TODAY is the penultimate day in Africa for the first of the two Project Gambia groups.

But before looking ahead to Sunday, we reflect back on what the students and staff on the project got up to yesterday.

Each day the groups have been out in the Gambia one member has been writing a blog post detailing their own thoughts and experiences and looking back at yesterday’s activities is year 10 student Charlotte Collins.

“When you go into the original assemblies about Project Gambia there is a lot of pictures of various places but none of them stick in the mind like Sintet.

“The pictures portray a hot afternoon but a wonderful experience and that’s exactly what you’ll get from start to finish.

“The journey took a smooth two and half hours, but the roads were mostly clear due to ‘national cleaning day’ so we got there relatively quickly.

“They welcomed us with a speech as well as a dance from the mothers association of the school, which I and the others joined in with, as well as some of the children who had come out on Saturday to see us. After this the group divided up into two and we started our work for the day.

“Some of the students painted one of the classrooms while I did some face painting with some of the smaller children.

“I really enjoyed today and the students really seemed to enjoy getting their faces painted as they had never seen anything like this before. As well as this we also went to see the farm that our fundraising has helped to develop.

“This was a great experience and the picture that I had in my mind was now complete.

“Lamin, who was giving us the tour around Sintet, explained that the new well, which is being supported by Stourbridge News, would bring increased crop production to the village.

“Overall it was a really enjoyable day.”

Blog posts and daily information on the trip will be available on both the Stourbridge News website and at projectgambia.org.uk.

Looking ahead to today’s visits and both groups are heading to Madiana this morning before group one leaves just after lunch to go back to Kutosilo village to give out Mosquito nets.

In the evening the groups will be taking a trip to Makasutu, before group one head back home tomorrow.

As Charlotte said, the Stourbridge News has also joined forces with Project Gambia this year to help raise money to buy and install a water pump at the farm in Sintet.

Our Well of Life appeal needs to raise £10,000 to fund the pump and irrigation system to serve drought-stricken farming land.

To make a donation now visit www.justgiving.com/welloflifeappeal/ or text PROG15 and your amount, either £10, £5, £4, £3, £2, £1, to 70070.

People can also donate cash or cheques in person at the Stourbridge News offices, at St John’s House, St John’s Road, Stourbridge.

Cheques need to be made payable to Project Gambia Trust Ridgewood, and you’ll need to write Well off Life Appeal on the back.

If you are carrying out an event to help raise funds for the Well of Life Appeal please call our reporter Dan Sharp on 01384 358223, or email dan.sharp@stourbridgenews.co.uk with details.