From BBC Online Friday, 2 November, 2001, 13:57 GMT Gambia acquires an alphabet Mr Nimaga says he wants to be remembered for his alphabet A Gambian businessman is so determined to see his countrymen speak their own unique language, he has invented one. Some people looked at my writings with scorn and thought I was engaged in an idle work. But others saw me as a promising person Kaa Bully Nimaga It's called Soninke, and the language's inventor Kaa Bully Nimaga calls it "my gift from God". Mr Nimaga, director of the Nimaga African Arts Collection, said his 28-letter "Soni" alphabet forms the only exclusively Gambian language in existence. With no formal education of his own, Mr Nimaga plans to set up a school where Gambians can learn the language for free. "I want to ensure that I leave something behind before I die that will be beneficial to the people," he was quoted as saying. Gambia, one of Africa's smallest countries, is known for its tourism, and many Gambians speak English. Widely spoken indigenous languages such as Mandinka and Jolof are also spoken in neighbouring Senegal. Childhood dream His dream of inventing something useful has been with him since childhood, but its creation has been a struggle. He also runs a successful antique dealing business "At the beginning, some people looked at my writings with scorn and thought I was engaged in an idle work," he told the BBC's Network Africa. "But others saw me as a promising person." His business collecting and dealing in African antiques is successful and takes the 43-year-old across Africa and the United States. But it is the success of the Soni Alphabet that drives Mr Nimaga. "I want to share with people my gift from God," he said. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>