What's your contribution to life?

~Either you a part of the problem or you a part of the solution

What's your contribution to life? 

So many people complain, always talking about change

But what's your contribution to life?

Either you with or ain't with it, if it ain't broke don't fix it

Yo, what's your contribution to life?

Either you give or you take, make moves or you wait, 

But what's your contribution to life?~

I feel so grateful for all of the support that I've been shown as I make this contribution to life.   Although I am not saving people, or the world, I hope that through this exchange of knowledge and culture, my actions will somehow make a  lasting impact.

With that said, I've been hard at work trying to be part of the solution.  My primary focus continues to be my work with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on the Ba-Nafaa Sustainable Fisheries Project.  The past few months I have been back and forth between my village and the city, and all of our project sites.  I miss my host family tremendously while I am away, but I feel that in my absence I am serving a greater purpose.

To reach one of the aquaculture project sites in the Tanbi Wetlands National Park (no longer Tanbi Wetlands Complex-now a National Park!), I was paddled in a dugout canoe by Fatou, an oyster harvester pictured above.  These boats are so narrow and close to the water...it was quite an adventure taking salinity and dissolved oxygen readings, snapping photos, and recording field notes without tipping over!

Analyzing the oyster spat on our collected aquaculture tiles

One of our partners from the University of Rhode Island (URI) visited The Gambia for a couple of weeks.  (It is always very exciting to me when the Americans come...makes me feel closer to home I suppose) We took him on a boat ride through the bolongs to view the oyster harvesting sites and our aquaculture racks.

We discovered an abundance of ascidians, or sea squirts, on some of our strings.  Although a pest, they fascinate me.

During his visit, Dr. Rice conducted an Oyster Culture and Water Quality Assessment Training Seminar that was attended by representatives of the Department of Parks and Wildlife Management (DPWM), Department of Fisheries (DoFish), Water Resources Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Livestock Service Laboratory, and Ba-Nafaa Project. 

We had a great turn out and everyone learned a lot from Dr. Rice.  For me, it was very interesting to hear about aquaculture practices around the world, and more specifically in Dagupan, Phillipines where he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer.  Some components of our current project design are modeled after his work in Dagupan.  I hope to visit there someday!

Okay, so by now you have probably realized that I like to squeeze in some fun with my work.  The World Cup has been the highlight of my universe lately.  I support some teams based on their skills, and others by the hotness of the players (right now I am loving some Uruguay!).  The British High Commission hosted a party for the England vs. USA game...sooo much fun!  Even got to chat with our American Ambassador.  Luckily, while in the city working, I have managed to catch a lot of the games via big screen at local bar/restaurants.  

Gambians LOVE Obama!!