I qualified as Registered Veterinary Nurse at a mixed practice in the UK in 2019; whilst training I was lucky to gain 4 years of experience with not only companion, equine and farm animals, but also exotics including primates at a local zoo.

Later that year, I moved to The Gambia as a long term volunteer at The Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust, shortly after, the global covid lockdown took place, leaving me as not only a volunteer vet nurse, but also clinical lead and centre manager for the next four years.

It was a steep learning curve as a young female, having to lead and manage a team of 50+ Gambian staff across two centres, as well as over 200 patients at any one time needing attention. Not only has this developed my project management skills, but it has also given me a deep insight in to the culture, the country and the issues that both animals and communities face.

4 years later, I am still here, the success I have had is not limited to the charity itself and the cases we see, but in this time I have also:

• Rehabilated and released a green sea-turtle, building a support network of veterinarians and professionals across the globe who became our remote advisors

• Sat as secretary on The Gambias Animal Ethics Commitee, raising and resolving issues such as animal transportation, laboratory testing animals and disease control

• Invited to speak in parliament as an advisor on The Gambias updated animal welfare laws, which involved writing a paper to defend my opinions, based on my experience and knowledge

• Built an ongoing relationship with The Gambia’s Department of Parks and Wildlife to offer training for their staff, improvements to animal enclosure and enrichment, support when needed to seize primates kept as pets and providing veterinary care for their animals, including hyenas and primates

• In partnership with The Department of Parks and Wildlife, rehabilitating and releasing three Red Patas – this is where mine and Eva’s vision for the future became clear