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Lily
United Kingdom
422 Posts |
 Posted - 10 Nov 2007 : 14:44:14
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Hello friends
Just back from a good trip. It was very, very hot for the first 5 days and then began to be less oppressive. All my friends were well and, although things are not easy, everyone was well. I was shocked at the school fees (always seems to be rising and are not at all consistent from school to school); spent ages going to lots of different solar panel sellers and was given a whole range of "first prices" (and learnt far more than I thought I wanted to know about wattage and how many bulbs etc you can run off a 50, 80, 120, 150 panel!).
The official exchange rate was 38.50 but I managed to get 43 from "old friends". Rice was around 570 but can be got for 550 - 620 depending on type. Cement and building materials were, as predicited, cheaper than at the end of the season....
No one was selling anything on the beach side except registered juice sellers and haridressers and only they are allowed to talk to tourists on the beach.Soldiers everywhere. I found this very sad and many people trying to make a living were suffering. I have many disabled friends who were constantly hiding from (or being sent out by) the soldiers.
Sorry to hae missed other discussions.
Keep together everyone - despite differences of nationality, politics, religion, ethnicity, gender, age, class - we are all people and can all learn from each other! We have more in common than we know!
Lily xx
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toubab1020
12241 Posts |
Posted - 10 Nov 2007 : 15:16:20
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Pleased you enjoyed yourself as you say,"We have more in common than we know" But I DO KNOW.......We all love The Gambia!
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 10 Nov 2007 : 17:29:26
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| lil;y thank you for your posting, where were you staying kololi, senegambia, it seems the bumster situation is being taken seriously. as for school fees i am glad that i do not have to pay any. I will re look at the situation when I go back, hopefully in jan. |
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Lily
United Kingdom
422 Posts |
Posted - 10 Nov 2007 : 18:51:15
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I was staying (mainly) in Kotu. It's not just the bumsters who are being targeted - even people who sell things (like the muffin seller, the towel seller etc) are being caught and sent away by the soldiers/police.
I know quite a few of the bumsters - and mostly - they are just trying to help feed their families. One, who I've known a long time came to find me (I'd bought him some shoes) and the police caught him. They wanted his trousers..... I mean - honestly - what was he supposed to do? He ran from them and was shaking because he said they would certainly beat him if they caught him talking to us. I've known him about 8 years! |
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 12 Nov 2007 : 10:54:18
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lily, why is he still a bumster after 8 years, if you know him well enough, pay for his schooling in some trade.
i did and it paid off. |
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Lily
United Kingdom
422 Posts |
Posted - 12 Nov 2007 : 12:06:01
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Thanks Jambo - tried that; he stole the money, never went to school and lied for more than a year (and yes, I even visited the school who said he came sometimes....!!).
I keep in touch with him, buy rice for his mother, take him shoes and trousers and give him £20 each time I go. I think it's enough given that I also sponser several other families....... |
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 12 Nov 2007 : 13:33:33
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and he is an example off a small mindset of people who just want hand outs. how ridiculous is that, you help by education and it gets thrown back.
as for the other families i agree with what you are doing
it is for this reason i have refused to sponsor, i will help when i am there and pay direct for schooling.
More interested in helping the women's group, i can see something happening there.
carry on the small works you are doing.   |
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toubab1020
12241 Posts |
Posted - 12 Nov 2007 : 13:40:29
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| Why do we go to Gambia?,we go because we like the place,we like the people,many tourists come to Gambia just once and never return because they cannot get on with the country the hassle the rip offs that do happen, I do not think that there is anyone who has visited the Gambia who has not got a story to tell,but those of us who return year after year have learned from their experiences and accept them, and hopefully never make the same mistake again,Jambo was lucky to find a person who was ready to make a change in their lives and live in a different way.Lily on the other hand found a person who was not prepared to change the way they lived,but Lily accepted this and still does her bit to help,and STILL has a liking for the person who gave her an unfortunate experience with Gambia,BUT Lily has modified her help and gives it in a way that can be understood by the whole family,All people are different,it is up to the visitor to evaluate what they want to do,it is not up to the visitor to tell Gambians what is good for them.This is my opinion and nothing more,you may agree or you may disagree,you may feel that Gambians should be "sensitised" (I hate that word,it implies brainwashing) to think that all things western are good thats not the case.Each country has to develop in it's own way and at its own pace. |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Lily
United Kingdom
422 Posts |
Posted - 12 Nov 2007 : 14:00:42
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| I absolutely agree Toubab - it's not up to visitors to tell Gambians what to do. We can listen, help - even advise (and I don't mean patronise!) - but, in the end, everyone needs to make their own decisions. |
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 12 Nov 2007 : 14:08:40
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toubab1020
nice words, but I have to make some comments even as a visitor who has been going to gambia for over 4 years and at one time went 4 time in one year!!!! (what was I thinking of) I still have an opinion on Gambia and that is they should take a hard look at themselves, and ask how did Paradise (gambia) become like this. I have met so many people who had dreams of settling in Gambia, paid for houses and got ripped off, have put money into schools only to have a teacher take it in lieu of wages. WHY, it is hard to keep visiting the smiling coast and look at the corruption that is happening and being allowed to happen.
Do I want to see the soldiers on the beach NO WAY, but I do not want to see tourists hassled. NO LOOK AT JAMICA, there you pay to go on the beach.
"it is up to the visitor to evaluate what they want to do,it is not up to the visitor to tell Gambians what is good for them " it depends on what you are telling, sometimes it is good to hear an outsiders opinion , gambia definately needs to hear some things that they are told, they might not like it, but hey thats life
.This
"it is up to the visitor to evaluate what they want to do,it"
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toubab1020
12241 Posts |
Posted - 12 Nov 2007 : 14:53:08
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I read what you say,I do not disagree with anything BUT the fact still remains that we go as visitors ALL Gambians know what is happening but their mindset remains the same,Change will only come if people want it,at the moment everyone appears quite contented moaning and drinking attaya all day,I know it has a numbing effect but perhaps ALL Gambians drink a little too much!!!
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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toubab1020
12241 Posts |
Posted - 12 Nov 2007 : 14:56:14
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LILY,
Can you shed some light on the content of this topic were you personally aware of anything unusual,
http://www.gambia.dk/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4875
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 12 Nov 2007 : 15:03:20
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| now i understand, toubab1020, agree on that one. |
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Lily
United Kingdom
422 Posts |
Posted - 12 Nov 2007 : 19:09:35
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Toubab - that's a difficult one. There was nothing specifically different (other than more soldiers around the tourist areas) except a feeling. Rice is the price it was before; cement is lower than when I was there in April - but, yes, I think the average person is worse off because I think that's what happens when corruption takes hold and a select few get so, so much richer. Wealth is never distributed equally and those who can afford to pay allow prices to rise so that business people can get more money and so it spirals out of control ........
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toubab1020
12241 Posts |
Posted - 12 Nov 2007 : 19:28:46
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Thanks LILY for the real time update ,you may well have hit the nail on the head and this is why the buying power of the Dalasi has become weaker ,nothing whatever to do with the decline of the US$ I wonder if any economist or financial wizard reading your post would agree that such a proposition is to blame?
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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