt and reinvent yourself to accommodate
whatever challenges you may face.

Alexander Kent PCV IRD, Fajara

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My time in Peace Corps has, thus far, been one of the richest, most challenging experiences of my life.
The past year was filled with countless frustrations and feelings of helplessness, not to mention a daily
struggle with the Fula language. But at last, my efforts have paid off. I have established numerous
relationships within my village, lasting friendships with host family as well as work partners I will never
forget. While establishing these relationships are very important, I am most excited about the work that
is finally underway. With the help of my friends and family at home, the village of Konteh will have their
very own womens village garden!! I am so thankful for this amazing opportunity I was given and only
hope the village enthusiasm and continued trainings will keep this garden alive for many years to come.

Emily Gilland PCV Konteh CRR North

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