>From: Abdoulaye Saine <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Date: Thu, 21 Mar 2002 22:31:58 +0000 > >G-L Community: > >I have been in The Gambia for about six weeks. The last time I >visited was >six years ago, following the presidential and national assembly >elections. >Six years later, the atmosphere following the 2001 elections and the >violence have all but abated. 2001 appears calmer, less tense than >the >post-elections period of 1996. Today, Gambians appear less tense or >agitated as they go along their daily chores to earn a dalasi. They >appear, >(especially the supporters) less encumbered by excesses of the >state, not >that non exist. Jammeh appears to be very popular. Much of this >support >can be found among the poor and less educated, in both the urban and >rural >areas, among the young and old, men and especially women. His >support also >seems to transcend ethnicity, even though many of his own Jola >ethnic kin >support him generally. Part of the support can also be found among >relatively well educated and highly placed Gambians. Some supporters >in the >latter group appear real, others support him to keep their perks or >are too >scared to say anything against him. They want to keep their jobs, >that I >can understand. Life can be tough without one as the economic >challenges >reveal the raw instinct of human survival. > >!Jammeh is working, Jammeh is trying! is the response I get from >taxi-drivers, generally, even though some have also been critical of >his >rule, like those who may be opposed to his rule. A sense of >optimism for >the future seems to dominate the mood even for the elderly, >including my old >mom, aunts and other relatives. I get the sense that it is more >generalized. To be sure, many are also opposed him as the 2001 >presidential >election results show. Not withstanding my critical views about the >regime >and the fact that I support, like most of you, my extended family, >financially, they are unrepentantly supportive of Jammeh. > >Over 30 years of PPP neglect has left the physical infrastructure in >very >bad shape. It would take just a little effort for the population to >be >impressed about the developments going on. Many are pleased about >the new >roads, schools, hospitals, some are less impressed. !We can not eat >the >roads, I overheard a passer-by. For the bulk of Gambians, >especially the >poor, development is measured in terms of buildings, roads, access >to >hospital, school for kids etc. This is where the bulk of APRC >support lie. > >Much needs to be done about the environment, however. The Greater >Banjul >area is infested with European rejected cars that spew volumes of >black >smoke. The main road to Brikama from Westfeild is a dust-bowl and >the >garbage dump at Barkoteh is a major eye-sore, simply filthy. > >Yet, the Kerr Sereinge, Brusibi, Kotu, Kololi, the hotel area is >undergoing >a major construction boon, undertaken mostly by Gambians abroad, who >are >buying up land like crazy. They are building houses that range from >half a >million to millions of dalasis. The Coastal road network has made >this area >easily accessable. The old-bourgeoisie at Fajara and Pipeline, it >seems, >are being taken over by this new and growing petty-bourgeoisie. The >bulk of >the population, however, still lives poorly, in high density areas, >poor >roads etc. Gambians, despite government are working hard to improve >themselves. > >As I return to my mom's compound, located in this major urban >sprawl, where >I have lived life with frequent power, water outages, poor roads, >dust and >throngs all around, I am constantly reminded about the brutish >nature of >Gambian poverty. Despite it all though, the kids are doing >relatively well, >sheltered with love and protected by an intricate web of family >ties. > >As I jog back from the beach about 8:30 am, I am gratified by the >sights of >young Gambians, boys and girls in clean-clad uniforms marching >cheerfully to >their respective schools, giggling and speaking many different >languages. >They are full of hope, not daunted by the challenges and boldly play >their >part. Many are very poor. In fact, many did not have breakfast, I >reckon, >and may have but a few bututs for lunch. These kids give me much >hope for >The Gambia and its future, for these kids are our future. The hard >lesson I >learn from these kids, is to be hopeful despite what the physical >environment and problems. We can all learn a thing or two from >these kids. > >Bye for now. My bill is getting high. > >So long from an Internet Cafe in sprawling Serrekunda. > > >Keep hope alive! >Abdoulaye > > > > >>From: "Yusupha C. Jow" <[log in to unmask]> >>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list >><[log in to unmask]> >>To: [log in to unmask] >>Subject: Re: High Tech Voting >>Date: Thu, 21 Mar 2002 15:45:28 EST >> >>In a message dated 3/21/02 3:44:49 PM Eastern Standard Time, >>[log in to unmask] >>writes: >> >> >> > I also hope those responsible for election issues back home find >>better >>and >> > more error prone ways for us to vote. >> >>Oops! I meant less error prone ways. >> >>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >> >>To unsubscribe/subscribe or 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] >> >>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > > >_________________________________________________________________ >Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: >http://messenger.msn.com > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > >To unsubscribe/subscribe or 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] > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~