The late Yandeh Njie (RIP)
President John F. Kennedy said, “A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers.”
I will reverse this and say “ A community reveals itself not only by the women and men it produces but also by the women and men it honors, the women and men it remembers”
On Wednesday December 17th we said bye and laid to rest two people that have meant so much to our community, Amie Joof and Yandeh Njie. Amie Joof and Yandeh Njie passed away last Wednesday, December 10th in an accident in Sweden. These women if they were in the military or the police, government we will say they die serving their country. These women are not military men or women but community workers who die serving their community.
Amie Joof was killed in Sweden the same day and time the Nobel Peace Award ceremony was taking place in Norway. She died a day when the cause that sits right in her heart was receiving a world attention. When two of the people receiving the award are doing the same thing that Amie Joof was doing and concerned about. On Wednesday morning people not only from Norway but Scandinavia and England gathered at the Gambian Mosque to remember Amie Joof and Yandeh Njie, to express their sorrow for their passing away.
When a dear friend, colleague or family member departs, it often makes us evaluate, assess, think about what we are doing with our own lives. How are we relating with our loved ones and others and whether we are fulfilling the purpose of our life. This is what probably happened in many of our minds and hearts during this past week as we were grieving the loss of Amie Joof and Yandeh Njie, our dear friends, colleagues, mothers and sisters.
It was a tough time to accept this loss because I was never prepared for this. To even think of writing a tribute to Amie Joof was the last thing in my mind not to talk of her leaving us this soon. I looked at her viber and saw that the last time she was online was 10.12.2014 at 12:14pm and on the papers they said the accident took place at 14:00pm the same day. For me it is a gratitude for having had the opportunity to know her and to be able to work with her. It seems that many things emerge, or shine more clearly as our dear ones go as if she had to leave so that her purpose in life could be seen or perceived more. She’s certainly lived through her share of history. I remember her fondly today as I pay a memorial tribute to Amie Joof. I look back now and remember scenes that played itself out many times during my interactions with her.
My first close encounter with Amie Joof even though I heard about her was during Svein case, when a Norwegian pedophile was arrested in Gambia for molesting children in Gambia. She called and asked for a meeting to take up the issue as Gambian-Norwegians. This was not just a discussion to her it was more than that, it was also about giving information to the community that had little information or knowledge about pedophiles. As a Social Worker she emphasis the importance of reaching out to families that are affected both in the Norway and the Gambia. Amie Joof will always make emphasis about “taushetsplikt” A Norwegian word for confidentiality for the families concern. She took the issue at heart and make sure that the community is mobilized, make sure that information necessary to prepare the community on this issue was given. She was very central in this process making sure that both in Norway and Gambia the issues is taking seriously. For quest for the welfare of children and the younger ones does not stop there at her work place as a Social Worker or the degree she received at the University of Oslo on education for children with special needs.
I remember one day she called informing that Uncle Kebba will get in touch with me regarding a meeting with young girls. I received an email from Uncle Kebba inviting me to a meeting with the young girls on a Sunday at 8am. After I accepted the invitation I then realized that it was a Sunday early morning, I was like why this early but I could not object because I had given my word already. When I got there these young girls were on time, the Gambia mosque was quiet. For the first time I have been into the Gambian Mosque and it was so quiet and peaceful. I then knew why it was arranged so early but then neither Amie Joof nor Uncle Kebba Secka was there. I thought it was strange but I called her after the meeting and I said but you people were not there. She said to me “Ndey Jobarteh we want you be there with these girls alone for them to talk to you freely because if we are there they will be nervous and the whole essence of the meeting will be lost” This was when I understood the reason behind their absence and this goes to show her skill as a Social Worker, her knowledge on children and young people’s behavior. She knew these young people and wants to create a space where they can be free to share their experiences and asked questions. This was a lesson and an experience to me.
She does not stop at that when the incident of July 22nd took place the Gambia Association in Oslo was affected by that, the Gambian Cultural Week was cancelled that year because the whole Country was affected and mourning. The proceeds from the Gambian Cultural Week in Oslo is used to support and pay for fee for students in schools and university in Gambia. When she got the information again, we were rallied and she proposed fundraising luncheon sales to raise the funds to help the Association to raise the money for the school and university fees. I remember seating with her in my car been driven to Sweden to do the shopping for the Fundraising luncheon sales. I was tired and can’t wait for us to finish and go back to Norway but this woman even though I was younger than her, she had so much energy, stamina, patience and you can see the love she has for what she was doing. I still remember her on the day of the luncheon sales cooking and selling the food. At the same time she was a story teller for the children. She will take a break from the cooking and selling, gathered the children in a ring and started singing Gambian folklore and telling stories to them. I looked at her and said “What a woman”.
Her community work did not stop at just children but the Gambian Mosque. She was not just cooking and giving food to people but she served as the Secretary to the mosque, the first woman to hold such a post. She was central in the running of that Mosque. She has so much love for the mosque and wants so much to make everyone feel at home in the mosque but yet still firm. Her strong personality and directness made some people feared her. She was not afraid to say it as it is, she was not afraid to say the truth. You meet her in a ceremony she will asked or remind you if you are paying your subscription to the Mosque and she will explain the importance of that. She was always in the Gambian Mosque making sure that rules and regulations are followed. Anytime Maimuna and I happened to be at the Mosque unplanned we are not afraid to stay away because of the clothes we wear. We will say Amie Joof is there, we will get something to cover ourselves. When we get into the Mosque immediately we inform her, she will go inside and bring something for us to cover. She won’t stop there, she will stand there until she is satisfied that we are fully covered and met the requirements. Then she will look at us with an eye, that Gambian look that a mother will give to a child when you are doing something wrong. We will all laugh! We loved that fun with her! These were moments of fun with her. She will make sure that we eat, either buying it or her offering it. If you want to meet this woman you will have to go to the Mosque. Maimuna Sey and I use to say Amie Joof and her mosque.
She totally demystifies the role of women in the Mosque as well. This was a woman who was part of the decision makers in the mosque not just cooking the usual Friday fundraising food with Ya Ndeh Njie but was very instrumental. You will always find them smiling showing the joy of what they are doing in the mosque. She was a woman who commands so much respect and authority, yet still will roll her sleeves to get the job done. She was a woman when Maimuna Sey and I meet we are like small a children who sees their mother. We will say things that made her laugh and she will say things that make us laugh. We will say things that made her eyes roll and we will laugh. We loved that look! We use to say that I think Amie joof thinks we are the craziest people in Oslo. We did have fun with her as well.
My last interaction with her was during the Ebola Fritt Gambia Campaign, when Adama Njie contacted her; a meeting was set up at the mosque with her and Uncle Kebba Secka. They immediately agreed to give their support to the idea. They were at the meeting to the end, giving suggestions, ideas and who to talk to. Sometimes we will exchange messages until 2am in the morning, Amie Joof will come up with suggestions. She asked for donations from the community both at the mosque and by talking to them. She did not stop there she came to lift the things collected. I took pictures of her during the lifting and I told her I am going to put you in Facebook to show a different Amie Joof. She laughed and said I don’t like FB and I said I will put your there. “She said Ndey Jobarteh Joow””. We all laughed!
Amie Joof will call on us on issues that need our attention; she will always rally us around on issues at affect the whole community. She will be there actively engaging and getting things done. I will also call her when I needed accesses to the community, when there is information I felt is important for the community. I will meet Africans at meetings, in busses, trains and they will start telling you their problems and anywhere the problem of Social Services comes up I will give them Amie Joof’s number and then call to inform her. She will take it up seriously and she never complains. She was a community worker, a Social Worker and very caring human being.
When I first met Amie Joof I was taken by surprised because this woman to me was an African Beauty Queen, an African Babie Doll whose beauty and elegance to me was all she was concern about. Little did I know that this woman was more than beauty and elegance, there was more to this woman called Amie Joof? She was not only that brand that everyone wants to see in your wedding and naming ceremony. She was not only that woman who cook and serve the Friday meal at the Mosque. She was not just that eloquent praise singer but a woman with a purpose to change how the world is. This is a woman you cannot miss if you ever have contact with the Gambian community in Oslo. You cannot miss her presence but she was much more than that. For me she has been a bridge, a doer and a unifier in the community.
Since then my interaction with her was always related to her elegance and sense of care for others. Throughout all this time there seemed to be a constant in her life: a unique mixture of sophistication and modesty. She made me think this week that if we want to make the world a beautiful place we need to start with oneself, taking care of one’s self and being beautiful inside out. At the same time she had a unique sensitivity to others. She was very caring, actuation concerned, for children, youths and the Gambia community as a whole. This shows her unique human qualities with this special attitude. Amie Joof was a brand and a household name in the Gambian community.
I want to express my deep gratitude to Amie Joof for everything she has done for our community especially i want to thank her and Ya Ndeh Njie for reminding us that the essence of the human being lies in a deep connection with other human beings and the large living world.
Rest in peace Amie Joof! Rest in peace Ya Ndeh Njie!
By Ndey Jorbarteh