ABOUT US
We first travelled to the Gambia in 2002 for a holiday. Thanks to many wonderful Gambians we met, we had an inspiring three weeks. Wanting to help support some of the wonderful craftspeople we met, we began to import some clothes and jewellery.
Goodies from the Gambia was born!
 Alpha and Wurri, one of his brothers, who dyes fabrics for us  Young drummers at Balaba.  The restaurant at Balaba..  At the Safari Garden Hotel. |
Since then we have frequently travelled to the Gambia, gradually meeting more craftspeople and establishing a network of tailors, fabric dyers, market traders and leatherworkers who we support by buying their goods and using their skills. We trade ethically: we pay a fair price for the goods and skills provided. When we place orders, we pay a minimum of 50% of the price; we pay the balance when we collect the goods. We have donated items of equipment, such as generators, and given interest-free loans for the purchase of other items. Typically we will be in the Gambia for three weeks. The first 10 days will be spent based in Bakau where many of our partners are based, especially Alpha Jallow and the Bakau craft market. From Bakau we also visit other suppliers such as Salam Batik and Bubacarr Camara in Serrakunda. After ten days hard but always pleasurable work, we head for Balaba Nature Camp, near Kartong in the south. Balaba is our favourite place to relax and unwind.
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 Palm tapper at work at Balaba.  Dancers at the Kartong Festival.  Goodies stall at WOMAD 2006. |
With our batteries recharged, we return to work - often staying at the Safari Garden Hotel for a few nights, a great place for networking. The hotel is a member of ASSET ( the Association of Small Scale Enterprises in Tourism) as are many of our partners. ASSET was established in April 2000 in order to bring together, advocate for, and promote a large number of small enterprises that are active in the tourism industry in The Gambia. (See www.asset-gambia.com). Our intention is to provide a larger market for our Gambian partners and thus improve their income and quality of life. The extended family is still very much a part of Gambian life and one improved income can benefit a large number of people. We work with our partners in developing new styles and fabrics which we think will sell well in the UK alongside more traditional styles. We are currently trying to encourage the use of natural dyes - indigo and kola nut. When we are not in the Gambia or at summer festivals with the stall, Lynda pursues her interest in archeology and Andrew hopes one day to have completed renovation work on the old chapel in Cornwall where we live. |
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