Reports by our interns
These reports written by our interns are available in German only. The reports have a load of information on the daily workflow of Jahaly Health Centre and Jahaly/Madina Kindergarten which our interns are facing.
Jana Biermann (2022)
Jana is an occupational therapist and works at the Social Paediatric Centre in Bochum. Since September 2018, she has been studying “Interdisciplinary Therapy in Paediatrics” as a part-time Master’s degree. She says: “I questioned my life in Germany, asked myself what is really important in life? And here in Jahaly, many things became clear to me.”
Julius Possel (2021)
Julius Possel is in his 5th semester of Applied Plant Biology at Osnabrueck University of Applied Sciences, Germany. He has been in Jahaly since mid-April 2021 for his Bachelor’s thesis on moringa and is taking care of the reforestation of the moringa plantation. After his first six weeks in Jahaly, he answered some questions and says: “I realised that although the living conditions in Jahaly are very different from those in Germany, the people are not so different after all. So I was able to settle in quickly and make friends.”
Marie Wittemer (2019)
Marie was an intern – together with Luisa, Marlene and Lena – at Jahaly Health Centre from late July to early October 2019. “The internship once again showed me why I am studying for a health and nursing degree. Not everyone has a family 6000 km away. I will never forget the time and the staff and certainly return again.“
Lena Wicklein (2019)
Lena was an intern – together with Luisa, Marlene and Marie – at Jahaly Health Centre from late July to early October 2019. Lena is doing a dual study at the University of Health in Bochum/Germany and is studying nursing. The education as a health and child nurse she is undergoing at the University Hospital in Essen/Germany. “I will not forget in my lifetime the experiences that I have been able to gain in The Gambia. I enjoyed the time very much and the people who took you in as if you belonged to the family. I did not spend a single day homesick, because I felt so comfortable.“
Marieke Osewold and Lena Engel (2019)
Marieke and Lena were interns at Jahaly Kindergarten from late January to late May 2019. Marieke reports extensively on everyday life as an intern in Jahaly. “In the four months I have gained a lot of new impressions and new experiences. I can really recommend the project! ”
Lilith Bueschgens (2018)
Lilith joined us as an intern in 2018 from mid-March to the end of May, at Jahaly Health Centre and Kindergarten. She tells about Ramadan and Kankurang, about Baobab juice and German potato salad. The conclusion of her time in The Gambia: “I have learned so much about the people there and also about myself. The internship has helped me a lot on a personal level, and I have developed a lot further.”
Kevin Kaut (2018)
Kevin works as a nurse in the Intensive Care Unit for Thoracic Surgery at the University Hospital in Essen. He worked for three months iat Jahaly Heaölth Centre at the beginning of 2018. “A visit to the hospital or the doctor, which is so natural for us, is just not in The Gambia,” he writes in his report and tells how he has cleared a bushfire and why he was almost desperate in the clinic’s pharmacy.
Juliane Nitsch (2017)
Juliane did her internship at Jahaly Health Centre after she had earned her medical degree. She reports on her work and her leisure time in Jahaly, how meals and doing the laundry works – and what happened to a Black Mamba in the ward. “To all, who consider to come to Jahaly for an internship: this is an awesome experience. It prompts you to see things differently…”
Jacqueline Wildrich (2017)
Jacqueline, a nurse from Dortmund/Germany, has been our first volunteer, who worked at Jahaly Health Centre and at Health Centre Buniadu. “Mein Plan, ‘einfach’ nach Gambia zu gehen, wurde schon vor Reiseantritt ziemlich kompliziert. Trotzdem oder gerade deswegen wurde es zu einem meiner interessantesten, spannendsten und schönsten Erlebnisse in meinem Leben…”
Nina Schmitz (2016/2017)
Nina, an alternative practitioner and medical student, worked as a volunteer at Jahaly Health Centre from end of November 2016 to end of January 2017. She eyewitnessed, how the people of The Gambia got rid of the longtime President Yayah Jammeh by democratic elections: “An internship during a state of emergency” she headlined her report: “Diese unglaubliche Energie, die sich in diesem Moment aus den Menschen befreite und das gesamte Land überschwemmte, werde ich mein Leben lang nicht vergessen.”
Levent Öztürk (2016)
Levent, a male nurse of the home care company “Pflegetiger” in Berlin/Germany, spent two weeks as a volunteer at Jahaly Health Centre this summer.
“Das ist wohl auch die wichtigste Erkenntnis dieser Reise: die unendliche Dankbarkeit, dass ich diese Erfahrung machen durfte und die Möglichkeit hatte, meinen Horizont zu erweitern und über den Tellerrand schauen zu können.”
Jana Wegelin (2015/2016)
Jana sent us a short report on her first weeks as an intern at Jahaly Health Centre.
“Hier wird man nicht als Deutsche oder Ausländer gesehen, sondern als gleichwertige Kollegin und Freund. Dieses Gefühl hatte ich schon, bevor ich überhaupt wusste, wo die Reise hingeht…
Theresa Mainka (2014)
Theresa has written her own Blog on her experience during her internship with us in Jahaly. We really highly recommend it. Theresa´s Blog „Sechs Monate Afrika“ (“Six months in Africa”) you find here. (German only)
Sandra Blum (2012)
“Gleich am Anfang möchte ich Euch Jahaly als Dorf, als Wohnort, vorstellen. Lasst es mich so erklären: also, es ist recht ruhig hier, sehr ruhig. Ist eben auf dem Land. Für die Fußball-Interessierten gibt es im Dorf einen Videoclub, in dem Fußballspiele übertragen werden, ansonsten ist hin und wieder in der Schule gegenüber oder vielleicht mal in unserer Schule ein Programm. Außerhalb der Arbeit sitzt man meistens…
Sonja Richter, Markus Hierl, Thomas Feyrer (2012)
“Nach zwei Wochen Kurzpraktikum im September/Oktober 2012 im Projekt in Jahaly möchten wir Ihnen gerne einen kleinen Einblick über unsere Erlebnisse und gesammelten Erfahrungen geben. Wir – das sind Sonja Richter, Markus Hierl und ich (Thomas Feyrer) – kontaktierten am Anfang des Jahres 2012 die Vorstandschaft des Vereins mit der Bitte…
Jan Libera (2012)
Jan kam als Student der Kulturgeographie (6.Semester) im März 2012 in unser Projekt nach Jahaly. Dort übernahm er die Verantwortung für den Aufbau unserer Moringa-Plantage. Wie aus einer Handvoll Samen eine Plantage mit 10.000 Moringa-Bäumen entstand: lesen Sie seinen spannenden und ausführlichen Bericht über die Anfänge und die Herausforderungen dieses Projektes.
Nina Kuehn (2009)
“Zum Ende meines vierwöchigen Aufenthaltes in Gambia stehe ich nun vor der Aufgabe, einen persönlichen Erfahrungsbericht zu schreiben. Wo soll ich anfangen? Was war eindrucksvoller und wichtiger als anderes? Es erscheint mir unmöglich meine umfangreichen Erlebnisse in Worte zu fassen. Zu vielseitig und konträr sind die Eindrücke und Empfindungen, als dass man sie…
Hanna Lohmann (2006/2007)
“Nach meiner Rückkehr und auch heute noch wurde ich oft gefragt, „Und, wie war‘s?“ Schwer zu sagen, wirklich. Natürlich war es eine wahnsinnige Erfahrung in vielerlei Hinsicht. Aber ich muss auch sagen, dass ich noch nie in einem Land gewesen bin, wo Gutes und Schlechtes so nah beieinander liegen. Lebensfreude und Fröhlichkeit auf der einen, Armut und schlechte Versorgung auf der anderen Seite…”
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