It is not often that we get the views of Gambians from the countryside. That does not mean that they do not have something to say, or that they do not want to say something. The fact is that the forum is what they do not seem to have. This is the impression one of our provincial reporters, Momodou Ashmauh Jallow, based in Brikamaba, Central River Region, gathered when he sat down with Alhajie Kebba Touray.

The chief of Niamina East District, Mr Kebba Touray is a rare figure, combining the talents of a preacher with that of a traditional ruler. He compared President Yahya Jammeh to a king in the era of Prophet Yusuph. He said: "Jammeh’s initiative for food sustenance is similar to the king’s dream in Prophet Yusuph’s era, 46,000 years ago".

At his residence, Alhagie Kebba Touray, a distinguished Marabout and a healer by profession, preaches quoting the words of the Holy Qu’ran. In his translation of Suratul Yusuph, the chief said that Gambians ought to be proud and thankful to Allahu Tallah for bestowed on them a "miraculous" president. He directly pointed at Suratul Yusuph, verse 43-47, saying it is highly related to Jammeh’s initiative for food sustenance.

He swore that Gambians don’t know much about the president, the potential of their leader, but that most of them, (Quranic scholars) knew earlier on that he [Yahya] would become the president due to the secrets they had recognised in him. He pointed out that the harvests that people gain each year as part of the president’s initiative for food sustenance comes back to the same Gambians during hard times in the future; a time he said only the president knows, not any other person.

In this respect, Chief Touray sought to urge all the youths in his district to be cooperative and steadfast in communal works, which he said provide immense chance for progress.

He argued that the presidents of other countries, in spite of the prevailing hardship sanctioned by global phenomena, do not care about their subordinates because they have all the chances of becoming rich.

Elaborating on the role his district is playing in promoting the cause of the food self-sufficiency drive, the chief disclosed that 22 hectares of cereal farms have been cultivated, and that their harvest is expected to be the highest in the region (CRR).

However, Chief Touray could not conclude without stating some problems being faced by the people of his district, saying that due to the lack of fresh water in the district, a huge number of cattle die, or suffer abortions and serious abdominal pains. He described salty water as dangerous to animals, appealing to the government and non-governmental organisations to help the district with boreholes.

Afro-Manding singer and newly talented artist Neneh Jali Suso told Entertainment in a telephone conversation recently that she will always work to promote music in the country particularly the afro- manding music. She added that, she is wasting no time to take all Gambians by surprise in the music industry.

Neneh is currently working around the clock to release an album when she gets a sponsor. However, she said a lack of financial support is greatly affecting her release of an album. Neneh produced only a single clip so far and that was sent for promotion on local radio stations. She therefore call on people to support her.

The Yagana World Foundation is an organization that was setup to help needy and underprivileged Gambians. The brainchild of Dutch couple, Benno and Dinemarie Langereis, the foundation commenced operations in 2000.

Talking to the Daily Observer, Dinemarie Langereis, the Chairperson of the foundation, explained that it all started when she and her husband, who had frequented different parts of the globe, first came to The Gambia and fell in love with the Smiling Coast.  Struck by the charm of the people and their determination to make something out of their meagre lot, they decided to do their best to help the less fortunate people in the country. Thus the idea of setting up the foundation was born.

The couple decided to get together with concerned and diligent Gambians, such as the assistant chairperson of the foundation, Lamin Janneh, to actively pursue their dream of helping Gambians.

In nearly 9 years of operation, the association has impacted positively on the lives of many people in the country with projects in different parts of the country such as Banjulinding, Bansang, Makumbaya and so on. Their intervention is multifaceted and includes such areas as health, education, agriculture and music.  

Every year, Yagana World Foundation brings into the country one or two containers. The foundation once even went to the extent of bringing cement into the country at a time when there was a shortage.

Health

The organization has been providing assistance to the Health sector since its nascent stages. According to Lamin Janneh, the foundation’s assistant chairperson, this started and developed during Dr Tamsir Mbowe’s tenure in office as secretary of state for Health and Social Welfare. Working in partnership with hospitals and other organizations in Holland, the foundation has over the years shipped medical equipment worth millions to the country. Last year, the foundation brought in medical equipment worth over D2.3 million including cardiac and security monitors, blood pressure control meters, and ECG equipment.

All the equipment brought into the country by the foundation are not more than 2 years old. This distinguishes them from other supposed philanthropists whose undisclosed aim is to turn The Gambia and the continent at large into a dumping ground through the importation of outdated machinery and materials.

One of the main partners of the foundation is the Kennemer Hospital in Haarlem, which donated the bulk of the materials brought into the country last year. The hospital did not only donate materials but also offered the services of one of medical technicians, Rob Jonker, who flew into the country to install the equipment and train Gambians to use them.

In June 2007, Dr Tamsir Mbowe flew to Holland where he signed an agreement facilitated by the foundation for an exchange program for doctors and medical equipment. Under this groundbreaking agreement, doctors from Holland will come to The Gambia to work in the country and train Gambians. The foundation is also working in collaboration with the Rotary Haarlemmermeer and other partners in Holland to extend the Banjulinding Hospital in early 2009.
According to Assistant Chairperson Janneh, “Showers, toilets, a delivery room and recovery room will be built. The old hospital ward will also be extended.”


Education

One of the main areas of intervention of the foundation is the education sector. They give structural help to schools like the Jalambang Nursery School. The association also sponsors needy students (such as orphans) and is currently helping about 18 students with their education. Says Dinemarie Langereis: “We sponsor children who have no financial means whatsoever and could otherwise never go to school.” The organization also provides furniture, exercise books and other educational materials for schools in the rural areas as part of their intervention in the education sector.


Music and arts

As in many parts of the world, music is part of daily life in The Gambia, especially for the youngsters. Though music had not originally been an area of intervention considered by the founders of the foundation, they had to give this sector serious thought when they were approached to help young musicians who wanted to become “someone in music” but did not have the means to launch their musical careers.

Says Dinemarie; “ We had to think about that for a while; would it have anything to do with aid to the Third World?”

After consultations with experts in the field, they decided to do their best to help this budding sector and to give young artists  a chance to be able to support their families with the income gained from their musical careers. With boundless enthusiasm and help from young Gambians, an existing building was turned into a studio, Yagana World Studio, located in Manjai Kunda. The equipment in the studio was all provided by the foundation.

The proceeds from the studio are shared between the artists and the foundation. The foundation reinvests the income thus realized into new projects or existing projects that need an infusion of funds.

The foundation has also been instrumental in bringing artists to the country to work in partnership with Gambian artists and also sends Gambian artists abroad for training and exposure.


Building Communities

Yagana World Foundation works hand-in-hand with communities to help them develop their economic and human resource potentials.  One such community is in Makumbaya where they not only help the general community with health care, education, and in maintaining their vegetable garden but help individual villagers as well.

The foundation is currently considering the prospect of building a community centre in the village.  One of its major uses will be to serve as a centre to train the women of the village, most of whom are illiterate, to read and write.

According to Dinemarie Langereis, the Alkalo of the village has already given them a plot of land on which to build the centre.

The foundation also helps and works with the Missionaries of Charity. The charity is run by nuns who take care of “approximately 30 babies and toddlers, some of whom are orphans”.

The nuns also run a small ward, where they take care of pregnant women with all kinds of health problems and people living with HIV/AIDS.