G-L,

Just  forwarding some very positive information sent to me by Louise O'leary,
in Cheney, Washington. Their daughter "Fanta Jallow" is a Peace Corps
volunteer stationed at Fatoto, where she teaches at Fatoto Junior Secondary
School.

Louise,

Do you mind if l share with GESO  and G-L  this information regarding the
work on the library that your daughter is doing? (She  did not mind)

Jabou Joh

In a message dated 12/6/99 1:39:42 PM Central Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] ( Louise O'leary)  writes:

 Dear Jabou,

    Don't know if you remember me?  My daughter is teaching for the peace
 corps in Fatoto?  She is currently setting up from scratch a library for
 the Fatoto Junior Secondary School where she teaches.  A truly daunting
 enterprise to set up everything from the beginning.  She plans to have
 all the books not only inventoried and set up in the Dewey Decimal
 system but have card file in place as well before she returns to the US
 in July.  I don't know if she is acquiring the books you  guys helped to send
 to The Gambia or not but I felt I should tell you that at least some
 books are going to be utilized in a logical manner.  It is however
 unfortunate that the condition of the books is so poor.  She has gotten
 books together from the Main Education Office in Banjul as well as from
 Basse.  These books have literally been tossed into a back room with no
 regard for their value.  The spines are often broken with torn pages and
 they have been repeated walked on by people coming and going.  A sad
 commentary.  I hope that these are not the  books that were sent by the
joint effort last year.  One of her biggest problems of course has been the
logistics of getting the books to Fatoto.  She has incorporated the drivers
of the monthly Peace Corps
 mail run, but of course they have limited room.  At least these books
 will have a good home in the end.  As you already can tell we are very
 proud of our Fanta.  It is my hope to return to Fatoto in March of 2000
 and help a little with the cataloging.  I of course also plan on
 visiting some of the many friends I made during my last visit.

In a message dated 12/7/99 5:18:38 AM Central Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<< Dear Jabou,

 Please feel free to share the information concerning our Fanta Jallow.  Just
like
 the Alpha Blondy song, Sweet, Sweet, Fanta Jallow.  Her other projects
include a
 girl's club with a goal of improving the girls self esteem and teaching the
 Women's Guild of Fatoto how to make corn starch with the idea of helping the
 women to earn incomes.  She tried several time to make soap but since they
were
 trying to use palm oil the results were somewhat less than good.  She tutors
9th
 graders after work to help them prepare for their W. African proficiency
tests.
 She is a very determined young lady and I know her experiences in The Gambia
have enriched her.

 Louise

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