Hands-on in Gambia

08. November 2019

Lufthansa Group trainees volunteered in the project in Gambia and supported it with workshops and manpower – here they describe their experiences

Retired Lufthansa colleague Edith Lanfer has set herself the goal of creating career prospects for young people in Gambia and Ghana by establishing the Sabab Lou Foundation. In cooperation with the help alliance and Sabab Lou we had the opportunity to support their latest project in Ballengho (Gambia). The project creates sustainable living space and education for 80 young people and was ceremoniously opened in September this year. The training includes theoretical and practical aspects in the field of agriculture as well as basic training in entrepreneurial methods. The latter modules are prepared by Lufthansa Group trainees and taught on site. In addition, every helping hand is welcome in the ongoing development, so that in addition to the lessons we also had many opportunities to simply get involved in the fields and in the camp.

We were greeted at the airport in Banjul, the capital of Gambia, with a violent thunderstorm. During the passport control the electricity failed for some minutes, before the emergency generators had started. Edith welcomed us in the reception hall of the airport and the picture we saw there will certainly not be forgotten. Banjul Airport was literally under water. Outside the sirens of the fire engines sounded and desperate attempts were made to pump the basement of the airport empty again.

In pouring rain we went to the cars which brought us directly to the hotel. At a very tasty dinner the first plans for the next two weeks were discussed. After a short night in the hotel we started the next morning at 8 o’clock directly in the direction of Ballengho. During the 3-hour drive we had the opportunity to gather first impressions of the country.

After the arrival in the camp it was time for us to get to know the people. During a walk to the nearby river we had the chance to have first conversations with some of the young people and to learn more about their motivation. It was remarkable to see that all of us perceived the training as a farmer as an opportunity to bring ourselves and the country forward. And the next day the lessons started …

In the first few days, the focus of the lessons was first of all on explaining to the trainees how teams find each other and how they interact with each other. Group work and playful elements were also used to explain how conflicts and problems can be dealt with in a solution-oriented way. In particular the group work enjoyed always very large popularity with the young people and were during the two-week instruction a constant companion of the instruction.  In a second module, the basic elements for project management were laid down: “What is a project?”, “How to define goals?”, “How to create a timetable?” and many other questions were dealt with in this module. Here, too, a great deal of emphasis was placed on playful elements in conveying the content.

Before and after class, we were active with the trainees in the field and supported them in their tasks. With an outside temperature of 40 degrees this can be very exhausting. Sometimes we have reached our limits and some of us had to leave their comfort zone.  But also the lessons became noticeable on the mental level. It was not always easy to prepare the lessons for tomorrow every evening and to adapt them to the individual needs of the young people. In addition, every day one came into contact with the fears, worries and desires of the young people on site.

In addition to the lessons and the field work, there was time for sports activities. Volleyball and football are the two sports that are very popular in the camp and are played every free minute. We also used our free time to get to know the country and the people better. For example, we made a day trip to Farafenni, the next bigger city not far from the camp. One of our highlights was the visit to the village of Mbelly, one of the camp staff. His family welcomed us there with a very tasty and traditional Gambian meal and our day was rounded off with a volleyball tournament with the children on the market place of the village.

The two weeks flew by for us and during our stay we built a very strong bond with the children. On the last day we had German lessons and a farewell ceremony. In this ceremony we sang for us and gave a speech. The ceremony was very emotional and it made our farewell from the camp even more difficult.

Especially we will remember how positive and cheerful the people are. By working in the camp you will definitely be brought back to the ground of facts and you will realize what really counts in life. It’s not always about having the best of everything and sometimes it’s the little gestures in life that really matter. We were especially impressed by the helpers on site. With their untiring will to give the young people a future, they sometimes work up to twelve hours at a time.

To be honest, one can say that there is a lot to learn from the people on site. Not only their unrestrained will to bring the country forward, but also their positive attitude to life have moved us very much and made us think.

Here you can find out more about the project in Gambia.

YouTube

Mit dem Laden des Videos akzeptieren Sie die Datenschutzerklärung von YouTube.
Mehr erfahren

Video laden

Aftermovie: Hands-on in Gambia