Changes, Changes

It may seem like a strange time to be doing spring cleaning, but in The Gambia, the tourist season begins around the end of October, so Balaba has been a hive of activity over the last few days. All kinds of changes have been going on to improve facilities and spruce things up and everyone

Farming – Gambian style

Last time I told you about our maize crop, and I promised to tell you more about the farming and other changes here. All the maize has been grown from seed, and planted in ground that has been made into furrows using hand hoes. Lamin and the family have been steadily clearing the greenery in

The Luckiest Chickens on the Planet

Warning! Don’t read this if you are of a nervous disposition! At Balaba we have several chickens, but it’s a bit of a battle trying to make sure we always have enough, as they tend to have a short shelf life here! If there is no fish, which happens quite often if it’s windy (because

The War Against the Termites!

I love being in the Gambia, and many things about living here are lovely. But of course, like everywhere, there is no doubt that there can problems too, and for most Gambians, life is a daily struggle. In the rural areas, most people are subsistence farmers, living on very little, and doing their best to

A Day in the Life

A day in the life…. I thought it may be helpful to try and give you an idea of a ‘typical’ day at Balaba, although in reality every day is different. However, there is a broad overall pattern, although timings can vary a bit, and unexpected people dropping in (which happens almost every day) can