Sister Jabou Joh,
Truely, that piece of information was heartbreaking. It carries with it the telltale symptoms of a society in decay. Children scavenging for food at refuse dumps indicate widespread hunger amongst the lower classes and economically disadvantaged groups. The attendant effects are malnutrition and disease.
That children are abandoned by their families also reflect the breakdown of the extended family: the in-built social security system that formed the backbone of societies throughout Africa. Aids, disease, hunger and chronic poverty are ravaging our soiceties and Gambia, with its prevalent political malaise and economic meltdown, can hardly stave off the encroaching decay.
Mmodou S Sidibeh
--- Original Message -----
From: "Jabou Joh" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2003 3:05 PM
Subject: Re: May God Bless The Gambia
> My God, this is heartbreaking. Gambian children scarvenging for food in
> garbage dumps and beinf abandoned by their parents? It sounds like a tale
> from another planet and yet, it is true. I am crying as I read this.
>
> Jabou Joh
>
> In a message dated 4/23/03 7:41:12 AM Central Daylight Time,
> [log in to unmask] writes:
>
>
> > The Independent (Banjul)
> > April 22, 2003
> >
> > Posted to the web April 22, 2003
> > Banjul
> > In recent months the Bakoteh dumping site has become the scene for
> > food scavenging by children as young as eight, who said they have
> > been encouraged to go there by their scavenging friends.
> > A fresh gang of dirty and haggard-looking children who were busy
> > scrambling for food discarded in a blue plastic bag and thrown on one
> > of the huge mound of rubbish at the site said they were happy to be
> > at the site and have got used to playing on it and searching for
> > discarded food items.
> >
>
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