Gambia is Good (GIG)! locally grown vegetables…and fresh coffee (incoming!)

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Floriotravels – on Instagram

 

We stopped by the Gambia is Good grocery store and café yesterday, to admire their new signage, and to say ‘esama‘ (good morning)  to the staff.  On entering the store, we were very pleasantly surprised to see one of Florio’s  images from an assignment we worked on for NGO, Concern Universal, here in The Gambia, just before we left on our River Gambia Expedition.

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Image © Jason Florio – for Concern Universal – GIG store, Kairaba Ave, Kanifing, The Gambia

 

Amongst the shoot locations, on the assignment, was the G.I.G. store, which was then situated in the previous CU compound, in Fajara.

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G.I.G. delivery truck– The Gambia, West Africa. Image © Helen Jones-Florio
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Image © Jason Florio – WASDA Garden,  Basse, The Gambia, for Concern Universal
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Jason Florio – shooting for Concern Universal, The Gambia, West Africa © Helen Jones-Florio

 

Penda, who manages the GIG store, assured us that they will be brewing fresh coffee in the café, very soon… we’ll be first in line!

More photo news coming soon.

The Florios – Helen and Jason

Related posts:

“Hello, my name is Alieu” – the Tippy Tap in in The Gambia

“Hello, my name is Alieu” – the Tippy Tap is in The (#ebolafree) Gambia, West Africa

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It’s great to see Jason’s images from our ‘Tippy Tap‘ assignment – we did a few months back here in The Gambia – for NGO, Concern Universal,  up on their new website. For such a simple, affordable, invention the rewards of using the Tippy Tap are tenfold for the people we met… such as Wuday and Alieu.

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‘Concern Universal taught Alieu and Wuday’s families about hygiene and handwashing. We taught them how to build a tippy tap and how to keep water safe to drink and use.

Since using a tippy tap, both families no longer get sick. Alieu and Wuday can go to school and their parents can work and look after their family, without needing to spend money on medicine. Alieu and Wuday, now have lots of energy to play! When their friends come to play, they tell them all about how the tippy tap stopped them getting sick. Now their friends want to start using one too!‘ Concern Universal

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All images © Jason Florio for Concern Universal. For more press and news, please click here

As ever, thanks for stopping by

The Florios – Helen & Jason

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Image © Chris Bartlett – Photoville, NYC, 2013

New photo project: Masquerades, The (#ebolafree) Gambia, West Africa

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©Jason Florio

 

Now that we are back in The Gambia, we’ll be continuing with a photography project, based on the traditional masquerades of this region of West Africa. Despite the Gambia being a predominantly Muslim country, the animist fuelled masquerade ceremonies pre-date the arrival of Islam and are still tolerated and practiced around the country. Animism is an intriguing subject – the belief that animals and inanimate objects, such as trees, possess a soul, or a spiritual essence.

Also, the juxtaposition between the urban environment and these ancient traditions is fascinating – just like ‘The Hunting’, pictured above (©Jason Florio), in the concrete and corrugated iron enclave of the capital city of Banjul.

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Jason Florio and ‘The Hunting’ – © HJF – screen grab, taken from film footage.

 

Whether it be a circumcision ceremony, celebrating a successful harvest, chasing away evil spirits, enforcing village rules, or simply for entertainment, each particular masquerade plays a central and significant role in many parts of West African society.

Most of the masquerades we’ve seen so far are based on animals. However, the traditions are being hauled into the 21st century, modernised by the use of synthetic fabrics and ornaments, such as Christmas tree baubles, adorning ‘new-style’ masquerades. However, more on those particular masquerades as we move on with the project (sneak preview, below).

Thanks, as always, for stopping by.

The Florios – Helen & Jason

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HJF hanging with the ‘Fairy’ masquerade, Banjul, The Gambia © JF

A week of crocs and quad bikes in (#ebolafree) Gambia, West Africa

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Kachikally Crocodile Pool, Bakau, Gambia – L-R: Helen Jones-Florio, Musa (the keeper of the crocs), Jason Florio

 

We’ve had a busy, adventurous – and extremely exhilarating – kind of week, since we completed our walk of the Gambian coastline, finishing off a couple of travel assignments… from getting up close and personal with big crocodiles, to throttling around in the Gambian bush, getting thoroughly down and dirty in the process,  on Tonka Toy-like 200cc quad bikes, alternating with bouncing over potholes in buggys. What fun!

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Helen – ‘I’m going to drive that buggy next’! Image © Jason Florio

 

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Photographer, Jason Florio – shooting from the rear! Image © HJF – UTV buggy courtesy of West African Powersports

 

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Yours truly – I am hooked! Image © JF. Quad bike courtesy of West African Powersports

 

And, where better to finish off editing (me: ‘A Short Walk in the Gambian Bush‘ book) and writing  the features (Jason) … my old haunt, Laybato Beach Bar. Our office with a view…

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Once the features are published, we’ll be posting more on the coastline walk, the quad-biking, and the crocodile pool. Please stay with us. In the meantime, updates about what else we are up to, down here in West Africa, will be posted on FB, Twitter, and Instagram.

Thanks for stopping by The Florios – Helen & Jason

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It’s a dirty job but someone’s gotta do it! JF & HJF – buggying in #ebolafree Gambia, West Africa. Thanks to West Africa Powersports