The Electrocution … At Brikamaba the apprentice, hanging by one arm on the back of the gele-gele, assured me that the vehicle was traveling to Janjangbureh ‘Macatty’ so, as I was going there, I clambered aboard the rusty wreck and squeezed in beside a lady with an infant in one hand and a chicken in…
On Gambia Colonial Chiefs: Maranta Sonko He ruled Lower Niumi as a hereditary chief, whose ancestors were Kings of Niumi before he ceded his territory to the British in the Treaty of Essau of 1893 for an annual stipend of £110. Henceforth, Maranta was no longer King of Niumi, but simply chief of Upper Niumi…
‘Tales of a traveling Toubabo’ Masaneh could arrange anything. Working as the restaurant manager of the Fajara Hotel way back in 1987 he would welcome every tourist making them feel as though they were the most important guests ever to grace the beaches of his beloved Gambia. He could diffuse an effusive squabble between a…
Wise Gambians have often advised me to avoid using ‘Gele-geles’ for longer trips. It has always sounded like good advice so this time I opted to take the early morning Express from Brikamaba to Kombo. 05:45 at the bus stop ‘uliha’, I sneaked onto the Express unnoticed and placed my bag directly behind the driver’s…
Due to the recent suspension of USAID donor funds, Gambia urgently needs to reconsider how much it depends on funding government projects and civil society organizations. At this crucial time, the Government of Gambia (GoTG) should push for a more independent development strategy and is actively financing local projects. The abrupt halt of USAID funds…
Three years ago a group of men stood on the beach in front of the Bakau Fish Market looking out to sea, occasionally pointing, occasionally speaking quietly to one another. I sat nearby on the tiny beach of an adjacent hotel thinking about a swim. There are turtles in that area, and though elusive and…
