I attended my second All Volunteer Conference (All-Vol) in April at the Massembeh Training Center – see previous post about All-Vol 2018. One of the highlights of this event is dressing asobee fashion with PCVs from your region or site.  Asobee is the tradition of wearing clothes made from the same fabric and is common for many events. Pictured above are my Farafenni site mates in our asobees. Casey Peterson is an Education PCV that will be completing her service in August. Caitlyn Winders is a Health PCV who arrived at the same time as me, and we are completing our two years of service in December. 

The Gambia is the smallest country on the continent of Africa, but it is a challenging country to travel in. Opportunities to get to know many of PCVs can be difficult, and is one reason I enjoy All-Vol. The PCV population of about 100 changes often. Most of us are in the country for 26 months (2 months of training & 24 months of service), but some PCVs go home early, and others extend for additional time. Each June new Education volunteers arrive, and in October new Agriculture and Health volunteers arrive. There are various committees a PCV can join where you can develop close relationships, but it is your site mates and PCVs in your region that you usually become closest to. The country is divided into five regions, and each region will have their own activities.

I live in the North Bank Region, where we try to get together monthly for a brunch, and hold a yearly retreat to strengthen our relationships. Each PCVs experience is unique, and supporting each other is important for a successful service. It’s possible that the only time you will have the chance to interact with some of the PCVs outside of your region, is at the yearly All-Vol Conference.

The Massembeh Training Center has recently had some nice upgrades. The conference room now has better air conditioning due to the addition of more solar panels. Several more pavilions have been added to the grounds, making for nice gathering spaces, and the dining area is now screened which keeps many bugs out. This year when we arrived there were new pillows and sheets for our bunk beds. The Massembeh staff works hard to create a welcoming space for all of us.

One highlight of the conference are the PCV poster presentations, which can be anything about their service. Holly is an outstanding Education volunteer, and promotes making rice bags books for her students to increase their literacy. I have attended some of Holly’s workshops, and made my own rice bag book about malaria prevention. Sometimes you can be surprised about a volunteers’ talents. I had no idea Laleobe was an accomplished artist, and shared many of her pencil drawings. She is pictured above with her drawing of Fatou Sowe, who works in the PC office in Kombo.

My presentation was about the work I have been doing with the students at the Senior Secondary school. They have learned about making compost, biochar, improving the soil with permagarden techniques, starting vegetable seeds and growing food in their own garden beds. They participated in the beekeeping project by harvesting honey, and preparing a catcher box to capture a queen bee. We will finish the year planting lime trees in the school garden, and each student can select a tree from our extensive tree nursery, for planting in at their home compound. I have really enjoyed working with these students, and many of them have learned skills they will use for the rest of their lives.

Other All-Vol traditions are a volleyball competition and a talent show. Hosts Antonea and Aaron did a great job encouraging many talented PCVs to preform. We were treated to singers, songwriters, dancers, poets, and comedians throughout the night. One PCV has us witness the online submission of a masters thesis she had completed during her community integration period.

Two new employees recently joined Country Director (CD) Megan Wilson, to manage our post. PC directors typically serve for five years at a post, and these three women are former PCVs, with a lot of experience between them. Rene Rohrs is Director of Management and Operations (DMO), and Kelleah Young is the Director of Programing and Training (DPT). All of them spent time explaining what they are doing, and requested feedback from the volunteer community to make PCTG a great post.

All-Vol is a time to have fun and relax. It can also be a time of renewal and recommitment to why you joined PC in the first place. It’s important to find a balance so your service is everything you want it to be. Us Farafenni girls know that we are there for each other, and we honor our relationship with “hear no evil – speak no evil – see no evil” code.