I am a Gambian. Born and bred. At just early 20s, Id completed college to become a qualified teacher, teaching 7 to 9 grades at Latrikunda Junior Secondary School on Kairaba Avenue. At the same time, I was serving as a sport editor-cum-deputy editor-in-chief at the Daily Observer - the nations leading daily newspaper. At a time when most Gambians were struggling to land a stable, single job, Id these two noble jobs, even thou my teaching job - the least paid of the two - was merely out of passion. Through my own initiative, I had also - with great pride - represented Gambia in countless international gatherings, including Africas first-ever FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa in 2010. And at Latrikunda Junior Secondary School - a school that I attended as a student before coming back as a teacher - I was a true paragon of virtue for most of my students.... ...who after hearing my bumpy childhood stories, couldnt only believe that I was the one standing before them as their teacher, but also the guy whose photo byline they saw on the back-page of every Daily Observer edition. At this time, I was just happy that - at such age - I was already contributing my quota towards the national development. But guess what? The very government that supposed to provide the enabling environment for me and others to continue giving our little effort for the betterment of our nation, was the very one that took all that from me overnight. For raising an eyebrow at a corruption scheme that was affecting not me, but dozens of hardworking, yet underpaid staff, at Daily Observer, I was fired, later detained, charged, and arraigned in court for being an anti-govt informant who dare gave a false information to the president. Even when my alleged crime at Daily Observer was never connected to my teaching job, I had my teaching salary from department of Education also withheld due to my indictment. From being a vibrant young sports editor-cum-qualified teacher, I had become a jobless and dejected criminal overnight...with imminent prison term looming over my head. Fearing for my life and the bleak future that usually comes with being in governments black-book in Banjul, I left Gambia to come to the United States...where Ive to start life all over again. Leaving Banjul for good was one of the hardest decisions Ive had to make....for it meant a break with all that I know from childhood – my family, my livelihood, my friends, my properties. All the familiar sights, sounds, smells and tastes. From scratch, Id laboriously strived to build a career in Gambia. But my government - that supposed to help enhance that career - took that career away from me even before it blossomed. And my crime: the sin of being an honest symbol for others. Now to those of you calling me names for merely speaking up - through personal experience - against a barbaric regime, notorious for killing hopes of its own people, Ive done my quota...with my double role as a teacher-cum-journalist! You tell me: what have you done for your country? **You dont freakin judge me till youve walked a mile in my shoes or lived a day in my life**
Posted on: Sat, 03 Jan 2015 17:18:00 +0000
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