Every Diaspora Gambian has it. With our extended families and the spaghetti
like ways we do routine business transactions in The Gambia, it is a must
have for any of us who maintain interests back home. From handling and
maintaining regular remittances, to arranging complicated power of attorneys
for real estate transactions, they do it all. They are the people I
euphemistically call managers. From an informal survey I did with friends in
the U. S, managers tend to be overwhelmingly family members, relatively young
with a demonstrable track record of honesty and integrity. They tend to be
resident in the greater Banjul area holding onto a job of some kind. Their
roles have evolved over the years as different services and needs come about.
For example not so long ago most managers oversaw remittances that would come
in chunks destined for long periods in which he would hold onto to the bulk
amount and give beneficiaries amounts at specified periods. As a result, a
Diaspora Gambian resident in New York with a manager in Serrekunda and
beneficiaries in a village in C R D would most likely arrange three month
chunks of remittances but might send the entire some in one dispatch to the
manager. He would then arrange to get it to them at specified times. With the
extended nature of the Gambian family especially in the provinces, the
managers often have to make a weekend trek to cover the dispersed
beneficiaries. With the advent of quick and effective money transfers, the
role of the managers has gradually changed even for the one who overseas for
far flunged beneficiaries. It is now possible to send any amount of money
from any part of the world within a 24 hour period, enabling folks to do just
in time remittances for both regular responsibilities and emergencies. It has
also helped to inadvertently shield Diaspora Gambians from having to dispense
with resources they could otherwise invest in their overall efforts in their
countries of residence and the occasional horror stories of trusted managers
running amok. It is not unusual for managers to spend other people's money
and pull an elaborate ruse like phantom homes for someone who has spent
thousands of dollars and great dreams. But those are the aberration as
opposed to what most of the managers do.
      The managers shine best in handling the single biggest investment for
most Diaspora Gambians : real estate. They are able to deftly navigate the
corrupt and cumbersome bureaucracy one has to go through to acquire a home
from the Alkalo, local municipal officers and the whole nine yards. It is
impossible to correctly transact any thing from overseas and a three week
vacation will not do it either. Information and the government paper pushers
who control it are not amenable to doing their jobs on the phone. I have
tried to get a simple telephone line for my mother in Georgetown for 5 years
to no avail. The folks at that Gamtel and they changed over the years don't
know why I can't  have a line and they don't care either.
     Managers who oversee large or multiple tasks apart from remittance
management would often times require maintenance costs. Those overseeing real
estate transactions need to be mobile to traverse various offices and once
construction begins they need to be at the site and twist arms to ensure
adherence to specifications. You may have to get them a cell phone and if
they also oversee rental property, that may require power of attorney to
facilitate general management, tax payment and so on.
    Most managers are glad to help in the overall welfare of the family and
relish their roles as conduits and facilitators of all that families can
enjoy within the Gambian extended system. We are a culture that values
sharing and over the years families members who seek out opportunities far
and wide have tried to find ways to continue this great tradition of ours. In
these times it us and the wonderful managers who help keep the family engines
well oiled. They help make the little we earn well worth the tremendous
efforts we put into getting them. From the cold winters of Minnesota , to the
 tough streets of Newyork, to the dangerous mines of Angola and the harsh
winters of Scandinavia, we all do our best and the managers who are our
unsung heroes help extend it to our loved ones and their neighbors. Let us
keep remembering them and always add a slight margin to your overall
calculations as a dividend of recognition. Infact that is the unstated way
most managers are thanked for their efforts.
Karamba

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