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BornAfrican
United Kingdom
119 Posts |
 Posted - 23 Jun 2008 : 01:05:15
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It is sad to read Lurker's orignal posting with regards to what other tourists observe in the Gambia.
I used to work in the tourist industry. I have seen positives and i have seen negatives. Now, i am going to be critical. It does not mean i am being bias. I’m just hitting it from my point of view and at the same time try to do justice to the concerned ones in the tourism arena, "toubabs","bumsters" and the locals.
Tourism has its positives and negatives. For an "information poor" society such as the Gambia, i believe its negatives outweigh its positives in most cases. For an average Gambian, the positives of tourism is the hot plates it fixes them three times a day. They don't think about the social negatives of tourism. After all, people in a certain economic state cannot free their minds to look at the entire picture. They are bound to their economic sorrows.
Over the years, i have seen a culture ebbing into the Gambia while decency ebbs out like a tide. Young girls getting into the sex trade because they have no other way out. Some tourists who come with their money know this, so they exploit them. We might hear about the discomfort of those toubabs while they are in the Gambia. i know how hard they work to get their money here in the West, so when they go on holidays, they want to have a great time and they have the right to that.
We have to remember that tourism brings along some horrifying things as well. Last week, i was talking to an English girl who was in the Gambia in February this year (2008). She complained about the hassling by bumpsters but i was glad she raised the concern she had about Europeans exploiting underprivileged Gambians. "Sex tourism is on the rise in your country, and you have to do something about it", she said to me. "i know about that, but the solution is to educate them", i replied.
Paedophiles are being watched here in the West in all ways so that they don't harm children. Anyone remember Tony Cartoni? (i'm not sure if i spelled his name correctly). He was one of the worst paedophiles that ever came to the Gambia. Many like him brought their sickness to the shores of the Gambia. i was in the tourism industry, i didn't know anything about paedophiles and paedophilia when i was still in the Gambia. Whenever he (Tony Cartoni) comes to Senegambia hotel, he always had 11 and 12 year old girls in his car. We all thought he was giving them jobs. Its true, he used to give them money which they take home. Their parents were happy because their children were bringing money home (even though they were below 15). Some of those European tourists know the achilles heels of most Gambians like myself when I was still in there (i.e. their unawareness) and exploit them. We never hear about such things. Tourists will not blog some of those things. But once someone like a bumster "blags" a dalasi out of a tourist, it goes straight on a blog on some website.
This is a new form of slavery, not brought in by the tourists, but our own leaders who are there to protect us. It is the economic slavery, where you have the cash, and you will make the have-not to do what ever you want in order for him/her to get it. This exploitation could be seen in Snuggel’s posting, that he gets maid service for 5 weeks out of his 3months stay.
This is the world of capitalism. The underlying principle of capitalism teaches us that we will reap it if we work for it. Indeed it has been like that for few, but the people who make the rules have tilted the economic playground and contorted the rules to such an extent that most people in places like the Gambia and many other third world countries will work harder while they get poorer. Their destinies are not in their hands but in the hands of few moguls elsewhere.
Tourists have to know that. The tourists themselves are not educated enough with regards to what happens in places where they are going. Tour operators are only interested in their cash so they will do anything to sell you holidays.
The Gambia is a poor country, she and her people are the economically underprivileged of the 21 century. The Gambian girl on the beach selling herself needs to be educated rather than being blamed for her bad deeds that she is not even aware of. The bumster has to be educated and not be blamed for illegally “blagging” a dalasi out of a “toubab”. You have to remember, he is poor, and he has no way out. The people there to protect him have failed him. His life is a cocktail of sadness and sorrow. He wakes up thinking if he will have bread to survive for the day; therefore he has no way to free his mind to think of other positive things. If he sees a toubab with a dalasi, he will try getting it in anyway to buy bread.
I think these are the things the “toubab” coming to the Gambia has to write about on the blogs.
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Edited by - BornAfrican on 23 Jun 2008 01:07:59 |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jun 2008 : 07:20:31
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You are right in many ways BornAfrican, and I remember Toni Catoni and his song "If you marry a wollof woman...", but I cannot verify the allegations you have made about him.
However, the problem of child sex in the Gambia is bigger than the tourist industry. It is pervasive in the Gambian society.
I think the Gambia needs to legislate laws that prohibit child sex. Any kind of sex, whether forced or consensual with a minor (under 16-18) should constitute statutory rape and punishable by jail time. Also Gambians like you should tip the police about such behavior if you see it happening.
It is only when we take such pedophiles off the streets and put them away behind bars that others, including tourists can be detered from doing the same... |
Edited by - kayjatta on 23 Jun 2008 07:21:37 |
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snuggels
960 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jun 2008 : 09:34:21
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Yes very true and thought provocking BornAfrican.But the section regarding the daily maid service I recieved during my 3 months stay in Thailand It is normal service that is supplied by the owners of Condos It is no different to the hotels both there and Gambia in fact the world over. Maybe I gave the wrong impression.
While it is wrong for underage sex. I dont think that there is an age limit stated on the stutute books (law) in Gambia.
There is the mith that if you have sex with a student of any age even if cosensual be they 16 or 22 you are commiting an offence |
Edited by - snuggels on 23 Jun 2008 10:12:21 |
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lurker
509 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jun 2008 : 10:36:31
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Born African,
lots of good points, but wasn't the guy whose post i "borrowed" pessimistic about the rip-offs that start in the airport, with customs and the police being a serious deterrent to tourism, nver mind the junior "blags" that a tourist might expect to face in any country whilst on hols.
was he not saying that the general level of bumsing at all strata was overwhelming?
i appreciate totally what you say about sex tourism, indigenous poverty - it is all very noteworthy and needs lots of education to be involved on both sides, but your interesting response dealt with minor bumsing and sex tourism.
i believe that he was representing toubab fears about "major" bumsing at institutional level. that is why i posted it , because that is an aspect of deterrence to tourists that is seldom dealt with. they need to start by treating the tourists properly at the airport, don't they. corruption thre is awful. |
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black orchid
United Kingdom
74 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jun 2008 : 11:01:18
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"His life is a cocktail of sadness and sorrow. He wakes up thinking if he will have bread to survive for the day; therefore he has no way to free his mind to think of other positive things. If he sees a toubab with a dalasi, he will try getting it in anyway to buy bread."
Very beautifully written Born Africa, and I agree and appreciate most of the points that was raised. However, most of the bumsters I have encountered are young men, who own a mobile(sometimes 2), and wear the latest fashions. When we have employed some of these young men as guides (rightly or wrongly), and have encountered them the following day, and the day after that, they are high on drugs; this is what they have spent their money on. |
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toubab1020
12312 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jun 2008 : 12:28:48
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Excellent piece Born african well balanced,everyone who has posted in response agrees with you(so far !) |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jun 2008 : 12:56:43
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bornafrican, the bumsters are getting worse, the harrassment it too much. many people go to gambia and the do in other countries and if they meet smeone so be it, but some are looking for sex and Gambia is becoming a chosen winter sun destination.
for me the problem with the bumsters is how many are not gambia , get rid of the foreigners who are nasty. never feared a gambia, but cannot say that for the other african nationals. |
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faderabraham
203 Posts |
Posted - 06 Aug 2008 : 12:43:45
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| well said jambo. i hear that 70 percent of crime is by none gambians... |
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toubab1020
12312 Posts |
Posted - 06 Aug 2008 : 13:41:03
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quote:
Originally posted by faderabraham
well said jambo. i hear that 70 percent of crime is by none gambians...
I very much suspect that your figure applies to most countries (instead of Gambians substitute your countrys' name) but all goverments statistics will never show this.
"That wouldnt be right would it?" |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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faderabraham
203 Posts |
Posted - 03 Oct 2008 : 10:30:33
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toubab... am just quoting a gambian friend who told me this . as of statistics am not sure of any country statistics,
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Formby
United Kingdom
246 Posts |
Posted - 08 Oct 2008 : 02:40:41
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| Yes, an excellent piece of writing, Born African. And I have to say, on my travels, the Gambian 'bumsters' are probably the least threatening of any chancers in the 'less well off' world that I have ever met. In many ways they need to get sharper, but anyone who truly find them threatening should NOT go to, say, India or Morocco or Thailand because you'll die there!!. I have said on another thread that the so called Bumsters who chanced their arm as young men when I was first in Gambia are now among my mates years on because they were the ones who showed us charmingly round Gambia and yes, they earned money from it but they did it better than the bland tourist companies and provided me with some of the most memorable times in my life. The reason why I have love in my heart for Gambia is because of these people. They are just people trying to make a buck and what's so wrong with that? The last time I was in Gambia a few years ago, I hated that the so called tourist police were trying to stop Gambians going about in their own country and if that's because of moaning tourists, then all I can say is remember whose country it is. |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 08 Oct 2008 : 09:35:33
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| Formby I agree with you 100percent. I was outraged that Gambias were being prevented walking on the beach! Arrested for standing outside a hotel. etc..... |
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