Emily Button, 20, a junior majoring in psychology and education from Highgate, Vt., traveled to Gambia, Africa, with her professor, Dian Burn, and other classmates over winter break to teach students English and writing at Gambia Elementary.
The students and faculty flew to Africa and stayed for two weeks. As soon as the students got to Gambia they had to get many shots so they wouldn’t get sick or get any diseases. The shots included Hepatitis A and yellow fever; they took a typhoid pill and while being there they had to take malaria medicine so they wouldn’t get malaria from the mosquitoes.
“Going to Africa was good but also an emotional roller coaster,” Button said. “It was sad because of the poverty but it was exciting at the same time because I got to work with a lot of little kids.”
Button and her classmates helped children in kindergarten through sixth grade with their English because “their English was really spotty,” Button said.
Gambia culture is very different compared to America’s culture. Button said, “The teachers were really stern and mean compared to what we would find appropriate.”
With the religion being Muslim women had to dress modestly. “Because we were Americans, if we wore tank tops they had to be thick strapped or at least T-shirts, nothing low cut, and we had to have shorts down to our knees,” Button said.
Every morning at about 4 the Gambians would pray and when they pray, they pray really loud, Button said. Button stayed at the African village hotel where she heard every word of their prayer and it woke her up.
There are also other cultural differences between the United States and Gambia.
“When the Gambians used the restroom they don’t use toilet paper. They use their left hand to wipe and do everything else with their right hand,” Button said.
The African children didn’t have much. Button and her other classmates would try to share and give them anything they could. When Button and her classmates gave the kids their water bottles they cherished it and it meant the world to them.
“The children really love pencils,” said Button.
Many of the African parents would act funny about taking pictures. “But when you’re at the school and you ask the kids to take a picture, they are so excited and they’re so cute,” said Button, “they also think it’s the coolest thing to see their own picture so you just have to show them.”
Professor Burn has been to Africa twice already and now she is trying to go about every year so she can keep a connection with Africa and the culture.