New Amsterdam 2

For a volunteer one advantage of living and working in a smaller town, with outlying village settlements, rather than the much larger capital, is that you quickly become a familiar face and can begin to develop a network of friendships among the Guyanese population.
On Friday evening I was welcomed at the Ladies Fitness Class, which took place at the back of the church hall, beyond the rows of table tennis games.
On Saturday I was included in the invitation to eat with a family living in Friendship village. I followed Shelley's guidance on convention. We took some food "for later", pencils, colouring books and soft drinks for our host, a single working parent helped with childcare arrangements by her 74 year old mother, who is bringing up her five lovely children in a small 2 bedroom house.

After eating, playing card games and practising Christmas carols, we walked to the Back Dam,  a back canal, played on the bridge, wandered by some tethered calves, passed country gardens and finally onto the ball field next to Friendship school where boys were playing cricket and a small herd of goats were chewing at the shrubs. There the children were happy to cast off their footwear and race around the field for entertainment. We carried with us a large bottle of water by way of refreshment.

The children pose on the bridge.