Joe wrote:

“You asked,

"I know that you are actively canvassing for contributions for a “Save The
Gambia Fund”. What puzzles me is that despite the horrific devastation
that has happened to our URD farmers, you are yet to suggest doing
something for them. Is the URD not a part of The Gambia or are they not
worth saving?"

Well, Gassa, ask not what others are doing, but what you have done or are
doing for the hard hit farmers, aside from collecting a paycheck.  That is
the question.  Since you came with that brilliant idea and have not heard
Joe solicit for that purpose, what has Gassa done in the interim?  Don't
you have the same moral responsibility to your fellow citizens?  It's my
responsibility alright, but how about you who is thriving on their backs?
You've heard the saying, two heads are better than one, so what is your
responsibility in the challenge you identified?  Better yet, what has your
able and capable leader, Yaya Jammeh done for the farmers?  Zilch, but
stealing from them”.

Joe, if you mean to ask what I have done financially, my answer is zilch!
However, both physically and morally I have given my support by attending
meetings to discuss their plight, canvass for relief aid as well help in
formulating a strategic plan to deal with any future similar disaster.

Having said that let me give you a little background to the disaster and
what is being done to help. On August 24th 2003, a squall of some 45-48
knots hit the URD. Even though it is estimated that the squall lasted for
only 3 – 5 minutes, it was of such intensity that it brought down a lot of
trees that fell on houses, electricity and telephone poles and cable, did
a lot of damage to crop fields, killed three people and injured many
others. This squall was later followed by a heavy and persistent downpour
that submerged about 98 hectares of rice fields that were almost ready to
harvest. Other crops did not escape either. The floods continued for
several more weeks thus destroying most the crops that these communities
rely on for their survival. In all, about 800 households were affected and
over 1,600 houses destroyed.

The government’s response was to setup a task force under the office of
the vice president to oversee the mobilization of funds and the
distribution of available relief aid. This task force included the Red
Cross, NGOs, the MRC, religious and civic groups as well as some
government departments.

While a lot of food was immediately provided to the victims of the
disaster, these people are finding it very tough to rebuild their homes
and lives.

One major concern is that this freak event could happen again and again
and in any town. It is therefore planned to prune as many trees as can be
managed with our limited resources and equipment. To this end, the
taskforce is soliciting for funds and equipment such as chain saws and
carpentry tools. Some of the fallen big trees could have been used to
rebuild some of the houses destroyed but with lack of suitable equipment
that cannot be done. Instead, very good timber is being chopped for
firewood and the remaining left to simply rot away.

There is also the need to create gutters and waterways so as to minimize
future flooding. However, some of these cannot be done immediately.

This is precisely why I thought that since some of you people have started
soliciting for funds to “Save The Gambia”, you could start with the people
of the URD. If you do not trust the government to do the right thing, you
can channel any help through the Red Cross, Catholic Relief Services, NGOs
or even the Wulli fund of PDOIS’s Sidia Jatta.

Have a good day, Gassa


--
There is a time in the life of every problem when it is big enough to see,
yet small enough to solve (Mike Leavitt)

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