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Go Wild - Study Abroad in Africa

Tired of industrialized civilization? Sick of processed foods? Don't exchange your stacks of hard-earned American dollars for a mere handful of Euros -- visit a country rich in culture as well as natural beauty. Study abroad in The Gambia, and take in a fantastic experience without the droll burden of western civilization.

About The Gambia 

The Gambia, once a British colony, is a small country located on the northwestern coast of Africa. It is surrounded on three sides by the horseshoe shaped country of Senegal and its fourth side ends at the Atlantic Ocean. The Gambia's location makes it an ideal country to spend time in for several reasons. First, students will be able to get a good view into the country of Senegal. The study of this will provide students with an example of a former French colony and the result of French colonialism in comparison to British colonialism.

The largest city you will visit on your trip is the city of Dakar. Dakar, a city of over 3 million people, has so much history that students can spend days in the city without even touching the surface. Although you can travel outside of The Gambia, students may never want to leave the country at all. Between the beautiful landscape (which includes beaches, animal habitats, or the river Gambia which splits the country right up the middle), and the culture of the native people you may never want to leave. 

There are two trips you can go on: the 3 week session that takes place over intersession and the 6 month semester abroad durin the spring of 2009. Each of these trips will give you a taste of what life in Africa is like. It will give you as students from Washington & Jefferson College the ability to study in a culture entirely different from anything you are used to. Upon arriving in The Gambia, you will be bussed to one of two housing compounds that are located in a suburb outside of the capital, Banjul. 

These housing compounds are run by Muhammad, a Nigerian by descent, who spends his time making the transition for you as easy as possible. Muhammad spent several years in the United States studying at a university in Texas and his experiences there allow him to understand your wants and needs. He is also an excellent cook and the many meals spent in the main house will be memorable.

There are two separate housing compounds altogether, and they are only one block apart. The first house is basically the headquarters and you will eat many of your meals and attend some of your group meetings here. While the houses are very near each other, they also boast a close proximity to the capital where you might want to spend much of your time. There are countless buildings of interest plus an outdoor market where you can find anything imaginable at a very cheap price. If you decide that you don't want to hitch a ride in a taxi that day, you can simply walk around the town you live in. Perhaps the best way to spend any time you have off is to go to the   beach. It is only a 20 minute walk or a 3 minute drive by taxi.

While you will be attending classes at the Gambia University, you will be meeting people all the time. The Gambian people are extremely friendly and any language barriers will be shattered almost immediately. And if you are wondering if there is anywhere to get some exercise there is a gym down the street from the school and only a mile from the houses. On any given day you can be sure there will be plenty of kids who want you to play soccer or basketball with them. Being bored will be an impossibility during your semester abroad between school, sightseeing, and any "free" time you may have.

World Cup Soccer

How many times can you say you have got to attend a live World Cup soccer game? For most of us that is not something we can say, but the study abroad program in The Gambia gives you the opportunity. Imagine thousands of fans packed together into one huge stadium going crazy for their team. It is different than any other sporting event you can imagine because this team represents the entire country and if The Gambia wins that the whole country will be celebrating.

The World Cup is a world soccer tournament that is held over the months of July and August every four years. In the years up toThe World Cup Finals, World Cup Qualifiers are held in which teams compete for a chance to compete in the worldwide tournament. For The Gambia each game is extremely important because most of their opponents are extremely close which leads to many heated rivarlries. One of the main advantages for where you are staying is that Gambia's national stadium is only a 10 minute walk from the compounds.

The walk into the stadium is something in itself. As you walk down the road approaching the stadium, cars, trucks, and even busloads of people drive past trying to find some way into the game. As you move closer and closer to the stadium you pass through lines and lines of security and the atmosphere just seems to be getting stronger and stronger.

You can hear the drums coming from all around you as they play African songs and you can hear the people chanting to this music. Truly there is nothing like experiencing the most popular sport worldwide and it is something you will surely never forget.

Just in case you decide that the soccer game is not for you, here some other suggestions:
1.    Visit any of the several markets (shopping) that can be found throughout the area including the biggest on which is located in Banjul
2.    The Gambia has two of the most beautiful beaches you can imagine and both of these are within a 15 drive: Leybato and Sanyang
3.    The capital city of Banjul has many sights to see
4.    And if you are looking for night life, there are many clubs and restaurants located in an area known as Senagambia

Program Leader Dr. Misawa

I've been traveling in and out of The Gambia for the past 8 years but I have been to nearly 30 countries throughout Africa over my lifetime. Some of these other countries include South Africa, Guinea Bissau, and Mali.  I think a large part of the reason I've traveled so much throughout the continent can be attributed to my Nigerian background. Since moving to the United States from Nigeria in 1983 I have returned to Africa often, but it was the Rotarian Ambassadorial Scholarships that really landed me in The Gambia. The purpose of the Rotarian Ambassadorial Scholarships "is to further international understanding and friendly relations among people of different countries and geographical areas." Years ago I took part in that program which originally had me traveling to Sierra Leone to teach. Well, unfortunately during this time Sierra Leone was extremely unstable and I realized teaching there was not going to happen. Since two of my requirements for where I was going to lecture were a stable government and limited higher education program, The Gambia seemed to be the solution. Once I began my work in The Gambia, I began to feel like this was the perfect country to share with my students. Aside from boasting a stable government, The Gambia provides an easy transition for students to assimilate. There is not much of a language barrier because the primary language is English and the citizens seem to encourage visitors.
 
This year I will be staying in The Gambia for around 6 months because in addition to the intersession trip I take the Washington & Jefferson students on every year I will be teaching the spring semester at one of the colleges there. Anxiety, yes I'm anxious: this is the first time I have been away from my family for that long since 1999 when I originally taught over there. On the other hand, maybe I'll get the chance to work on some of my property over there.

This narrative is based on an interview that I conducted with Dr. Misawa on November 24, 2008.

Getting Started

If you are interested in studying abroad in Africa, which you should be, you need to contact Dr. Misawa. Dr. Misawa can be found on the second floor of Old Main and he will be happy to give you any information you need. There are two trips that you can take. The first is a 3 week intersession trip that he takes students on every year in the month of January and the second is a the semester abroad during the Spring of 2009. He has a lot of information that you need to look through in order to get a good understanding of what it is that you are getting yourself into. A good way to pick up tips about the trip would be to ask someone who has gone before. Their experience can be extremely helpful. Shortly before the trip leaves there is a talk by students who have gone previously in which they can give you any further help that you may need.

Related Links

To reach Dr. Misawa through the Political Science Dept.
Gambian Soccer e-mail

Photo Gallery

The Gambia

	Name	Size	Creator (Last Modifier)	Creation Date	Last Mod Date	Comment
	tendaba.jpg	64 kB	Christopher Albert	Dec 03, 2008	Dec 03, 2008
	banjul.jpg	61 kB	Christopher Albert	Dec 03, 2008	Dec 03, 2008
	soccer.jpg	70 kB	Christopher Albert	Dec 03, 2008	Dec 03, 2008
	bubba.jpg	52 kB	Christopher Albert	Dec 05, 2008	Dec 05, 2008
	monkey.jpg	92 kB	Christopher Albert	Dec 05, 2008	Dec 05, 2008
	getting started.jpg	31 kB	Christopher Albert	Dec 05, 2008	Dec 05, 2008