Edu PST 2010; Swear-in.

PICTURES

(in order from top to bottom)

1. The new volunteers.

2. The new volunteers and I.

3. The Mariama Kunda group!

4. The Madiana group!

5. The Yuna pair!

6. and 7. the new volunteers.

8. The response volunteers.

9. Training staff.

10. - 17. At the swear-in ceremony.

18. The trainers.

19. - 21. Volunteers and I.

22. - 24. Down by the beach.

They did it! Two months ago, a group of 16 new trainees arrived in The Gambia, wondering which langauge they were going to speak and worrying about when their next shower was going to be. Now they are hardened volunteers, speaking a local language and taking bucket-baths without even a second thought. They all bought matching fabric for their swear-in ceremony, which was a dazzling event (photos above). They are now all on their ways to their separate sites and I will dearly miss them here in Kombo. The school year will start up again soon, which will keep these new all-star volunteers hard at work until they have to travel in again for continued training after their first three months of service. As for me, I will be taking a little vacation to visit family in the US and then start up some projects of my own at my new school in Tanji when I return! The times are ever-exciting!