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What a shock, an invite to The Republic of The Gambia, West Africa! It was prolonged from President Yahya Abdulaziz Jemus Junkung Jemmah, himself. I used to be the one feminine amongst our USA group from FSJ and Associates.
We had been requested to help President Yahya within the manufacturing of their February Independence Day celebrations, develop a global recording studio, and create an leisure academic course for the college college students in Banjul. Moreover, Vice President Isatul Njie-Saide requested us to help within the Gambian Girls’s Empowerment program.
Being a motivational speaker and devoted charity advocate, I used to be elated! After intense preparation and quite a few pictures, I used to be off on my lengthy journey. A day and a half later, I used to be exhausted after I arrived in Banjul, nonetheless gagging from the stench of the sheepherders and the pesticide fumigation in Dakar, Senegal.
Gambia is positioned on the West Coast of Africa close to the Equator. It surrounds a delta on the desert’s edge. I used to be greeted by roaming goats and Ebu, my chauffeur/bodyguard. I used to be not allowed in public with out him. I rapidly understood why.
Apart from being election yr and threats by the Opposition Occasion, the natives would seize my blonde hair and fair-skinned arms, after which wish to shake my hand. Their yellowish eyes advised their tales of poverty and illness. I stored telling myself, “Use a number of sanitizer!” Illness runs rampant there – Aids, Hepatitis, Malaria, Meningitis, West Nile, Hen Flu, and so on.
At ten {dollars} (US) for bottled water, I rationed it all through the day, saving drops for brushing my enamel earlier than mattress. That was okay, as a result of restrooms had been just about non-existent. If I discovered one, there can be no bathroom paper and had rancid sewage on the ground. Apart from water, my eating regimen consisted of grapefruit, pineapple, pastries, meatless pizza, and moldy cheese.
Gambians view People as rich, as a result of the typical laborer makes just one greenback (US) per day, works six days every week, and is paid as soon as a month. Despite the fact that girls got the best to vote two years in the past, most aren’t allowed to work outdoors their household commune. Subsequently, the poverty stricken girls and kids swarm the vacationers begging feverishly.
Muslims account for 95% of the inhabitants. A Muslim man could marry 4 wives, every having 5 youngsters on common. With twenty-five hungry mouths to feed, most of their cash is spent on rice and beans. As a consequence of malnutrition, it is not uncommon to see youngsters with bloated bellies and bony legs and arms.
By regulation when a girl marries, she is required to transform to her husband’s faith; subsequently, Muslim males will purposely hunt down Christian girls. Moreover, Muslim faculties provide free training verses public faculties with costly charges. This creates a non secular stronghold on the kids from youth.
One other methodology of final management is thru the Witch Physician’s voodoo. Wives are threatened with a demise hex if they’re disobedient or go away their husbands. In actuality, it isn’t the hex that can trigger their demise; it’s malnutrition, illness, the shortage of training and no revenue.
Despite the fact that the Gambian girls stay in a male dominated society, their spirits seek for fact and dignity. Throughout Christian church providers, the Muslim girls usually spy over the again partitions outdoors whereas listening to the sermon on the loud audio system. They’re camouflaged in a number of layers of fabric to hide their id.
I used to be honored to be a visitor on the presidential dinner celebrations and excited to mingle with different world leaders, however my spotlight was inspiring the Banjul college students to stay fulfilling lives and to maintain hope. The younger girls had been so appreciative; they gave me a set of scarves.
African life is tough! Their on a regular basis challenges are to search out the fundamentals – meals, clothes and shelter. The important thing to empowerment is to turn out to be much less to be able to turn out to be extra. Empowerment comes within the least anticipated second, inflicting one to courageously rise above the circumstances that encompass them.
I’ll at all times keep in mind the kinder spirits of the Gambian folks; they’re essentially the most gracious I’ve ever recognized. I’m not positive if I’d willingly volunteer for one more tour of responsibility in Africa; but when requested, I in all probability would go once more.
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