 |
|
| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
lurker
509 Posts |
 Posted - 07 Jan 2006 : 16:05:40
|
happy new year/tobaski to all.
back from gambia last night.
happy to see the place again.
pretty same-ish for a tourist. more buildings, more new places, but away from the tourist areas...what a change.
serekunda has no roads left.
the bakoteh dumpsite is bigger than central london and almost as toxic.it blows fetid fumes over the sos village and nearly ruined the wedding i attended there.
wages are the same but everything is more than double the prices of a couple of years ago. there is virtually no power most of the time, even in the tourist areas. fuel is hugely increased, my mum-in-law's compound misses water for days at a time, never mind power, but the bills still come in and expect to be paid.
streetlights, but never working.
there is a feeling of growing despair, discontent, and anger, i sensed.
new years eve was crazy and busy and fun and we had a good trip, but i wonder what is around the corner.
anyway, it is and always will be home from home.
happy new year to all of you.
|
|
|
Dalton1
3485 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jan 2006 : 21:48:57
|
http://www.eidmubarak.com/cardfm.php?card=eidhajj1005&cat=eidadha
Lurks, good observation, and it don't sound like an exaggeration at all. The situation is no shyness, and that's the nightmare that Gambians are living through now. That's all the more reason why people need a +ve change.
The best part you fullfilled your wish of attending the new year in the Gambia. Gambians and Gambian lovers-much respect !
Happy eid to u too, and all. Enjoy the card above.
|
"There is no god but Allah (SWT); and Muhammad (SAW)is His last messenger." shahadah. Fear & Worship Allah (SWT) Alone! (:
|
 |
|
|
Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jan 2006 : 00:05:11
|
Hi lurker,
it's good to hear you enjoyed your trip. By the way did you hear any news about when they are going to fix the mobile phone network. Because for several months now that system has been playing up something chronic.
Peace
Sister Omega |
Peace
Sister Omega |
|
|
|
lurker
509 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jan 2006 : 19:25:43
|
| hi sis, funny place, gambia. on the one hand the mobile phones are dodgy, and i did not hear much about that side of the things. yet , on the other hand, a friend in senegambia is about to get wireless internet on his pc! good luck to him ! |
|
|
|
Amna
Gambia
76 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jan 2006 : 21:18:53
|
Dear all,
Sadly it seems after 11 years of haemorrhaging, The Gambia is on its final stage of break down. All the institutions are on their last knees as Junkung Jahanama has achieved his ultimate goal of destroying the country through sheer stupidity, hate, spite and malevolence.
Everything that worked from the Public Servive Commission, the parastatals, the Judiciary, the Police, the Armed Forces/Services, the telecommunication companies have been looted, packed with incompetent psychophants and bootlickers and praisesingers.
It is sad and tragic. The formerly stable dalasi has lost over 300% of its value from 1994 and salaries have stagnated. In 1994, someone making D1500 was earning almost $200 a month while a bag of rice cost about $25 per bag. Today that person still earns about the same, in fact the ***** just annouced a 10% pay increase, that is a net real increase of 3% while prices have inflated over 300% in the same period. Now a bag of rice averages about D700.
Sadly short of another illegal change of government, the national alliance for Democracy and Development NADD is the only remaining hope of peaceful change and despite all my optimism, these days and months are daunting as Junkung threatens to slaughter 20,000 Gambians, continues to ravage and pack the courts with his tools, the Independent Electoral Commmision is a joke and has been a joke from day 1; nothing points to a fair election or a bright future for the Gambia but all hope is not lost. If the Civil Society Organization can continue to moblize and draw international attention on the Gambia, maybe we can get Jammeh in an election. Unfortunately the track record of the international does not inspire confidence. So NADD despite its tribulations remains our only viable option except a Deus Ex Machina..Intervention by God...well, we have the next months to see how things evolve. Junkung will remain the murderous SOB that he is, it is what and how NADD rises to the challenge that will be the thing to watch.
Peace |
Amna |
|
|
|
gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jan 2006 : 22:46:02
|
Alot of tourists presume that because salaries are low, prices are low. It is a shock when you explain that the average wages is 1000/1500 dls a month and rice for the month is 700dls.....not much money left for anything else.
Who controls the price of rice? Is it usa?
Also in the hotels why is it legal for staff to be expected to do unpaid overtime?
They are scared to complain because there is another man waiting for their job.
A true democracy needs fair employment law. Fair working conditions.
That is something that will have a direct impact on the quality of ordinary peoples lives.......
Since Victorian times in England employment law has come a long long way...so Gambians dont give up hope......in 50 years things can change more than one could imagine.....
Does the Gambia have any child emloyment laws?????
The opposition lawyers should be working on things like this to make the lives of ordinary Gambians better.
They need to set out bench mark standards that you as a country wont go below. For example.....every child until 13 years will be in full time education. It will be illegal for a child to work under that age. For parents that cant afford education the government should pay. This should be the oppositions point of view.
The Labour Party in England just after the second world war is a good model for social policies which would help the working class of Gambia.(the majority).
Another MAJOR thing that would help people would be FREE malaria treatment..... not having to pay for those horrid injections....
How many lives would that save?????
The opposition, instead of just being an opposition needs to develop really positive things it would do..... Does it have a formal manifesto? If so where can i read it?
Sorry I think I have just gone off on one!!!! But social justice is very close to my heart! |
|
|
|
Amna
Gambia
76 Posts |
Posted - 22 Jan 2006 : 01:08:13
|
Dear Bev,
I guess you are beginning to see and understanding the dynamics of the current world economic system we live in. I appreciate your concern and efforts in social justice but when you ask/state things like..why we dont set up the educational facilities to create a middle class...my answer always hacks back to the systems inherited and status quo that has been designed and is maintained by all methods.
There is no doubt that The Gambia and other developing countries are tin pot/banana/peanut/groundnut/monkey nut states that are mostly not viable. The monoculture economies are designed for the service and benefit of the colonial master state and master economy. There has been no history of rule of law and democratic governance.
Independence or so called independence is the biggest scam ever pulled. To have a greater understanding of the dilemna and challenges we third worlders face, just go and research the history of Haiti. When Haitian slaves under Toussaint L'Overture rose and defeated a series of French and British forces against them, Toussaint was captured under the false flag of truce, died in jail in France and to recognize the nascent Black Haitian state, the Western world imposed on Haiti the requirement to pay for the losses of the slave masters, several times the country's GDP and made sure/ensured that Haiti remains the poorest and most desolate place on Earth. The lesson to slaves and slave economies is there for posterity.
Now coming back to The Gambia, obviously there is no rule of law, Yaya is an outlaw and renegade but who cares, but if Yaya in his pretend madness should attack western interests like hotels, maybe abduct one or two westerners like the unfolding Diamond saga, the retribution will be swift and sure like Mugabe. If Mugabe had ignored the obvious over distorted land issue in Zimbabwe as he did from 1980 to 1999, he would have continued to be the West's darling despite the fact that his 5th Brigade trained by North Korea reeked havoc on the Matabeleland peoples.
My point is there is no real 'free world" and no real defenders of freedom, human dignity or justice. Sadly the worst perpetrators are the Judases. Jesus was not betrayed by the priests, pharisees and scribes who opposed him but by one of his chosen according to the Gospels. So our worst tormentors are sadly our own.
Salutations. |
Amna |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
| Bantaba in Cyberspace |
© 2005-2024 Nijii |
|
|
|
Topic Locked
