A VISIT TO NJAWARA During my recent visit to the Gambia, I went with one of my friends to visit his home village of Njawara. It is situated in quite a remote area in Baddibu on the north bank of the River Gambia. It is about 10 kilometres north of Kerewan and is reached by a sandy road that is not in the best of condition. Although there are a few ‘vans’ that leave the village daily, the only other alternatives are to walk to the main road or to get a ride on an horse and cart. Njawara is an interesting place with some history behind it and the people there are very friendly and welcoming. The village was founded in the 19th.Century by the great-grandfather of one of the present inhabitants, Pa Alkali Panneh. In the past, it was more important and commercially active than it is now. It was once a vibrant and prosperous trading post where the British, French, Lebanese and even the Americans had commercial bases, according to Pa. The village lies on the Miniminial Bolong, a navigable tributary of the river Gambia which gives access into Senegal for more than 50 kilometres upstream. It was a crossroads for trading routes from north to south and east to west. However, the river is not used for trade nowadays and the main road for commercial vehicles now passes through Farafenni to the east and Njawara has become something of a backwater. In the 1960s, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll visited the Gambia – she only went to two places, Banjul and Njawara. While visiting the village, she officially opened ‘The Queen’s Well’ and drew the first water from it. The villagers are very proud of this honour. Sadly, the well has been allowed to fall into a state of disrepair and a village committee has been set up to try and restore it to its former glory. The men of the village have been clearing the land around the well and hope to make it a feature worth visiting by turning it into a welcoming garden area where people can sit and relax. However, funds are lacking for this and the Alkali (village elder) would be happy to receive donations for this purpose. They are also keen to locate photos of the Queen’s visit that may be held in public records or in private collections. Pa told me that, after independence in the 1970s, there was a drought in the region. This led to many younger people leaving the village and heading off to seek employment in the coastal strip of the Kombo, where much of the country’s commercial and tourist activity takes place. However, there have been some efforts to revive the village’s fortunes. It hosts an annual cultural festival where traditional skills such as drumming and dancing are taught. There is also an Agricultural Training Centre which teaches both traditional and modern farming to students. Pa may be contacted by email at: paalkalipanneh@gmail
Posted on: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 23:33:45 +0000
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