Thursday 10 January 2008

Malarone and haircuts plus poetry.

This time next week I'll be in ....... a panic! Some lovely friends have given us heaps of things to take out and the lovely airline didn't give us extra baggage allowance (booked too late and all the extra had been allocated). So two heaps on the spare bed - things we want to take and things we simply must take. We try to ensure that we only take things which are unobtainable in The Gambia - mainly medical supplies and books. Clothes and mosquito nets are available there so we tend not to take such things. We don't want to put local tailors out of business - they have families to feed and the locally made nets are a tenth of the price you would pay here in England.
I had a haircut so I'll arrive looking fairly respectable - and my barber has been very supportive. He raised sixty pounds for us last year and today he promised a supply of garlic capsules which my friendly pharmacist reckons are great for blood pressure.
We've made our first withdrawal from the GOES bank a/c. Seems a shame to reduce the balance but that's what it's there for. Most is already earmarked - medical & school fees, building repairs and so on. I just wish that the people who donate so freely could meet the people they are helping. Of course, if any wanted to go out there we could provide the introductions - they would have a great time!
Almost reduced to tears when we heard how well the Anthology is doing. People in the Writers Group have worked so hard at every stage, from writing through publishing and now selling the book to raise funds for GOES. People really are wonderful.

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