On December 7, 2017 the swearing in ceremony for 20 Agriculture and 15 Health trainees, took place at the US Ambassador, Carolyn Alsup, residence in Kombo, The Gambia. It was the culmination of two months of hard work, and the highlight of our bonding experience during training. Many dignitaries from The Gambia were in attendance, underlining the strong relationship Peace Corps has with this small African nation. The US Ambassador’s compound on the beach, was a spectacular setting for this momentous occasion.

There are several Peace Corps traditions associated with the swearing in ceremony. All of the trainees wear clothes made from the same fabric, and the different divisions of our support staff do the same. The Language and Cultural Facilitators, current PCVs who were our trainers, drivers and Massembeh Training Center staff, also wear matching fabrics to designate their roles during our training. Another tradition is for the newly sworn in PCVs to jump, fully clothed into the ocean, following the ceremony.

Then it was time for the party to begin. The two months of training were a “dry” time for all of us, so many volunteers were looking forward to sampling Gambian beer, and other previously off limit beverages.

The following day was spent shopping for the supplies we would need to take to our permanent sites. Our Peace Corps drivers are amazing at navigating the traffic jams, and helping us locate the items we were looking for. We then returned to our rooms to pack everything up, because at dawn the following day, the drivers returned to deliver us to our new homes.

This is the last post of the series about my experiences as a trainee. Soon, I will begin posting new stories, about once a week, sharing my life as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Stay tuned for the next two years, while I complete my service at the Agriculture Technical College in Farafenni.

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