Newsletter editor – Nigel sends news from his volunteer placement in The Gambia

The Domoda in the title is the name of a meal we ate last night, it`s rice and fish with peanut sauce served in a large bowl, everyone sits around the bowl and eats with their right hand (very important this!) spoons were supplied but I resisted using one so I ended up wearing most of it!
The land crab joined us after our meal; there are loads around at this time of year apparently, the local kitten showed a keen interest but fortunately thought better of it!

The hole has finally been dug, Musa and myself started on it this morning and another guy joined us later and between the three of us we managed to dig a hole 1.6 metres deep by 1.3 metres in diameter, in damp clay, in horrendous heat and humidity.
As soon as the materials arrive on site we will line the hole with cement and put a large plastic container in it. This will have a pipe fitted to it to enable it to be filled with rotting vegetable’s which will produce methane that will be stored in another tank and used for cooking in the kitchen at Sifoe farmyard.
It will be interesting to see how it all comes together as I am no expert as this sort of technology, but Musa is and he has been trying to explain it all to me.

Tomorrow being Wednesday I will get the chance to meet the all the guys who work at the GIG farmyard as this is the day they all work together instead of on their own farms. Of course this should have happened last week but I wasn`t here then, thanks Air Maroc!