19/1/2011  

I received an email from Kate with some information on the Gambia in general and the GIG (Gambia is good) program which is a pro-poor fresh produce marketing company set up to enable local farmers to sell directly to local hotels, restaurants and supermarkets.  

  

At the moment I am not sure what my volunteer placements will involve but as time passes and the local community understand my skills and what I can do an appropriate placement will be found for me.  

It was decided last year that the Gambia would be a good place for me to volunteer but it`s not until now that we need to sort out my placement.
The thing is I have done my CRB check and I am frantically saving up my money but it was only when I received the email from Kate that it really dawned on me what I have let myself in for!
I had volunteered once before with people and places, 4 years ago, and you would think I would be cool with the prospect of doing it again, but that doesn`t stop the butterflies, and the worrying, and the anticipation!  

21/1/2011  

Received another email from Kate outlining the things I need to do i.e. doctors note, insurance etc and she forwarded reports from previous volunteers. Although they did tasks such as I.T, teaching and admin, which are not my areas of expertise, it gave me an idea of the work being done in The Gambia.  

Finding out that there are frequent power outages and everything runs on African time was no surprise, I had volunteered in South Africa after all!