A BARAKA - a Mandinka Thank You!

i just have a few minutes in brikama before i pick up the wood for the tables and the benches - but i wanted to send out a huge thank you from across the world! i have now EXCEEDED my goal of $2000 which means i have even more money than i thought i would have for this nursery project! never fear - as you´ll have gathered from all previous blogs and photos - there are plenty of things to spend money on in this village - it will not go to waste! in fact, already it has meant that i bought higher quality timber for the construction of the benches so they´ll last for YEARS, it means i can look into sponsoring scholarships for early childhood development education classes at the local college for the three teachers who are otherwise voluntary, it means i can buy a surplus of uniforms for future kids, AND it means more sponsorship money for the little ones (and aren´t they cute?? - i hope you can see why i´ve fallen in love with little fatou sarr). so thank you from the bottom of my heart for digging deep and helping me with this project! (don´t let me stop those who still want to give, it´s not too late!)

also - not being very familiar with paypal, i only JUST realized that some of you sent individual notes with your donations. and because the internet is particularly slow today - i am frustrated to say i cannot read them, but i will do! so apologies for not responding to anyone individually! i intend to get a final blog/email/thank you out once i have returned and can flesh out the project so you know exactly where your money went. i´m afraid i´m somewhat limited without excel here!

and a big THANK YOU to my guest blogger - and for all the pictures! i´m happy to share those with you so you can add some visuals to my posts! (though have to add the caveat that i never wear braids in my hair like i was in a few of the pics - that was a disgusting one off - never fear).

OK - my ride is calling me, i must dash ... not sure when i´m next back to the internet cafe, maybe the weekend, maybe monday. thank you again to everyone!

oh - but one funny story - yesterday, as the ladies, children and i were settling down on the mats under the mango trees for lunch, two donkeys came charging through the back garden and directly towards us at full speed. we had to scramble to get out of the way of their stamped lest we be trampled to death by the pair of asses. i was later told it was the male chasing the female for a bit of action. at least this time it wasn´t keeping me awake! if i didn´t hate them before ...

au revoir!