| Author |
 Topic  |
|
kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
 Posted - 17 Mar 2006 : 01:46:22
|
I know of some one who would send money to his friends to throw a party saying that he was making a lot of money and that they send him videos.
Peole are not being honest to those back at home as to how hard it is overseas.The trend is thesame all over. |
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” |
 |
|
|
serenata
Germany
1400 Posts |
Posted - 17 Mar 2006 : 14:50:53
|
quote:
Originally posted by BornAfrican
people here in the west have portrayed some very untrue pictures of europe and of themselves to the Gambians. i refuse to be part of it. you have to come over here and see the life some gambians are living and the kinda ceremonies they sponsor back in the gambia.
Very wise words, BornAfrican!! For a long time, it makes me sick to see the untrue picture of Europe shown in Africa, and the consequences of this false image. For example, take 'Derrick', a German thriller series shown in Gambian TV. 'Derrick' shows only the well-to-do people in München/Munich. The stories in this program only show big houses, people driving big cars, wearing expensive clothes, and so on. This is definitely not the German reality, not even in a 'rich' city like München!!!
But Africans who live in Europe proceed these errors, and this makes me sick, too. In Germany, most Africans live really poor. But do they tell their relatives about this, do they tell them how hard it is to earn money here, how expensive it is to make the living? I fear not. But even if they do, people don't believe it, and think that the one who tells them the truth only doesn't want to share his money. And then, the neighbours. "You have two sons in Europe, you must be rich" - that's how they think.
So, to prevent that their families back home earn a bad reputation as being closefisted (and in some cases, to help them keeping up with the Jones') many Africans here do criminal and highly risky things, like drug dealing. When the police catches them, they are punished harder than Europeans doing the same thing, because the higher the punishment, the easier it is to send them back home - that's how judges in Germany calculate. And the real big money in this filthy business is made by others - not by Africans.
Some years ago, I thought about making a video about the every day reality in Germany - nice and ugly places, rich and poor people, interviews with Africans, in their homes, but also in prison - and show this in Gambia. Nice idea, African friends told me, but even if you show this video to the people, they won't believe you. SO, WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT THIS??? |
|
|
|
BornAfrican
United Kingdom
119 Posts |
Posted - 18 Mar 2006 : 00:53:54
|
Europe, the land of endless opportunities. The land where roads are paved with gold. These are the mental pictures of europe scarred on the minds of people in the Gambia. the former may be true, but to some degree, especially when you are a foreigner.
few years ago, before German authorities went tougher on drug peddling, we had a very backward culture in the Gambia. it was the "semester" culture. a semester is someone who comes back home on holidays from europe. these people wear tons of gold around every exposible part of their bodies. they drive in flashy cars and disrespect vulnerable gambian girls. we all knew what these people were doing in europe. they have tanished the good name of gambians everywhere. their enjoyements were very ephemeral. they come home with huge sums of money just to blow it during their "semester", by organising beach parties and other activities that are the dreams of every youth. the youth had the impression of such a lifestyle being achievable once they land in europe. the truth is that, most of these boys (semesters) go bankrupt within the twinkle of an eye and many-a-times, they go broke and remain frustrated in the Gambia. the gambian youth see all this, but because these people have brainwashed them so much, they lack the ability to bring themselves to face the reality, atleast to catch a glimplse of the reality in europe. there are countless gambians who came back from europe off their rockers (insane/mad). we only speculate that they have been given extreme doses of drugs by german authorities(as a penalty for their acts i.e. drug peddling) that put them off for life, but the reality remains hidden.
i started my university education in Africa. i was pretty exposed before i got here, so i was never a victim of "wonderland europe" syndrome. my own experience convinces me that gambian youth could be educated about the realities in europe. I got here at a very young age, eventhough i am still 24 (an old man; lol!!). there are ways of educating youth about the negatives of europes. its possible, and the task is achievable. serenata, your proposed idea is not wrong. its all part of the educational process. one just don't have to take the bull by its horns. i think we have to engage youth in the gambia. one solution to the problem is by giving the young boys a payroll. if all the money we send back home for parties are invested wisely, we could have created jobs for many people. once they are engaged, their flights in fantasy cease. at that moment, they are busy and realising something at the of the month. this is my belief. |
me |
Edited by - BornAfrican on 18 Mar 2006 00:58:04 |
|
|
|
blackerberry2004
69 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2006 : 15:25:21
|
BornAfrican,
You are wise for your age. I like your principles on wasteful spending. I share the same view with you. How can one spend on a one-day naming ceremony in Gambia what 50 ordinary Gambians make a month and sleep well at night? The average salary is less than $500 per year. A qualified teacher, who is at the higher end of the pay scale makes D1,500 a month (or $50/month). I cannot imagine what messengers, secretaries, cashiers, drivers, farmers, unqualified teachers etc. make.
|
|
|
|
serenata
Germany
1400 Posts |
Posted - 21 Mar 2006 : 17:25:17
|
Respect again, BornAfrican. You showed me some aspects of the 'brainwashing' I did not know yet.
I am glad to hear that you agree to my plans; maybe I can resume this project. I know a very good film director specialized on documentaries; maybe he can help me. It is worth a try. But first I have to look for the money needed; maybe the German government or the state government could help.
Your speculations about the people who returned to Gambia totally insane sound terrible and frightening. I also heard about this and know some cases, but until now I found other explanations. I hope I am not wrong...
For everyone on this whole wide world it is stressing to be far away from home in a foreign country. For many Gambians here in Europe, the stress could not be higher: A totally different culture, high pressure (from the authorities as well as from the family at home), not much money, but many unfriendly people who's language, except for UK, you can't understand... Puuuhhh - this all together can knock your socks off!!
Even touristic travelling means stress (did you know that people who are going abroad on holidays are in an disproportionally higher danger of becoming psychotic than at home?), and tourist companies know this very well. So they do everything - build luxurious hotels, provide loads of food and streams of alcohol, organize guided tours and 'folklore' events - to pamper the tourists, shield them from the frightening encounter with a strange culture and thereby reduce the immanent stress of travelling... Tourism in Gambia is an excellent example! Even drugs and prostitution in tourist places could be regarded as measures of stress/fear reduction. The consume of Ganja, which is widespread (and sometimes high) among Gambians in Europe, fulfills this purpose, too. Ganja can make people pretty crazy, especially if they smoke it in a situation of permanent stress. |
|
|
|
serenata
Germany
1400 Posts |
Posted - 21 Mar 2006 : 17:41:42
|
| BornAfrican, after reading your text again, I have a question: Did all these mentally ill people you know about come from Germany, and is there nobody who returned from another European country? The cases I know are really all from Germany...!! |
|
|
|
BornAfrican
United Kingdom
119 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2006 : 02:25:47
|
quote:
Originally posted by serenata
BornAfrican, after reading your text again, I have a question: Did all these mentally ill people you know about come from Germany, and is there nobody who returned from another European country? The cases I know are really all from Germany...!!
Serenata,
In the 90s, Germany was the honey pot of many Gambians who were migrating to Europe. Switzerland then took over after German authorities became very harsh with their drug law enforcements. I still know a man back in the Gambia who has been completely derailed mentally since he was deported from Germany. Seranata, i know there is a foul play in the cases of all those people being deported (mostly from Germany) back to the Gambia in total mantal disarray. 99% of those victims were people deported from Germany. in fact, from Gambians who were in Switzerland, i was told that the Swiss government had to get German authorities to deal with Gambians who were peddling drugs in the Swiss streets. every gambian coming from Switzerland or Germany has his own story. some come home with missing teeth, some with broken bones and the worse case is some coming back totally gone cockoo.
the sad thing is that, African governments don't give a damn about their citizens at home, how on earth can they listen to the stories of those coming from abroad. i remembered when British police once overdosed a gambian here in London to death. nothing came out of it. serenata, as the saga continues, we remain to be the victims. my advice to brothers and sisters in here is to make sure that they are always involved in clean activities. like you said, if a european and an african are caught peddling the same amount of drug, the african will recieve a tougher punishment, just to have an excuse to send him/her back home.
i am not trying to vindicate those Gambian youth peddling in the streets of some European countries. Infact, they should be punished for their deeds, but the punishments have to be transparent and in spirit that will not violate their human rights. all those Gambians who get consumed in the "get rich quick" ideology come to europe physically and mentally able. i see no reason why they should not put those two most valuable assets to work in more decent manners than getting involved in illegal acts and creating cob webs in the path of those (Gambians) to follow them. the sad truth is: "every black youth walking in the streets of europe is a potential criminal". this is a consequence of what the first african migrants to europe have done. Julius is right; the evils that men do live after them.
|
me |
Edited by - BornAfrican on 22 Mar 2006 02:32:32 |
|
|
|
serenata
Germany
1400 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2006 : 21:50:48
|
| If what you say is true, it would mean a systematical violation of Human Rights through the German Police. So today I sent a mail to amnesty international and asked whether they know about these cases, and if not, if it is possible to investigate this. I did not mention your name and the name of this forum, but if they agree, maybe they need further information. Could you give these informations? |
|
|
|
BornAfrican
United Kingdom
119 Posts |
Posted - 25 Mar 2006 : 02:15:01
|
quote:
Originally posted by serenata
If what you say is true, it would mean a systematical violation of Human Rights through the German Police. So today I sent a mail to amnesty international and asked whether they know about these cases, and if not, if it is possible to investigate this. I did not mention your name and the name of this forum, but if they agree, maybe they need further information. Could you give these informations?
Seranata,
sorry for not responding to your posting earlier. all you need to do is getting to the Gambia. infact i promise you will come across evidence that i haven't even mentioned here. i will be glad to lead you to people, infact a close family friend who is still mad since he came from Germany in the 90s. |
me |
Edited by - BornAfrican on 25 Mar 2006 02:15:44 |
|
|
|
serenata
Germany
1400 Posts |
Posted - 27 Mar 2006 : 15:11:55
|
| Thanks, BornAfrican, as soon as I hear anything new I send you an e-mail. Unfortunately I cannot go to Gambia for the next six months (I stayed there for 5 weeks in December/January and I have a lot of work to do in the months ahead), but if I go, I 'll keep track. |
Edited by - serenata on 27 Mar 2006 15:13:53 |
|
|
|
gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 02 Apr 2006 : 20:16:40
|
Sadly the wedding I was to attend was postponed....due to a death in the family. The girl my friend was marrying was Alimatou Touray, sister of the late Kebba Touray.He died in Cuba and they had to wait for his body to be returned. I visited Pirang and visited his mother and father to pay my respects, but I didnt attend the funeral as I thought it would be too intrusive. Apparently the funeral was a big event because of him being a politician.
The formal part of the marriage has taken place today between Lamin Dibba and Alimatou Touray. The celebrations will take place after the 40 days of mourning. |
|
|
|
Topic |
|
|
|
Topic Locked
