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Momodou
Denmark
11833 Posts |
 Posted - 07 Nov 2006 : 14:58:26
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Foroyaa Editorial
ARREST OF BOYS AND GIRLS FOR BEING ON THE BEACH
The television cameras were on them. They sat like prisoners on the ground. Boys and girls alike. They are our sons and daughters. They own the Gambia. They have the right to survival, protection and development. Who is to protect them? Who is to open the avenues for them to earn their means of survival in dignity? Who is to create the environment to ensure that they develop their potentials to the fullest. There they were with shame on their faces. Some were trying to turn their heads away from the television cameras. What were their crimes? Being on the beach or near the Tourism Development Areas. Is this a crime to be handled by the police or a social phenomenon to be handled by social development workers?
It is very unfair to have boys and girls at such early ages to be put on TV for no other cause than to be on beaches they own.
There is need to give more respect to the young. There is need to take the approach of education and sensitization rather than strong arm measures.
The new secretary of state for tourism should consult those who have knowledge of such social matters and develop a pro poor policy in making our Tourism Development area more friendly to the Gambian people in general and tourists in particular.
Stigma is very harmful to the life of a human being. It is necessary for the GRTS management to bear in mind that human beings who have committed no heinous crimes should not be paraded like criminals and put under the camera for a whole nation to gaze at. These young people are going to have children tomorrow. They need protection from the elders of today.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 96/06, 6-7 November, 2006
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2006 : 15:05:15
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this is so wrong, let them have their beach parties, it is their right what a shame, i do not remember seeing a sign that said beach is tourist only |
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Alhassan
Sweden
813 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2006 : 16:04:40
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quote:
Originally posted by jambo
this is so wrong, let them have their beach parties, it is their right what a shame, i do not remember seeing a sign that said beach is tourist only
Jambo,
I am sure it was because they should have been in school. I had problems myself when I was teaching. I did not accept absence from classes becaues of being at the beach arround the turist. This should not be encouraged. School children should be in classes during lessons and not at the beach following the tourist. I think Foroyaa should have printed at what time of the day the children were at the beach. Children having a party on the beach has never
been a crime in the Gambia. Today is a different time. When the government tries to put things straight is attacked. This is what is wrong with the Gambian opposition. I am sure calling Gambia and asking, would result to a different case than Foroyaa quots here. I am sorry that I too want the Gambian children to conscentrait on their schools than follow the tourist. |
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leokat
United Kingdom
123 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2006 : 17:06:08
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quote:
I am sure it was because they should have been in school. I had problems myself when I was teaching. I did not accept absence from classes becaues of being at the beach arround the turist. This should not be encouraged. School children should be in classes during lessons...
Yes in an ideal world Jambo they probably ought to be in school. However, given that there is no welfare system, maybe some/many/most have good reason to feel that 'being at the beach around the turist (sic)' offers them a way to help provide for their families and maybe even offers them a brighter future than conventional education can.
I have a Gambian friend whose father died when he was nine years old. In a desperate attempt to provide for his family (mother and four younger siblings) my friend used to sell things on the first Banjul ferry each day. On his return to Banjul he ran to his house, washed, collected his books and ran to school. He was, inevitably late. At lunchtime he did the same, with the same result.
The school made enquiries as to why my friend was always late for school. All his mother, who was totally distraught and not coping at all well after her husband's death, was able to say was that she sent son off to school each day but had no control over whether he got there on time. This was meant to indicate that she was not encouraging him to truant and that it was his choice to try to help out his family, not hers. The school misinterpreted this and decided my friend's mother had lost control of her eldest son. He was then whipped every time he was late.
He still bears the physical scars on is back. However, it is the mental, rather than physical, scars that have had the most profound effect on him. He eventually decided that he wanted to continue attending school but that he HAD to help provide for his family. He made a pact with himself that he would do what was necessary to put a hot meal on the family table whilst doing his best to get to school on time. However, he was not going to allow himself to be 'brought down' by the school. After that he simply walked out each time they whipped him.
This has made my friend very suspicious of authority and a bit of a reble. In addition, he did not reach his potential at school (though he did stick it out until grade 12). It is a great pity to see someone with such potential - a lively enquiring mind, fluent in spoken and written English and Wolof, fluent in spoken Mandinka, with some French and a little German. He is good at mental arithmetic and has a first class business brain.
I have also wondered if the education system, as it currently operates in The Gambia, is the best suited to the needs of the country and its people. There seems to be great emphasis placed on academic learning (which to my very limited knowledge seems 'Eurocentric' at least in part). Now there is nothing wrong with this, and it is good that every child is encouraged to maximise his or her potential. However, not all children are academic. I feel that schools could be offering more in the way of practical education. After all if The Gambia is to continue its development skills both academic and practical will be needed.
As for the poor children on the beach lets hope they are shown more understanding than my friend was. |
Edited by - leokat on 07 Nov 2006 17:10:53 |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2006 : 17:37:44
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In my opinion , this is a question of liberty. It is good if they were at school instead , but going to school is an individual choice and failure to be at school cannot be a premise for arrest.
The gambian beaches should be accessible to all Gambians , although loitering and pan-handling could be illegal.
I agree with Foroyaa that the issue of the "beach problem" should be addressed from a bigger perspective than what we have seen today. |
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2006 : 18:02:47
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| so this was a case of traunacy, then that is there crime. it was not clear from the newspaper article. |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2006 : 18:12:56
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Well i thought the adminmistration was giving money to students to throw beach parties especially after the April 10 incident.
Schools used to receive thousands of dalasis. Why all of a sudden a u-turn and they are being arrested for being on the beach when they were encouraged to be there in the first place.
This confirms why i never go the beach anymore. As a Gambian i am presumed a bumpster in my onw country as if i should not enjoy the breeze and comfort of life. I always look over my shoulders. |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2006 : 18:14:05
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| Yeah , it is not clear in the Foroyaa editorial , but i very much wonder if the intent of the government forces who arrested them is to put them back in school, otherwise they could have taken up the matter with the school authorities . Their intention appears to be to secure the beaches for the "precious" tourists. |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2006 : 18:40:20
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Of course children should be encouraged to go to school. Parents should value education and impress this on their child. Being literate is a big advantage in any society. But as children get older and realise the lack of job opportunities they must question whether an education is worth it? It is worth it if you get useful employment at the end of it. It is worth it if you enjoy it for its own sake. But if it is a struggle and an expense and if there is no job at the end ofit, I can understand why some people would prefer to be at the beach.
If education were free it could be made compulsory, say until the age of 14 0r 15..then extend it outwards so the age gets higher as the country can afford more.
The beach BELONGS to the Gambian people and I think it is disgusting that ordinary Gambians are put off going to the beach by a sense of unease about what might happen. When I go to Gambia on holiday I want to meet Gambian people, I dont want to exist in a tourist bubble. People should be arrested if they are consisting harrassing or frightening someone or stealing and so on. BUT NOT JUST FOR BEING THERE.
Gambia people may need to organise themselves and have a mass picnic or something. A massive, peaceful, happy party at the beach. Reclaim what is yours!!!! |
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serenata
Germany
1400 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2006 : 19:06:30
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quote:
Originally posted by gambiabev
If education were free it could be made compulsory, say until the age of 14 0r 15..then extend it outwards so the age gets higher as the country can afford more.
Gambia people may need to organise themselves and have a mass picnic or something. A massive, peaceful, happy party at the beach. Reclaim what is yours!!!!
Very good proposal. JUST DO IT!
I also suspect that the children were arrested because the 'precious' tourists could feel harrassed or get the impression that the authorities did nothing against skipping school. However, they wanted to make an example of the kids and obviously did this in a cruel way.
Did this GRTS report mention the problem of child prostitution and child abuse? In September I saw a group of 9-12 year old girls at the beach at Palm Beach Hotel. These girls were not dressed like normal kids of their age, their dresses were much more adult; some of them had applied make-up. I found this inappropriate. They demanded money from the security and seemed to know him. Later, I asked him about the girls, but his answers were avoidant. |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2006 : 19:29:35
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| There is no compulsion to go to school in the Gambia even at grade school. There is no way the government can know who is not in school. We cannot account for all the citizens. There is no national database to monitor deaths and births or adrresses. They dont exist. Every body is from Banjul or Serrekunda or some village period. |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2006 : 23:13:17
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In Gambia is there no equivilant of rates or council tax? In Uk we all have to register and then you are eligable to vote, but eligable to be taxed too!!
It would be a good source of information for the government for planning to know how many people live in a place in a year. How many babies were born and how many people died. Also causes of death should be recorded properly. Is it malaria? Typhoid, TB, HIV, heart attack, stroke, cancer and so on. Then health funds could be targeted as needed. |
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njucks
Gambia
1131 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2006 : 23:32:20
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quote:
Originally posted by kondorong
There is no compulsion to go to school in the Gambia even at grade school.
it is in the Bantaba that i learnt that education is not compulsory. it was Jayanfara that pointed it out to me.
Personally i dont see the point of making it optional.
it should be compulsory whether acess is 100% or not.
gambiabev, ofcourse landlords pay rates per compound and very high ones too. the problem is not that people dont pay, its area councils like KMC doing silly and stupid stuff like buying pencils for D70 each!!
it is simply wickedness. |
Edited by - njucks on 07 Nov 2006 23:35:28 |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 08 Nov 2006 : 00:06:19
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quote:
Originally posted by njucks
quote:
Originally posted by kondorong
There is no compulsion to go to school in the Gambia even at grade school.
it is in the Bantaba that i learnt that education is not compulsory. it was Jayanfara that pointed it out to me.
Personally i dont see the point of making it optional.
it should be compulsory whether acess is 100% or not.
gambiabev, ofcourse landlords pay rates per compound and very high ones too. the problem is not that people dont pay, its area councils like KMC doing silly and stupid stuff like buying pencils for D70 each!!
it is simply wickedness.
There is nothing wrong making it compulsory. But the problem is, then one can sue the state for not providing the service. As a result of inefficiency, you will never see such legislation in the gambia. Not in our lifetime. Such legislation has expecations of parents but it will put responsibility on the state to deliver.
At least a better school bus system will be needed if schools cannot be built close to communities. GPTC is dead right now. |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 08 Nov 2006 : 00:28:59
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quote:
Is this a crime to be handled by the police or a social phenomenon to be handled by social development workers?
This is a good question Foroyaa asks in fact I would go further for President jammeh to actually set up a Social Development Department to handle such matters. Whereby they start to actually draw up plans to tackle youth provision, youth unemployment and general programmes for the poor.
A reactionary policy on behalf of the Minister of Tourism to appease tourists will lead to diaster, because tourism is such a fickle trade. Gambia has some real social development issues which cannot be solved by repression and humilation of the youth after all these two components cannot feed hungry bellies.
Showing minors on television without parental/ carers consent is a violation of their Human Rights surely this is a PR diaster. The Tourism Sector is not The education Sector. And if those types of punishments were or are going on in any school in Gambia or elsewhere Parents should have the right to sue any Head Teacher publicly humilating their child or children in this manner. What the Gambian Authorities fail to release is that they are trying to attract a greater slice of the tourist cake. They don't have a monopoly on Tourism as a Winter Sun destination therefore the image which is portrayed is important to attract visitors to come to Gambia. More importantly children have rights and the EU countries have enshrined those rights into law, so why do the Gambian Authorities actually think by arresting children and exposing them on TV will encourage more visitors this season. This seems like a reactionary attempt rather than a well thoughout policy to stop youngsters from visiting the beach. If this action is supposed to attract tourists in great numbers to flood into Gambia this season this strategy is bound to back fire in the long term.
The point has been raised for education to be made compulsory and i would also add a system of apprenticeships to get the youth learning skills particularly for poorer children whose parents are unable to pay school fees. Gambia really needs to have some joint up policies and less muddle through ones. This is the government third term in office and it's about time for the Ministry Of Tourism to get its act together so that Tourism Revenue can reach the poor and needy in society.
Peace
Sister Omega |
Peace
Sister Omega |
Edited by - Sister Omega on 08 Nov 2006 00:38:55 |
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dbaldeh
USA
934 Posts |
Posted - 08 Nov 2006 : 01:16:52
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It is unfortunate to subject our young stars to such arrest and detention simply because they are patrolling the beach.
We definitely know the government does not care whether a child went to school or not. There is no compulsory education in the Gambia and therefore it is voluntary for the kids to go to school.
We definitely know that those so called security agents at the beach are trying to make impression that they are providing security to the tourist at the expense of our kids.
In our society poverty is the disease and everyone including the young kids think they can meet someone at the beach who can provide for them. What they don't know is that some of those people visiting our beaches hardly makes ends meet and they only manage to save enough to enjoy a vacation.
I never ever went to the beach hoping to meet someone. My pride and dignity never let me hence that is the pride that we lack in our young people now. Be who you are and don't let someone dictate how you should live your life.
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Baldeh,
"Be the change you want to see in the world" Ghandi
Visit http://www.gainako.com for your daily news and politics |
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