Focus-Gambia: Photographic Workshops in The Gambia, West Africa

Njongon - Village Life - on the North Bank of The Gambia

This is a full day tour in association with the PING charity http://www.pingcharity.co.uk with whom we are delighted to support in this venture.

We leave the hotel for a half hour journey to catch the 9.30 ferry from Banjul to Barra on the North Bank. The journey and the Ferry is an experience in itself, multitudes of people laden down with belongings and goods for sell; Lorries and cars are crammed in together with street vendors, shoe shine boys and water sellers. It is vibrant scene and a wonderful place to people watch - you might even see dolphins racing the boat.

It takes about an hour to reach the North Bank, where we leave any semblance of tourism behind. The first village teems with market traders, children and animals before we reach real African roads (read hot and dusty). In June 2009 the main road was being surfaced and nearing completion. Children with baskets were helping adults sweep up the chippings so nothing was wasted, donkeys and carts waited for the next instruction.

Our destination is Njongon where we have unlimited access to this village and populace. It is a rare privilege to be allowed to wander through an authentic rural community and with a bit of tact and patience a family may invite you to spend time with them in their compound. Either way you will enjoy a freedom to explore, photograph or set up your easel to capture village life on your own, or in the company of a guide.

Education is so important to these families where they have to pay to give their children a chance in life. We aim to visit a school which has 1,000 pupils and/or the PING educational centre for young adults. There is a huge demand for pens, pencils, colouring books and reading material and any gifts bought by visitors is always gratefully received. The education centre has a brick making machine and teaches building skills to the boys and tie dyeing and cooking to the girls to encourage them to remain in their villages and make a contribution, rather than being lured into city life.

We will take refreshments with us and lots of water, but you will also have the opportunity of tasting food prepared by the girls and buying some of their hand dyed materials.

Time permitting we will try to include a visit to a developing agriculture area run entirely by the women; in their colourful African dress they will be delighted to show you what they have achieved; In October 2008; a huge area of land had been cleared from the jungle and fenced to keep the wild animals out and cultivated with the support from PING into a market garden! The women are always keen to show how they work the soil with basic equipment, they love having their photos taken and will perform traditional drumming and dancing - a day brimming with photo and artistic opportunities.

This is not a tourist destination. What you see is real and is happening in villages all over Africa. Our drive back tracks the African sunset across the ferry in time for supper at the Ngala