Between you and me

Between you and me
Under the neem tree
When there is no air
The silence of the breeze
And the evening roses
Of the smoky night
I stand beside it
Not so idle not so willing
To loosen up the stress
This and all the lovers of good things
Between you and me
A story, a myth
Silence is the word

                                     Its good to come back!

             DON'T FORGET FULA BANTANG!

Fula Bantang Youth Development Association seems to be triumphant mood entering the second cycle of its growth and intellectual development. During its impromptu meeting over the weekend, the group regrouped some of its founding fathers to discuss the future of an organisation that evolved from a mere entertainment club.

       History
The Association's overriding objective to contribute towards the development of its members, the village and the nation by extension. It was founded mostly by light-minded friends who were age mates in March 2002 in the city. The boys after completing formal education in the village prefer to continue their studies in the city, which was why, the 1990s saw a dramatic shift in rural-urban migration.
Like in most Gambian villages where the rural-urban migration has taken a huge toll on the populace, Fula Bantang saw most of its young minds taken away to the Kombos in the name of western education since the 1940s.
Success, according to our findings had been elusive, in other words, clubs emerged and clubs disappeared. 'Never has there been any dull moment where the need for unity is not expressed by its members, ' said a founding member of the group.
Despite its shortcomings apparently due to the lack of initiative and steam to spur meaningful action in recent times, the group was set up in March 2002.

  Development programmes

Set up against the backdrop of a 'foreign environment' where one has to fend for oneself, the boys who were together in the village decided to reunite and help themselves. The organisation operational need was felt and quickly the boys put on their thinking caps and this group was born.
The National Aids Secretariat through its regional office in CRR, approved our proposal to organise a sensitization workshop for our members in the village in 2003. For the first time, the organisation can now talk to everyone in the village thanks to the magnified voice it got as a result of the sensitization programme which enabled us to talk eyeball to eyeball to our fathers, mothers, sisters, brother and uncles and aunts.

The second cycle

FYDA beleive the second cycle is trying to first of all to restructure the group and make it effective and effecient. Under this cycle, the group is trying to assert: 'Look, this time around, we hope it will be different in a positive way'.

Pending projects

The village development garden remains one of the yet-to-take-off development projects in the village. The market is a eye-sore, people are still surprise why the Thursday lumo is still being observed. The group, this time around should focus its attention to the market.

Commitment

Time and tide waits for no one. The group had thoroughly debated and agreed that commitment should be the buzzword.





 

TWO YEARS WHEN I WAS A CHILD

To say that a picture evokes sweet or painful memories is perhaps an understatement. If you disagree carefully examine this picture which I obtained from the National archives in Banjul. The picture was taken during the bloody July 1981 abortive coup led by one Kukoi Samba Sanyang who until now is hardly seen publicly in the Gambia. Yet majority of Gambians don't even know where Kukoi is.

One can barely figure out the true intentions of these boys, what is clear is that the scene is somwhat chaotic showing once again the effects of lawlessness and war. According to my birth certificate I was less than two years when the coup began and turned two years by the time the rebels were flushed out of town by the Senegalese security forces.

The picture also reminds me about the unfinished or should I say the unpublished book on the 1981 coup by veteran journalist Baboucarr Gaye. He started the book but could not publish it before the call came for him to join the land of the silent ones. How sad!


Another painful reminder of the abortive coup has to do with scar on the legs of my grandfather who almost died in 1981 when he defied all odds to go to work at Cable and Wireless. He was shot, but not without sustaining injuries. Poor him, my grandfather survived and was able to narrate the story to me, others couldn't.

He died some seven years ago. Two years when I was a child, the picture is still the same, my grandfather has died with his scars and other pictures are still out there waiting to be showcased.

by Ebrima Baldeh

THE RIOTS ARE OVER BUT...

AFTER THE RIOTS IT SEEMS BRITAIN IS BEGINNING TO ASSESS WHAT WENT WRONG AND WHY IT SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. Barbara Scott gives us her reactions.

This week in Britain we are witnessing unprecedented scenes of rioting, looting and arson in many of our major cities. What started as a localised incident has escalated beyond belief. The images that are unfolding on our TV screens and in the press are horrifying. We are used to seeing this in war torn countries like Egypt, Libya and Syria but not our own. Unlike those, our riots are not caused by an uprising of oppressed people but by criminals and opportunists. They are totally out of control and the police seem to be unable to stop them.

The Prime Minster is promising us a robust response and although too late for many of the victims, let us hope this will be the case. What sickens me the most is that the perpetrators of this violence are being egged on by Twitter postings. Most of them have Blackberries or iPods. So much for the 'deprived youths' as the liberals are fond of calling them. Once again social networking has shown it's ugly side. On the other hand Twitter helped to rally people to help clear up the mess left behind after the mayhem, so something positive has come out of it but on the whole it has been responsible for spreading the word to the looters of where the best places are for them to carry out their crimes. In some countries looters are shot. Here we have less draconian measures. We take photos of them and hope to bring them to justice. This often means weeks, months or years later. So many of them are under the age of criminal responsibility that they may never be punished. Depressing news, especially as we are building up to the 2012 Olympics which will help boost our economy and therefore help the unemployed and under priviledged. It just doesn't make any sense.

'A journalist with so many eyes'

'No, I am saying what is in me'



The world of fashion and modeling look promising for a young Gambian lady who doubles as tv journalist now a student journalist in the United States. Mariama Faye also known as Fayer Kanuteh breaks her silence and told Baldeh Bolong about what the murky world of glitz and glamour.

Now let’s talk about your mission in the United States?

I came here mainly to study journalism.

What do you hope to after your studies?

Come back to the Gambia.. If I am accepted to rejoin the TV, i will be glad to work for my country again.

What if you change your mind to stay and work in the U.S?

I will cross that bridge when i get there but my aim is to come back to the Gambia because only my own people can recognize and appreciate the job I am doing.

Come on, the U.S is a magnet to hundreds of young people around the world, they think there are brighter opportunities there than in than countries?

That is them i am me.. there is nothing greater to me than The Gambia. No matter the ups and downs i love my country... I can never be american but i can always say i am Gambian.

Well many people would say the same thing, what they do later is a different story, are you saying this because you want to be taken seriously?

no i am saying what is in me

Now tell me what exactly want to pursue in life, to be a model or a journalist?

Both

You tell us why you participated for the first time in beauty pageants in the Gambia?

Why I participated in beauty pageants?

Yes...

Well fashion is a passion to me.. i love anything that involves fashion. i participated in Gambia because i belice in the saying charity begings at home

if i want to represent Gambia at any level the Gambians have to know me first in order to support me.

Now what next for you after your crowning at Paradise hotel certainly that was a special night for you?

what i wanted to do was work something out with SOS Children's Village. Anything. unfortunately things did not work out because the person who should have lead the way was out of town for a long period.

You were one time Miss Bakau, and later participated and won another event in the Gambia. How did you win, what is your secret?

hahaha no secret Baldeh

i just did what i had to do.. walk the runway, smile pose and be confident thats it

Excuse Mariama but there are some people who have negative concepts about fashion and modelling. For example some believe that it actually lure and expose the individual to all sorts of peoples?

that is very true and their belief is correct too.

So how did you weather the storm? I mean your dealings with these people you met?

Just be professional and cool

its is some how similar to working in the media. You meet different types of people and hear all sorts of things it is up to the individual not to mix business with pleasure

Did you ever have any point in time where someone asked you out?

hmmmm lol Yea sure.

And what did you honestly do?

What I honestly did? i go for the ones I like and think are genuine.. if I don’t see any spark between us thats it you are unqualified .. but when it comes to the job no fooling around

You married Jali Madi Kanuteh because he is a musician.

Because God said we will get married

Because you love him

Yes that correct

Whats your last word, do you really miss him?

More than anything I miss in ma life

Mariama thanks for talking to Baldeh Bolong.

Its a pleasure

For more details on Mariama Faye, go toher profile on face book/ Fayer Madi Kanuteh