Cellular phones have made it to The Gambia. This tower and others like it are in various locations throughout the country to provide access to mobile communication.
Many Gambian men farm peanuts, or groundnuts. This farm, like others, are awaiting a good rainy season. The women in The Gambia mainly farm rice, but some will farm vegetables.
The Saudi Arabians, with the assistance of other countries, came and installed solar water wells throughout The Gambia to make clean water more accessible.
This solar water panel helps make the wells operate. It was locked inside a fenced area so people and animals cannot destroy it. This type of energy has been helpful in The Gambia.
This is the main north bank road which spans the northern part of the country. It has not been paved yet and is very bumpy and dusty.
This is a typical road in the village.
The official names of all public schools have changed from Primary School to Basic Cycle School. This is the new addition to the school in Jarumeh Koto.
These old women are leaving mosque after evening prayer.
Fortunately, when I arrived in the village unannounced, I was invited to stay in this small unoccupied house.
This is the bed I slept in. The mosquito net is a must have, especially at night when mosquitos are most active.
Comma Dhaba was my sitemate's host family. These are her children. In this picture she is also 7 months pregnant. Her husband Batamba just married another wife as well.
A local bitikoo, or shop will carry items such as eggs, rice, sugar, batteries, soap, fresh bread, green tea, candy, candles, matches, buckets, and much more.
This is a traditional bride. She walked around the entire week I was in the village dressed like this. Beautiful!
These are the chickens I bought in the village. It took about 1-1/2 hours to find villagers willing to sell their chickens. I bought these two for about $2.50.
Ebrima is killing one of the chickens here. It is the tradition to kill all animals meant for food by bleeding them. Ebrima is MaJula's cousin.
Then, MaJula defeathers it to prepare it for cooking. MaJula was a former student of mine. She just graduated high school and hopes to continue on to college.
MaJula and I went to the local traveling market one day to buy food and cloth for these matching dresses. It is common for women friends to get matching outfits on special occasions.
Girls are depended on to help their mothers with the daily household work. Fatoumatta Jaiteh is bringing this water back for her mother, Yaye Jatta.
MaJula is playing with some children from the village. She is drumming on a vegetable oil container using two sticks. Children play with what they can find.
The only child in this picture I know is the little guy in green. His name is Abdoulie Jatta and he is MaJula's half brother. He is the son of MaJula's father's second wife.
21. 
Monitor lizard, anyone? How funny that these boys live in the same compound that I lived in when I had the chance to try monkey meat! Fortunately, the local people don't eat wild animals regularly.
Donkeys are a great help in the fields. Gambian men will use donkeys and horses to help plow their peanut and corn fields. Donkeys are more abundant than horses since they are cheaper to buy.
Here is Aboulie going out to the farm. Aboulie is a child from Comma's compound, but his parents live in the capital area.
This was taken on the day I was leaving the village. I'm not sure of the names of the women. Morro Ceesay, the village tailor, was one of my landlords when I was a volunteer here. He also spoke English.
This is Suwei Jatta, another of MaJula's half-brothers. Suwei was suffering from malaria while I was there. His father took him to the local health center to get medication.
Tida Jatta is MaJula's half-sister. She is in the 7th grade and belongs to the AIDS Awareness Club at school. This is her information about AIDS and HIV.
Nos Ceesay is a young woman in the village. She is not yet married and does not attend school. She visited the compound I stayed in almost everyday.
Mama Ceesay is MaJula's mother. She is an unusual Gambian woman in that she only has two children, MaJula and her older brother Lamin. Most women have more children.
This is Bakary Jatta, MaJula's father. He has been sick for a couple of years now, so he isn't able to work as much as he needs to. I am glad that Bakary wants his daughter to get an education. Education isn't always a high priority for girls in The Gambia.
This is Yaye Jatta, Fatoumatta Jaiteh's mother. Also here is Ebrima, and Abdoulie. Bakary, the man in the previous picture, is her father.
Boys are expected to help their fathers in the fields and take care of the animals. These sheep are getting sparkling clean! Buba (L) and Musa (R) both lived in the compound I stayed in. Musa is another of Bakary's sons. I'm not sure about Buba.
