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Momodou
Denmark
11650 Posts |
 Posted - 06 Jan 2007 : 17:38:47
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THE PLIGHT OF A GAMBIAN YOUTH
Poverty and lack of employment are killing the youths more than the bullet can do. The youths prefer to die than live in shame for being treated like thrash by their families due to the fact that they cannot contribute financially to a family that quite often lives from hand to mouth. They are ready to go against the tide and scale all heights in order to make a living. A youth narrated his experience to this reporter thus: “I went to school up to Grade 9. My father who is a farmer was unable to finance my senior secondary school education. I therefore had to drop at Grade 9 not because of poor academic performance but to poverty that engulfed the family. I joined my father at the farm. After working at the farm for many years, which only enabled us to live from hand to mouth without a future, I decided to travel in search of greener pastures. I was able to obtain a passport but not a visa for any European country. I have been duped by people who claimed that they could help me to acquire a visa.
I lost thousands of dalasis in that adventure. In the month of July this year, I was told by a friend of the opportunity of going to Europe without a visa. The friend explained the opportunity of sailing to Europe by boat at a relatively cheap price. After discussing with the people in charge of the boats, I sold my watermelon farm at a give away price since the melons were premature at that time. We embarked the boat and left the country in September. We were forty in the boat; most of us were Gambians and Senegalese. We sailed for eight days without reaching our destination. Later we were told by the Captain that we were lost. He said he could not make out where we were. We were all concerned we asked ourselves “What next?” - a question that was never answered. On the 11th day we found ourselves in Senegal. At Senegal, we disembarked from the boat, went in town to buy food since our provisions were exhausted. When we came back, we could neither see the boat nor the Captain. We were in a dilemma. We had to find our way back to The Gambia. Presently, my dream of travelling has not come true; I lost my melon farm.”
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issues
Issue No. 002/2007, 5-7 December, 2007
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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