The painting you see here was painted in The Gambia. I have not seen any depictions of drowning migrants or sinking Pirogues, except for a few photos on Facebook, probably for very good reasons. Just the other day a friend of mine showed me a photo on his mobile of a beautiful young girl with a beaming smile, full of hope and expectations, sitting on a Pirogue with her rucksack. A final farewell photo just before the launch into the Atlantic Ocean. That was 4 months ago and no one has heard a word since. She is gone. This type of photo haunts thousands of smart phones throughout The Gambia. The departed.
The conspiracy of silence, the murky dealings of people traffickers and the abundant supply of human beings persists. Whether naive, desperate or just plain greedy, they are all exploited and all vulnerable. There seem to be only approximations of the death toll. Doesn’t every Gambian know someone who knows someone who has simply disappeared?
With all this in mind I painted a second painting ‘El Dorado’ in an attempt to convey to young people what they might experience if they choose the ‘Backway’ route to ‘The Land of Gold’, The Canaries. A mere 1600 kms from the beaches of Niumi Jinack. Not exactly a pleasure cruise. I have shown the painting to a number of young people and they gaze at it. One of them cried actually, two of her friends from her village disappeared in January. Perhaps she’ll think twice about doing the same thing.
Last year I painted ‘Migrant Ship’, it has so far raised over £3,000 which has been converted into things like school uniforms and school bags, a Kankurang statue for the Janjanbureh Museum, and simpler gifts where they are most needed. A print of it is in The National Museum in Banjul, but it’s not really about doling out some proceeds from a tragedy, it’s more about preventing further ones. And not just endless assisted drownings, but also the plain fact that many of those who survive the ordeal end up sleeping on unwelcoming European paving slabs rather than strolling along streets paved with solid gold.
‘El Dorado’ is up for sale, and someone will buy it and the money will buy a solar panelled well pump for a school or something like that, but it would be exceptionally appropriate if one of the organisations that raises awareness of People Trafficking and Drownings at sea would use it. Show it to the young. It’s a cliché, but even one life would make it worthwhile. I’ve contacted the International Office of Migration and am waiting for a meeting. Aspirations for an audience with President Barrow have proved difficult. Are you reading this Sir? I’d be happy to call in. Elders in Niumi Jinack maybe.
Anyway it’s in The Point Newspaper which is indeed a starting point.
I have taken care not to be too critical of the People Trafficking Mafiiosi in case I, too, end up ‘sleeping with the fishes’
Please contact Tim Lee if you have a credible and worthwhile use for this painting.
WhatsApp 243 2872
