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Nyarikangbanna
United Kingdom
1382 Posts |
 Posted - 01 Mar 2011 : 18:35:22
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The Republic of The Gambia will lose £2.2 Million- about D100 Million- in British aid this year. The decision by UK's International Development Secretary, Andrew Mitchell, came about after a review shows that British aid to The Gambia is not being properly spent and that the British Tax payer is not getting value for money, i.e. the desired results are not being realised.
Meanwhile, the Department for International Development's [DFID] overall £7.8bn budget remains unaffected by the coalition government's deficit-cutting measures.
The figures shown below represent British direct aid for the respective countries in the year 2009/10.
Countries losing UK direct aid
Country Aid 09/10 Country Aid 09/10
Vietnam
£54.3m
Lesotho
£5.1m
China
£34.5m
Angola
£3.7m
Indonesia
£25.1m
Kosovo
£3m
Iraq
£20.2m
Bosnia
£2.4m
Cambodia
£15.9m
Gambia
£2.2m
Burundi
£13m
Serbia
£1.7m
Moldova
£5.4m
Russia
£1.5m
Niger
£5.1m
Cameroon
£0.2m
Source: DFID
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I do not oppose unity but I oppose dumb union. |
Edited by - Nyarikangbanna on 01 Mar 2011 19:00:31 |
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mansasulu
997 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2011 : 19:02:21
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| Thats probably a blessing in disguise if you ask me. It is about time we stop receiving aid anyway. 46 years of independence should at a minimun bring self subsistence. Dambisa Mayo wrote a book on how foreign aid is the greatest hinderance on third world countries and I am totally agree with her. |
"...Verily, in the remembrance of Allâh do hearts find rest..." Sura Al-Rad (Chapter 13, Verse 28)
...Gambian by birth, Muslim by the grace of Allah... |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 03 Mar 2011 : 16:39:27
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So where is Gambia going to generate that money from for it's self?
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 03 Mar 2011 : 17:16:39
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Simple, Gambiabev,get their act together,tourism,forest parks,treks through the parks searching for animals,river trips up the River Gambia,staying with local people up country,for a start, it's really about time that Gambians started doing things for themselves and looking after what they have,they have a great country with many good people and an excellent climate but lack the ideas , will,and management skills to come out and do things.
This is in some way the fault of a FEW people who exploit other Gambians and take everything,the average Gambian has become totally dissalusioned and dosn't want to do anything for himself,because it either gets smashed through jelousy or taken away by some other member of Gambian society who has money .
There is an overriding feeling amongst the average Gambian that if someone has something good or is making his way in a small business others are very jelous and think ,why can't I have that good thing ? or why is he doing so well I must bring him down to my level who has nothing,I want that.
This take and take attitude must stop for progress to be made.
This is my own opinion as an outsider,others will probably disagree and want more and more money thrown into the wind.
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Nyarikangbanna
United Kingdom
1382 Posts |
Posted - 03 Mar 2011 : 17:21:34
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quote:
Originally posted by gambiabev
So where is Gambia going to generate that money from for it's self?
Well, if we can put a stop to Naasiru Dean and his wife's spending binge, then maybe there will be something there to plug this massive finiancial hole. Otherwise the deficit is just going to pile up and more resources diverted from vital sectors like health, education etc to keep up with debt payments.
What a sorry state, Gambiabev? |
I do not oppose unity but I oppose dumb union. |
Edited by - Nyarikangbanna on 03 Mar 2011 17:25:58 |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 03 Mar 2011 : 22:57:19
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Yes, it makes me sad. Especially as the Uk government is still giving money to countries such as India.
I agree that just giving money without a plan, doesn't help.
Money shouldn't be given to create dependency but to create opportunity.
I feel very sad for ordinary Gambians that aren't corrupt, who just want the opportunity to make a living for their family.
If people want to help Gambians at an individual level I would say sponsor the education of a bright child in the family. Then if/when that child gains employment they can help their family. |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 03 Mar 2011 : 23:26:35
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Gambiabev,thanks for that,you have hit the bullseye,I know that MANY individuals and charities do excellent work,in giving what assistance they can,I do have my doubts about some of the very large charities as they appear to have very big administrative overheads which eat up a proportion of that money they collect,I have heard that some employ people to collect money and in return for any very good collections that they make they get paid a BONUS ! personally I think that is completely wrong,there must be a better way to manage such charities,it is self evident that individuals and small groups cannot collect great sums of money for their cause and that there must be bigger charities involved to cope with large expensive projects,I would like a rethink on how big charities work.Personal help is very rewarding and should be encourage,you cannot feel better just because you have given money to a charity without knowing how your money will be spent.
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Janyanfara
Tanzania
1350 Posts |
Posted - 03 Mar 2011 : 23:52:21
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Guys,
Naasiru Dean's wives and concubines are having it so much that they now splashing out.
We All knew Zainab wive 1 of Naasiru corruption rescently bought a house in the US not to talk of how much she and her Naasiru butcher, Sacha kat, mini mad dog has saved in foreign countries like Morocco .
Wife 2 Sallah went on a shopping spree spending Millions and millions of our Dalasi.
I mean my friends Jammeh is a poison. No wonder he is now given a new title Naasiru Gii-gain. |
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Nyarikangbanna
United Kingdom
1382 Posts |
Posted - 04 Mar 2011 : 20:37:15
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quote:
Originally posted by gambiabev
Yes, it makes me sad. Especially as the Uk government is still giving money to countries such as India.
I agree that just giving money without a plan, doesn't help.
Money shouldn't be given to create dependency but to create opportunity.
I feel very sad for ordinary Gambians that aren't corrupt, who just want the opportunity to make a living for their family.
If people want to help Gambians at an individual level I would say sponsor the education of a bright child in the family. Then if/when that child gains employment they can help their family.
Thanks for your compassion and empathy |
I do not oppose unity but I oppose dumb union. |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2011 : 15:43:48
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Compassion and empathy are one thing. I wish I could act more.
I wish I could sponsor more children and I wish i could build a nursery school in Kolior. At the moment it is all on hold because I am struggling to earn a living myself in the UK. |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2011 : 19:12:52
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I agree that British Aid hasn't delivered good value for money it's been used by many expats and their chronies to live a luxurious life style. It,s more of an elite club rather than a faciltation mechanism used to empower the most vulnerable in Gambia Society to acquire the appropriate skills and assistance that they need to improve their lives.
Gambia needs trade and not aid. People need to work and provide for themselves. Nepotism needs to be stopped and equality and diversity implemented for the nation to prosper. This will enable more participation of the youth entering employment in the country and less dependency on famillies relying on relatives and friends aboard. Let's face it as things are set to ge worse in the West the remittances that dependents in Gambia and other countries will be falling as unemployment raises further in the West. Aid is a false security it isn't wise to build a house on shifting sand. We need firm ground for that.
Peace
Sister Omega |
Peace
Sister Omega |
Edited by - Sister Omega on 05 Mar 2011 19:22:33 |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2011 : 20:23:02
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"it's been used by many expats and their chronies to live a luxurious life style. It,s more of an elite club rather than a faciltation mechanism " You have to have one hell of a party to spend D100 million,don't believe that,OK a proportion maybe but not the total amount !
this I do believe;"famillies relying on relatives and friends aboard. Let's face it as things are set to ge worse in the West the remittances that dependents in Gambia and other countries will be falling as unemployment raises further in the West. Aid is a false security it isn't wise to build a house on shifting sand. We need firm ground for that." |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2011 : 23:21:55
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Sister I think it is more likely that the President and his cronies have spent the money, rather than expats. Who has free access to the money without being questioned?
You say Gambia needs trade. What are they going to trade and to where?
most Gambian villages I have visited are living a subsistence lifestyle.There is very little left to trade.
If Gambian villages could trade with one another that would be a start, then trade with other African countries, and then finally with the world.
But my question remains 'what does Gambia have to trade?'
Of course for trade to happen there has to be surplus and there has to be trust.
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2011 : 00:42:03
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Sister Omega, is that you writing about Gambia needing TRADE and not AID? Will you please add that Gambia does need trade BUT let that be FAIR TRADE.
There is no fair trade in a country where the head of government is competing UNFAIRLY for all sorts of trading activities from sale of cement, bread, toilet rolls, biscuits, beach sand, meat, fish, transport service, automobiles, farm products and what you call it.
That is not the type of TRADE anyone will choose above genuine AID.
Bev, captured it in one handful by recalling that it is president Jammeh and his gang who take AID money. I wpould add that they certainly do so to build personal wealth driven by greed. |
Karamba |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2011 : 01:54:11
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Gambians are trading just visit the towns and you'll see business. What type of negative images are both of you trying to project here. Anyone would think that nothing is happening in Gambia that would be far from the truth though wouldn't it.
I suppose it has slipped your mind that the government has set up credit schemes for people setting up in animal husbandary and youth going into to Butchery and other micro projects to stop human trafficking to the west. Karamba be serious the high price hikes in bread has nothing to do with the government if you'd been watching the international news you would know that the price of wheat has shot up due to the hazardous weather conditions in Pakistan and other wheat producing countries. That's why in Britain bread is more expensive too. The Government provides jobs but its not the only sector. The Private sector is the sector that needs to provide more jobs. Let's face it the informal sector in Gambia is probably bigger than the other to put together. How many businesses in Gambia don't pay any tax at all. You talk about cars Karamba yes there are more and more cars on Gambian roads than ever before and guess what the majority of them are owned by non government staff.
Trade is more important than Aid. It just seems that there's a mindset that expects handouts like its their God given right to nothing and they expect other people to do it for them. Obviously their are people in genuine need of assistance who need to be helped. Therefore money given by foreign donors should be assessed to see that the money is actually going to those in need following a bottom approach rather than a top-down one.After all tree don't grow from the sky they grow from the ground. Therefore if aid is to make a real difference then it should be allocated to assisting self -reliance. But let's face facts Britain can't any longer finance the world because its struggling to finance itself after all the credit has run out. The dividends from divide and rule have disappeared and now its got the biggset debts in the western world wow how things have changed. So how the hell do we expect Britain to keep on giving aid to every country in the world. Britain will also start to scruntinize more carefully places of strategic interest and clearly Gambia isn't to give its aid to!
Many of the successful people the world over weren't given nothing unless they worked hard for it. This is the medicine being adminstered by the British government on its citizens and it's the same message Jammeh has been saying for the past 16 coming on to 17 years to Gambians. Now there's a generation of youth who have got this message who aren't afraid to work hard and to aspire for a better life and are actually working in sustainable jobs in Gambia. No I'm not only talking about the Kombos but even in the provinces with the South Bank soon to be completed both sides of Gambia will be opened up for trading opportunities. Greater inward investment into the Provinces will basically lead to more investment opportunities and give more reasons for the Youth to stay in their towns and villages to enable them to prosper.
Gambia's going forward
What it really comes down to whether you see a half full glass half empty or half full.
Think about it
Hi Bev too much Aid has been lost in red tape. The whole way that the AID paradigm was created during the 1950's as part of the Reconstruction Plan after World War 2 as a way of keeping newly independent states dependent on their former colonialisers the world has moved on. Don't you think its much more heathier to empower people by transferring relevant skills to enable them to make their own living. Yes of course its important to have empathy but empathy alone can't feed peoples bellies indefinitely. It takes some efforts from the unemployed to make things happen too. Over the years I've spoken to people involved in different projects in Gambia. One of the common complaints is that Gambian's are taught the necessary skills needed to maintain the equipment as usually the parts can't be brought locally. It's not always a matter of throwing money at problem but consulting with the local people to find out what there needs are not just superimposing it on them. I think that efficency savings are a prudent course of action to ensure that any money given in the future will be of good quality to the recipients on the ground.
Peace
Sister Omega |
Peace
Sister Omega |
Edited by - Sister Omega on 06 Mar 2011 02:08:58 |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2011 : 12:08:58
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Sister O,your posting is very interesting especially the last paragraph:"One of the common complaints is that Gambian's are taught the necessary skills needed to maintain the equipment as usually the parts can't be brought locally. It's not always a matter of throwing money at problem but consulting with the local people to find out what there needs are not just superimposing it on them. I think that efficency savings are a prudent course of action to ensure that any money given in the future will be of good quality to the recipients on the ground."
Very true,BUT I know that skills training,for instance, is ineffective,Why ? because many Gambians are very happy taking things given to them FREE the concept of working for very low wages and seeing advancement in terms of money gained by the owners of the enterprises makes them jelous,they appear then to think how can I stop the boss making money from his enterprise ? The answer that comes into their mind is,The boss owns this thing (car,lorry,machine ,etc.)that he makes money with if that works no more then he has nothing to make money with.So "maintainance" is carried out,which because of the way many underpaid Gambians think becomes broken,take a car or minivan for instance,the "mechanic" who gets the contract to repair a fault will repair that fault but CREATE another making the owner of the vehicle bring it back in a couple of days to make the "mechanic" more money.Why do you think that Gambians with money take their vehicle to be serviced and repaired at Brakewold (Sp.?) on the highway near Banjul ,rather than taking it to a "local garage",simple because the job is done and no other parts are "fiddled" with,the owner is happy,the company is happy because they do a good job (OK charge western rates for doing the job ! unaffordable for the average Gambian) and the mechanics are properly supervised,and their work subjected to quality control.
KARAMBA wrote:
"There is no fair trade in a country where the head of government is competing UNFAIRLY for all sorts of trading activities from sale of cement, bread, toilet rolls, biscuits, beach sand, meat, fish, transport service, automobiles, farm products and what you call it. "
Is this true Sister O ? would you like to comment ? |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 06 Mar 2011 12:12:33 |
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