In – Service Training

We successfully completed our 3 month challenge and attended our one and only environment in-service training (IST).  We are now free to move about the country / world; which we intend to do. Our training was a week of intense, tiring, 10 -12 hour days.  We learned more gardening, composting techniques, fruit tree grafting, and bee keeping. Bee keeping was our favorite.

We did this training at a non-profit called Bee-Cause run by two fabulous Brits.  They were great teachers and offer training to Gambians to promote bee keeping here.  Bee keeping is another untapped resource here in Gambia; our village bee keepers still climb trees and smoke bees out of their hives! It’s a crazy and dangerous practice that also kills the bees and leaves the honey tasting like smoke which makes it unmarketable internationally. Bee Cause teaches Gambians how to colonize hives in a way that uses local materials and how to process the honey and wax by hand. 

Before IST, I met up with some volunteers on the coast for a reunion and another volunteers going away party.  We stayed at a lodge on the beach, had a bonfire, and had a good time.  Ben wasn’t able to come because he went to play football on the village team for a big tournament.  They ended up losing and the other goalie got in a fight after the game, was issued a red card, and now Ben is the village team’s only goalie for the next 4 games.

After IST we stayed in the city a couple days to get supplies and some much needed rest.  We ate good food, hung out with friends, and watched the finals of the champion’s league.  The football game was a big deal here and we all went to a swanky hotel that opened just for the game that night.  Afterwards, the hotel hosted karaoke and Ben was the unofficial MC which proved to make quite a memorable and fun night.

Bee Keeping during IST

Hanging out on the beach with a bonfire

cow, beach, TIA