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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
 Posted - 02 Feb 2010 : 22:24:36
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Bravo to His Excellency Doctor President for invading the medical space of England Queen's United Kingdom with the wonderful "cure for all" "Kubay Jarra" concoction. Here is a story about one British patient who abandoned Western medicine due to the alarming success by use of Doctor President's "kubay Jaara"
Daily Observer has details:
http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/briton-appreciates-presidents-treatment-programme
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Karamba |
Edited by - Karamba on 02 Feb 2010 22:28:44 |
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Lily
United Kingdom
422 Posts |
Posted - 02 Feb 2010 : 22:31:03
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Interesting article - though I feel there is little that one can say as a rational response.
I wonder though if anyone could explain to me how someone gets the title of Sheikh and Professor? I understand that a University may bestow the title of "Doctor" on someone - but is this also true of the other titles .........
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 04 Feb 2010 : 01:16:46
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Yaya Jammeh of Gambia is one big greedy person who expects possession of this wide universe and everything bearing a name. His titles are fake and not official by any standard commissioning. He is a joker of all times. |
Karamba |
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turk
USA
3356 Posts |
Posted - 04 Feb 2010 : 04:39:41
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According to wiki:
Professor as an honorary title: In some countries using the German-style academic system (e.g. Austria, Finland, Sweden), Professor is also an honorific title that can be bestowed upon an artist, scholar, etc., by the President or by the government, completely independent of any actual academic post or assignment. |
diaspora! Too many Chiefs and Very Few Indians.
Halifa Salah: PDOIS is however realistic. It is fully aware that the Gambian voters are yet to reach a level of political consciousness that they rely on to vote on the basis of Principles, policies and programmes and practices. |
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 04 Feb 2010 : 20:32:12
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With the doctoral title of Yaya Jammeh, it is pure lust and part of a wild desire. He is a man of fake, big time. What he says with his mouth is different from what his dark heart churns. Such shame and hardship he brought on Gambia. |
Karamba |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 06 Feb 2010 : 23:51:23
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Don't be a hater Karamba. Just admit it! YouR secret safe with us.
Karamba, it seems as if you really want to get noticed to get an honorable title yourself! However Yaya has casted a long shadow dwarfing your intellectual stature rendering you virtually incapacitated to emerge from its cloak.
Karamba ,you never know maybe one day if you continue to work hard maybe someone will judge you for the good deeds that you do too and give you an honorable title. I'm just wondering what it will be for; Healing the sick, Peace brokerage in Serria Leone, Education For Girls, Acknowledging Women's Rights or something else. An honouary Degree is a recognition of the work someone has done in a particular area which could about up to the credits for a Degree.
Peace
Sister Omega |
Peace
Sister Omega |
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Lily
United Kingdom
422 Posts |
Posted - 07 Feb 2010 : 14:05:49
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| But as we know - education for girls is still not free (all those hidden costs), and healing the sick - is it the placebo effect? And do women have equal rights??? If so - then the President and parliament needs to work harder getting the message through to the average family ..... |
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 07 Feb 2010 : 19:40:20
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| Sister Omega, my take is simply expressing genuine opinion. Hating Yaya Jammeh is not the situation as you largely perceive it. What is most hated regards the ways of Yaya Jammeh. He is taking Gambians for a ride much too long. There are people out dining with him who deeply hate him but pretend they love him. That is what I call hate relations. They are unfair to the man. That is one reason that when he discovers the ways of some people, he sweeps them with the electric broom. But, should he stay on and on subjecting people to grow hate for him in disguise as friends? I am simply open with my views and would not bite the flesh of Yaya Jammeh in secret and turn around clapping for him. Those doing that are in their thousands. I am prepared to conduct free independent research to bring the true picture for Yaya Jammeh knowing how his most trusted ones play behind him. I do not hate Yaya Jammeh but totally disagree with his ways. |
Karamba |
Edited by - Karamba on 07 Feb 2010 21:15:53 |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 09 Feb 2010 : 00:35:16
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Lily could you tell us how many women have been in the Labour Cabinet over the past 13 years? By the way how do you really know whether or not Jammeh's healing is only a placebo effect? Could the same thing be said of conventional medicine in regards to cancer. When patients receive successful treatment only to come out of remission and die of a more aggressive form of the disease. As anti-retriviral drugs seem to be denied to Africans at a subsidized cost there is a genuine demand for Herbal remedies to treat HIV/ AIDS and other diseases at a sustainable rate in Africa. Lily in regards to Womens' Rights in Gambia. I don't feel that women are downtrodden they do have rights and freedoms. Many of the women I've met do exercise their rights.
In many cases Gambian women are freer than women in the west. For example how many Gambian women have to raise children in isolation without support of their family network as is so often the case in the West? How many women can go and leave their families and visit relatives for weeks on end in the west, and be sure that their families are still in tact when they return home? Many Gambian women work and have hired help. How many working women in Britain can afford to employ a housekeeper or a security Guard? When we compare standard of living with a quality of life Gambia wins in my view.
Gambia is a much safer environment to live in. It's crime statistics are much lower than say London, New York, Sidney or Kingston. Gambian Citizens people communicate and co-operate on a social level than the British do in the UK. Where often greeting a stranger is seen as being strange! No matter how critics moan about Jammeh the state is far less intrusive in Gambia than it is in the West because the people have fundamental freedoms and aren't dictated to by a prescriptive target driven state. Gambian citizens aren't under continual 24-7 surveillance by CCTV cameras. The people are sovereign and elect the President. They aren't subjects of a constitutional monarch.
The Gambian people have much more civil liberties than they realize and have the means to build upon the progress that has been achieved in the past 15 years. If we reflect on what has been achieved in the past 15 years the country has changed that is undeniable and was inconceivable to many at the time. Yes, of course undeniable there will always be room for improvements that's progression and within that progression there's also more room for greater participation of all stakeholders. "For as a tree is planted by the rivers of waters that bring us fruits in due season everything has its purpose find its reason!..." (Bob Marley) Politics is one thing but the real work that I feel needs to be done is through increased productivity. Jammeh has invested in Education establishing the first university in Gambia. Now what is needed is proper investment in job creation!
Gambia like the rest of the emerging nations need to dam up the brain drain and retain people with skills right across the board and put them to work on the real business of nation building and to improve greater transparency. Gambia's economy needs a proper health check there's no room for complacency. The Youth are our future and need to be engaged in nation building to escape from the poverty trap which is the real enemy of progress.
peace
Sister Omega
www.sophiasewell-njie.blogspot.com |
Peace
Sister Omega |
Edited by - Sister Omega on 09 Feb 2010 00:37:14 |
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Lily
United Kingdom
422 Posts |
Posted - 09 Feb 2010 : 20:14:40
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Sister O, I found your comments really very interesting and thoroughly detailed. Thank you for taking the time to respond. I didn’t actually say that I felt women were downtrodden – most Gambian women I know are feisty and know how to take care of themselves – but I don’t believe that life for them is equal to the life of a man (like most places!) – therefore I would have to say that they are not equal. I have watched fathers marry their daughters to men much older than them – against their wishes – that’s not equality and girls not allowed to go to school like their brothers - not equality, - even though I do understand the reasons behind this.
I agree that in some ways Gambian women may appear to be freer than Western (and other) counterparts and take your point about extended family support. But most (not all) women I meet to do enjoy the same sense of equality that I am lucky enough to enjoy. So I simply say that I don’t think women’s rights are as strong in the Gambia as they could be.
I agree about surveillance culture and hate what happens in my own country – but have a monarchy doesn’t really bother me because I am able to freely elect my local MP and government – I don’t believe that everyone is free to vote for who they want to in The Gambia – but maybe one day soon.
I agree too about the brain drain and firmly believe that the best solution for development within the country comes from within not from without. I help people now because I want to help the children have a better education and to use what they learn to help their own country. I don’t know how you can stop people wanting to leave though when they are so convinced that life is better outside their own country. Having said that – one of my good friends – whose university fees (in the UK) we paid for is now returning home with a good degree and a year of work ‘under her belt’ – returning home to work was part of the deal.
So yes – I agree – the youth are the future and they need to be engaged ….. how is the next big question!
In friendship - Lily
p.s. If the placebo effect works, I have no problem with that!
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 10 Feb 2010 : 22:16:24
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To compare women, children, and whole people of Gambia and UK is a daunting task. I wonder how the standards contrast. We have to be very clear about the political and social reality of both countries. In the UK no Prime Minister in best state of mind will think of clinging on power no matter how much juice they suck from the flowers. In Gambia one president clung on power for 30 years (three decades.) Another president pledged his life and now thinking of having his young baby boy inherit the post after 40 years forced rule.
Women of Gambia are no more freer than women of UK. Quite the contrary it is women of UK that enjoy better personal freedom. Talking about CCTV cameras, all that plenty details captured on those cameras never come to any good use. It would cost lot of money turning all that to goods.
The bottom line is that Gambians are held at ransome by a greedy ruthless person with guns to shoot any man, woman, child or non Gambian who stands on his way. British Prime Ministers don't bribe or control the army as personal body guards.
Gambian voters (including women) are politically misused. They have no informed choice to make. They are not free but largely deceived to vote for an incumbent with all promises that never come near happening.
Solution to Gambia's menace is to have all greedy people like Yaya Jammeh stay away from public office.
Yaya Jammeh is biting too much to chew and will in the process choke. He is not reasonable with Gambians. How is it possible for one person to take it that he is so indispensable?
Sister Omega, let's examine the facts. Lily, you don't have to accept what Sister Omega is trading on. She is so much into this Yaya Jammeh affair to the unfair extent of denying her true intelligence reign. I have great respect for Sister Omega based on her broad scope of information but can't understand why she chooses not to change gears when driving on Yaya Jammeh's territory. May be one day, she will regain her balanced self.
This Foroyaa publication is relevant:
http://www.gambia.dk/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8727
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Karamba |
Edited by - Karamba on 11 Feb 2010 20:13:02 |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 13 Feb 2010 : 03:03:14
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Hi Guy's my apologies for taking so long to reply. Lily thanks for your comments I do agree with you that forced marriage is unacceptable and most people will agree with you both inside and outside of Gambia. I also admire the support you've given your friend with their education and that they returned to Gambia to utilise their skills and education there.
Karamba I agree with you that in the UK there hasn't been a Prime Minister who has been in power for 40 years. However Britain has had monarchs who've reigned over the country for 60 years i.e Queen Victora and Queeen Elizabeth 1 who reigned for 45 years and at present Queen Elizabeth 11 has been reigning as a constituential monarch for 58 years.
As Gambia Democracy is relatively young in comparison to Britain's and it's style of governance is still evolving it will take time for Gambians to shape how their Democracy will evolve. When it comes to elections there is a relunctance in the UK for voters to participate in the General Elections due to a sense of ampathy. Due to a general distrust of Politicians, so even though they have an opportunity to make their voices heard they don't believe that the status quo will actually change for the better so they just don't bother voting!
Whereas in Gambia, Gambians do vote and have voted Jammeh into power 3 times and in the last elections his lead widened. As I've said on numerous occasions the incumbent is not responsible for oppositions election campaigns.
When making comparisons between Britain and Gambia Karamba I am comparing Standard of Living versus the Quality of Life. Let's face it many people who migrate to Britain come with the intention of improving their standard of living in their own countries and by doing so they will have the quality of life they desire in their country of origin.
The urge to acquire the resources they need to build up themselves and their families to raise their standard of living is of paramount impotance to many who will risk their lives crossing the Atlantic many of them will perish unsuccessfully attempting to across the Ocean to be washed up on beaches in the Mediterean. More awareness is needed about thid as th saying goes " Not all that glitters in gold and neither is the grass greener on the other side.
Karamba one of the major challenges of Africa in this century is for a harmonisation towards acontential approach of souveriegnity whereby the consituential governance of the African people becomes paramount. Whereby the people decide whether or not their elected leaders should serve a fixed time limit or not held through Continential Referendums. This way no African President will be able to stay in power indefinitely. Alternatively they may decide that Africa becomes a federal state whereby only one President has a manadate to rule for a fixed term or they may revert to they may just want to keep the system the way it is. However right now we have to deal with the reality as it is in Gambia. That the incumbent is likely to win the next election because the opposition has yet to convince the electorate that they have a clear vision to direct the country in a progressive direction. Until there is a viable alternative to APRC government they will continue to rule Gambia.
Peace
Sister Omega |
Peace
Sister Omega |
Edited by - Sister Omega on 13 Feb 2010 03:24:52 |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 13 Feb 2010 : 13:19:01
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Are women in Gambia independent? Or reliant on men?
The family is run by the oldest man and when he dies the wives become the responsbility of the oldest son.
This way baby girls are considered a liability.
Women are often married off against their wishes because of economic need. So a widow will be hastily passed to her husbands brother, for example.
Who spends time sitting chatting and debating under the bantaba in Gambia? Women or men? MEN of course.
Action aid has been responsible for starting womens groups in many villages and was very nearly thrown out of the country by the President.
Whilst women don't have free access to contraception and can't limit their families they are reliant on men.
Whilst women aren't given the same educational opportunities as men they are reliant on men.
The extended family is indeed a help when raising children. But those support systems also put many obligations on the women, such as looking after their mother in law in old age. It can be stiffling and claustrophobic.
Gambian women may be feisty, beautiful, intelligent, but unless they can be economically independent and decide their own futures they are not as free as we are in the west.
What % of Gambian women are educated to degree level, are free to travel and can afford staff? Sister Omega I think you are talking about a very few women.
It is interesting that when I go to Gambian villages the men treat me like an honary man (their words). I sit around and chat with them in public. In some situations a Gambian women would be considered a prostitute for doing that.
I see the women doing all of the domestic work.
I hear some of the mens attitudes to girl children.
The women accept, sadly, that their husband will probably take more wives.
I hope that as more and more women receive an equal education to men they wont accept this treatment from men. When they earn their own money and can own land and property their realtionships should become more equal.
Change is happening, but it is very slow.....
Sister Omega do you really seriously believe that people in Gambia vote freely and without fear? I do think you are quite naive. Try talking in public about politics and see the fear on peoples faces. It can be different in private sometimes, but even then people arent sure who is the governement spy.   |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 14 Feb 2010 : 22:50:45
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Hi Gambiabev,
Do you think people in Britain exercise their freedom to vote when the majority choice not to cast a vote because they don't believe nothing will change - voter apathy is the order of the day?
Generalisations and more generalisations! Gambia is prodominately a Muslim society therefore men can have up to four wives. However most men in Gambia can't afford to or don't want to have four wives!
In fact most Gambian have one wife and believe it or not some of those wives have to go out and work too.
And woe betide a man who marries a younger women at the expense of his own daughters education as I witnessed in Bakau in 1996. This man had 3 wives. His first wife was so angry that both her and co-wife gave the younger girl such hell. Whilst the old man took refuge working over-time to stay out of the cross-fire.
Gambianbev, I must laugh at your assumption about my experiences of Gambian women and I've met female Ministers, High-level Civil Servants, Policewomen , Businesswomen, Community Leaders, Matriachs, Farmers, Nurses, Registrars, Housewives, Mother-in-laws, Sisters-in-laws and believe me when I say they were and are assertive no nonesense women.
I've met Gambian women in Community fora's to discuss developments in their villages where they were vocal and not intimated by the governmental officials who I accompanied. In my capacity as a Researcher, Writer and Poets of Gambian Sustainable Development. I have met both the rich and poor of Gambian society both in Urban and rural areas. On official and private business and spoken to both men and women about development issues.
The common consenus is that the key to development is know-how, and as Patrice Lumumba said " Educate a man and you educate an inividual. Educate a woman an you educate a nation." Gambian women and men will decide the pathway which suits their society and it does have to be a replica of western society and the dysfunctionality that comes with it.
If we were to turn back the clock to 1950's Britain when most women stayed at home doing labourious housework. When most chores were done by hand and not by gadgets i.e washing machines, dishwashers, electric irons etc. When most people had outside toilets.The electricity supply was not always reliable,and only the middle class had a TV.
When Eastenders (people from East London) would go hop picking and poor children would help their parents harvest farmers crops. We can see a juxtaposition emerging of the disparity between today's south emerging countries and the North richer countries.
In 1950's Britiain's white communities were stronger the extended family was more valued and children had more respect for their elders. Those were the days when people could leave their backdoors open without fear of being burglared and murder in their own homes. There was plenty of work and not enough people to do it hence the migration of people from the Caribbean, Africa, India and Pakistan who were invited by British government who went to their colonise o to actively recruit people of colour to assist in its reconstruction.
Now it is the reverse the immigration door is soon to be bolted for Non EU and EEA Citizens.
More Gambian women are driving their own cars, have their own homes, watch satelite Tv's, have bigger naming ceremonies, have mobile phones, microwaves etc. There has been social mobility and increased opportunities. Of course there are winners and losers as the global recession hits.
In today's Gambia there is plenty of work to be done and of course women are instrumental within that work. Gambian girls have greater opportunities today to make a difference as more have access to education. The next step is for universal free education. The question is who is going to pay for this if Gambians don't become more financially independent. Lily's assistance to her friend is to be commended and is a good example of Each one Teach one!
peace
sister Omega
www.sophiasewell-njie.blogspot.com
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Peace
Sister Omega |
Edited by - Sister Omega on 14 Feb 2010 23:06:51 |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 14 Feb 2010 : 23:11:29
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In Gambia there is plenty of hard physical work, that is true. But it is difficult to get paid work outside of the home for a women in a village. In the villages many men do have more than one wife whether they can afford it or not as they see their responsbility as producing more children to rear in the Muslim faith.
Sister I think we both agree that girls education is very important.Educating women is the key to the development.
I do think we have to bear in mind that the people we meet when we go to villages will tend to be the most educated and the most out going. The average women will be at the back of the crowd.....
The fact a man can take a third young wife really says it all!!!!! |
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