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njucks
Gambia
1131 Posts |
 Posted - 28 Jul 2006 : 14:33:01
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quote:
Originally posted by jambo
NJUCKS more doctors to be trained, how much is the training in gambia for someone to become a doctor. do you know.
last time i checked a friend told me it was around D14,000 /yr. for tuition. obviously with books, etc it will be higher. Medicine is expensive everywhere, relatively.
but its true that a lot of them are also on scholarships, but i dont know the details. |
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 28 Jul 2006 : 15:23:16
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| thanks Njucks, thats about £250.00 pa. i forgot to ask how long is the training, before they become qualified. |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 28 Jul 2006 : 21:07:51
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quote:
Originally posted by ranga
Does anyone know what percentage of Gambian graduates leave the country?
Curent estimates are that over 60% of Gambian graduates live in the United states. |
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ranga
USA
149 Posts |
Posted - 02 Aug 2006 : 06:38:15
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kondorong, thanks!
Do these graduates come to the US for higher studies? Do they come right after graduating or after a few years of working? I suppose some of them are able to send some money home when they start working.
Also, we have a short supply or nurses in the US. Do nurses leave Gambia for the US? |
T.K. "Ranga" Rengarajan
Founder, Geoseed Project
http://www.geoseedproject.com
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 02 Aug 2006 : 23:09:52
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| Gambia Regisetered nurses cannot practice in the U.S. Many graduated in the US some came over. Rememeber student visas are given to the best high school students -atleast 5 credits including English and Maths. Gambians are among the most educated immigrants in the US. Almost every Gambian in the United States has a high school diploma. |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 03 Aug 2006 : 07:57:52
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It is vital to development in Gambia that it keeps its graduates at home to help its country. You cant blame individuals for going abroad for financial gain. But perhaps they should have to work in Gambia for a few years first or perhaps the government should find someway of giving them an incentive to stay?
If you educated your brightest people to degree level and then they leave the country then the country gains nothing. |
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ranga
USA
149 Posts |
Posted - 04 Aug 2006 : 06:48:09
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| gambiabev, I understand the spirit of your note. It does help for educated Gambians to remain to help Gambia. However, there are great benefits for educated Gambians to venture out in the world and make a name for themselves. They get ahead personally. Their experience establishes that education pays. They serve as role models for those back home. It may well be that one Gambian who leaves Gambia inspires many more to get educated. I'm not aware of any demographic studies on this aspect of emigration. |
T.K. "Ranga" Rengarajan
Founder, Geoseed Project
http://www.geoseedproject.com
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 04 Aug 2006 : 19:17:19
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quote:
Originally posted by ranga
gambiabev, I understand the spirit of your note. It does help for educated Gambians to remain to help Gambia. However, there are great benefits for educated Gambians to venture out in the world and make a name for themselves. They get ahead personally. Their experience establishes that education pays. They serve as role models for those back home. It may well be that one Gambian who leaves Gambia inspires many more to get educated. I'm not aware of any demographic studies on this aspect of emigration.
One good thing that frequent dismissals of public officials have brought is the ability to look beyond Gambia. Today dismissed Gambian public officials are heading many UN missions from Rwanda, Sierra Leone, East Timor, The Hague, Arusha Tribunals, W.H.O. etc. Gambians never left home. Everyone worked and retired at home. They in fact had a famous retiree meeting point in Bakau playing draft. These were highly educated and experienced public officials.
In fact Gambia never filled its quota in many international bodies it was a member. At the Commonwealth Secretariat, there was only one Gambian working there before 1994. There is a silver lining to every problem. Gambians never traveled pre-1994. In fact Gambia never had visas with almost all European countries especially Scandinavia and even Ireland until in 2001 I believe. Our passport was highly valued in the sub region. Entry visas were issued on arrival in many European countries once you could show a place of abode.
Ranga is right. Many who graduate now never look up to public service but rather only
use it to gain one or two years experience and leave for many international
responsibilities. The legal field is one area where this is more prevalent.
The competition is very fierce now to get quality education for their children. Private
schools are coming up like mushrooms and even though very expensive, children are now
registered sometimes two years before Kindergarten otherwise the school would have
been full. One good thing about it is that it rekindled personal effort. Every one wants to
be successful and no one is satisfied with his condition.
Whether that is good or bad depends on which side your bread is buttered.
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ranga
USA
149 Posts |
Posted - 05 Aug 2006 : 05:59:27
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I'm delighted to hear that there is fierce competition to get quality education. Also very happy that more private schools are being opened. This free market for education is a good thing. If true, spread of education will not be held back by inefficiencies of a centralized system. No doubt some private schools will be of low quality. But then anxious parents will check them out and vote with their dalasis on the best schools.
If there are many Gambians who can speak clear English, why not start call centers and bring business back to Gambia? I'm sure if there is a good density of educated young men and women, someone enterprising Gambian will try it and succeed. It is inevitable.
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T.K. "Ranga" Rengarajan
Founder, Geoseed Project
http://www.geoseedproject.com
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 05 Aug 2006 : 12:39:50
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ranga, what you say about call centres i think is good, but bureauracy in gambia is a nightmare, until they sort out the internal problems no outsurcing will touch it. but i think the business parks are on the right track.
The infra-structure in gambia is getting better, roads are being slowly improved, but electricity can be a problem. At the AU the Iranian president speech was cut short because of a power station can you imagine if that happens in the middle of a call centre. But Gambia is ideal for this time of business and any administration/paperwork that can be sent abroad. |
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ranga
USA
149 Posts |
Posted - 05 Aug 2006 : 19:42:28
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jambo, your point is well taken. I hope private industry will be able to escape from under the bureaucracy and prosper.
The key is to pick businesses and technologies that are dependent on few pieces of infrastructure. For example, India has the same power problem. So the IT industry there has invested heavily in generators so at least their specific buildings can function thus making their businesses successful. Their successful business in turn helps fund the generators. Local solutions to work around infrastructure issues is essential. Bootstrapping such business is indeed hard.
Can you share more about the business parks? |
T.K. "Ranga" Rengarajan
Founder, Geoseed Project
http://www.geoseedproject.com
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 06 Aug 2006 : 19:33:31
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it also helps to have a government that is pro-active in encouraging business to their country, with the situation in Gambia, i am not sure if this government or relevant ministers will be there in 5 months time.
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 07 Aug 2006 : 19:28:06
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quote:
Originally posted by jambo
it also helps to have a government that is pro-active in encouraging business to their country, with the situation in Gambia, i am not sure if this government or relevant ministers will be there in 5 months time.
I am not sure about the minsiters but i am dead sure the president will be there for the next ten years. If you have any plans , you better start planning with him. He is going no where. He has asked us to "... be as patient as a vulture...." |
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ranga
USA
149 Posts |
Posted - 08 Aug 2006 : 07:54:26
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| jambo, kondorong, you have a good point. The stability and business-friendliness of the Government helps a lot. In some sense, just ensuring law and order and allowing private businesses to pursue their success goes a long way. |
T.K. "Ranga" Rengarajan
Founder, Geoseed Project
http://www.geoseedproject.com
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 08 Aug 2006 : 11:08:19
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Kons, i think you are right, he is going nowhere.
After my last trip that is what I decided. I keep thinking that when a minister is put in power they stay there, but each trip sees a change in government  that makes you stop what you are planning to do. |
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