Natalia López Andrés and Cristina Natal Gorgojo, researchers at research center Applied Medicine (CIMA) of the University of Navarra, together with 9 other Navarrese, were looking for a vacation destination for the long weekend in a travel agency. They had not thought of a country on the way to development as a destination, but decided to give it a try and bought a ticket to Gambia, where they stayed between November 30 and December 7.

Before the departure date, they searched for information about the country on the Internet and discovered the NGO "Colors of Africa". "This organization asks tourists going to Gambia to take advantage of the trip to bring things that the population needs. This helped us to prioritize. Instead of filling the suitcase with clothes, we filled it with school supplies and medicines," explains biologist Natalia Lopez.

"We asked our friends for financial aid and also took advantage of the material given to us at congresses and other events. In addition, the mother of a colleague of laboratory has a pharmacy and provided us with medicines," says Cristina, a graduate of Biochemistry .Africa's smile

The smile of Africa

They stayed in Serekunda, a city located in the west of the country, but visited, with the financial aid of two guides, schools and kindergartens where there is a high rate of poverty. They also went to one of the most deprived areas, Coconut Island. Despite the misery, both Natalia and Cristina point out that Gambia "is a different country" and emphasize, above all, "the people's will to live". "They speak of Gambia as the smile of Africa and we have been able to verify that it is true. The people are fantastic and despite their poverty they are very, very generous. It has made us all think a lot," says Cristina.

The two researchers work at the laboratory of Hypertension and Metabolism of the area of Cardiovascular Sciences of the CIMA of the University of Navarra. After this solidarity trip, they have decided to repeat the experience and spend their next Easter "vacation" in Gambia. "We will return with a different mentality, because we know the country. This time we will bring maps of the world, blackboards, things we know the children don't have...". While they prepare this trip, in which the other nine Navarrese who accompanied them on the first one will also participate, their goal is to promote this nation: "When we left, people told us: 'Now you are the ambassadors of the country'," recalls Natalia.