Gainako Newspaper

.........ARE WE CATCHING UP WITH MDGS OR MOVING AWAY FROM THEM?
The Gambia Bureau of statistics conducted a survey funded by the United Nations children's fund
and the World Bank. The findings of the multiple indicator cluster survey 2005/2006 report have been
launched at the paradise suites hotel on the 30th of July 2008. This multiple indicator cluster Survey
was done by the central statistics department, now called the Gambia bureau of statistics, in
collaboration with the department of state for Basic and secondary education, Dept of state for Health
and Social Welfare, National Nutrition agency, women's Bureau, Gambia Family Planning Association
and the Department of community Development. The survey provides valuable information on the
situation of children and women in the Gambia, and was based in large part, on the need to monitor
progress towards goals and targets emanating from recent international agreements such as the
millennium declaration, adopted by all 191 united nation members states in September 2000, and the
plan of action of a world fit for children, adopted by 189 member states at the UN's special session
on children in may 2002. Both of these commitments build promises made by the international
community at the 1990 world summit for children.

According to the report, the survey was designed to provide estimates on a large number of indicators
on the situation of children and women at the national level for urban and rural areas, and for eight
local government areas, (LGAS) Banjul, Kanifing, Brikama, Mansakonko, Kerewan, Kuntaur,
Jangjanbureh and Basse. The survey also targeted 6,175 households selected for the sample, 6,171
were found to be occupied and 6,071 were successfully interviewed for a household response rate of
98.4per cent. According to the report, 9,982 women were successfully interviewed and
questionnaires were completed for 6,543 children. The survey which deals with child mortality,
Nutrition, child health, environment, reproductive health, child development, education, child
protection, also deals with HIV/AIDS, sexual behavior, and orphaned and vulnerable children. This
reporter focuses on only one part of the Report relating to Education.

The survey findings indicate that 19.7 percent of children age36-59 months were reported to be
currently attending early childhood schools. Out of this 20% of males and 19.4 percent of females
were attending some form of organized early childhood education programme in the Gambia.
Whatever that means. Early childhood school attendance is only 6.7 percent among the poorest house
holds compared to 41.6 percent among the richest households.

..Primary and secondary school participation
29.9 percent of children who are primary school entry (age7) are currently attending the first grade of
primary school. No marked sex differentials have been observed between boys and girls. 29.5
percent for boys compared to 30.4 percent for girls) Kanifing has the highest proportion (33.3
percent) of children of primary school entry age currently attending grade 1 compared to say Kuntaur
at 21percent. Children's primary school attendance is highest in the urban areas 35.5 percent than in
the rural areas, 27.4 percent According to the survey, the majority of children of primary school age
are attending school (61.0 percent) but however indicated that 39.0 percent of the children are out of
school when they are expected to be attending school. According to the households surveyed, the
report said children from the richest households have a higher attendance rate (75.8 percent) than
children from the poorest households (44.4 percent). Interestingly, across ethnic groups, children from
house holds headed by the Jola have a net attendance ratio of 72.9 percent and households by Wolof
and Fula have the lowest proportions each with 53 percent. The survey also showed that secondary
school attendance rates are relatively lower than those of primary school, with only 36.5 percent of
children of secondary school age attending school. Also, the survey shows that Basse is lowest for
both boys and girls attending school than other regions.

It has been discovered by the survey that boys have a higher transition rate to secondary education
than girls (61.5 percent compared to 51.1 percent). Banjul has the highest transition rate (91.3
percent) and Basse the lowest (34.2 percent). Finally, the literacy rates were highest in Banjul (65.2
percent) and lowest in Basse (13.2 percent). All those interested in children and women welfare or
are working to uplift the status of women and children should read this report.

...On the Power of Proverbs
...............................By Momodou Sabally..............July 1st, 2008
I have always marveled at the beauty and depth of America
since I set sail for this great land. Hitherto most critical of this
country because of its contemporary foreign policy, I have
come to be so adept into its history and the philosophy that
built it as expounded by its founding fathers and philosophers.
This is what led me to my refrain "America the beautiful
" because I see this country as an experiment in progress.
Surely my love for the land has not come without some price
as our resident philosopher could testify when I strolled with
him and my dearest wife Jai-Tee in downtown Manhattan and
I said aloud "America the beautiful" only to be reprimanded,
"what next baby." Of course I had to compensate my wife for
being so much enamored of America: "Jai the Gorgeous" I sang.

Yet beautiful as I see America both in philosophy and pragmatic evolution, I have not learnt anything
in this country that I was not taught by my most eloquent mom, Yaboye, through our rich cultural
heritage, as transmitted through our proverbs. For every new truth that I learnt in reading the
philosophy that built, and still breathes in, America I can recall one sweet proverb I picked from my
mom that summarizes it. Great and rich is our cultural heritage. Yet make no mistake, I have not only
read about these great truths in the USA, I have come to see these philosophies take a life of their
own and walk the walk in the streets of America.

It was a moment of deep pleasure this morning when I came across a paragraph on proverbs written
by the great American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson in his essay on compensation. This is what
the sage of Concord said:

"Still more striking is the expression of this fact in the proverbs of all nations, which are always the
literature of reason, or the statements of an absolute truth, without qualification. Proverbs, like the
sacred books of each nation, are the sanctuary of the intuitions. That which the droning world, chained
to appearances, will not allow the realist to say in his own words, it will suffer him to say in proverbs
without contradiction. And this law of laws which the pulpit, the senate, and the college deny, is hourly
preached in all markets and workshops by flights of proverbs, whose teaching is as true and as
omnipresent as that of birds and flies."

Emerson was expounding the law of compensation: how we pay the price for everything and that
nature always balances her budget. "The farmer imagines power and place are fine things. But the
president has paid dear for his White House." Says Emerson; Likewise "the barren soil does not
breed fevers, crocodiles, tigers or scorpions." And it is true that these and many such truths are told in
our proverbs.

I remember one such Wolof proverb depicting this same truth as Emerson so lucidly expounded in his
essay. It was a sunny morning in Latri Kunda at the Sakura Arts Studio of our most talented Gambian
artist Njogu Touray. Resplendent in its many colors was a painting of crocodiles swimming toward the
middle of a river. My limited capacity for the appreciation of art deprives you, dear reader, of the
magnificent elegance of this painting. I asked the creator of the work about this piece and he explained
that it depicted the Wolof proverb "ku munuta fey do fekeh ngenteh jessit", meaning, if you cannot
swim, you cannot attend the christening of crocodiles. For fear of insulting you, dear reader, I will not
attempt to explain the meaning of this proverb for it is true that only a fool will ask for an explanation
of the meaning of a proverb once it is narrated to them. But anyway, in the foregoing Wolof proverb is
a great summary of the law of compensation for those who understand.

Momodou Sabally
Author: HomeGrown

.........MASS AXI GAI
.REMOVED FROM OFFICE
...........................By Solo, Banjul correspondent......................June 27th, 2008
Reports reaching this reporter spoke of the removal of Mass Axi Gai,
the Secretary of state for Youth and Sports on Friday the 27th June 2008.

Mr. Gai who had recently threatened a young Point's sports reporter,
Mr. Ebou Manneh with death has been removed with immediate effect
by President Jammeh.

According to reliable reports, Mr. Gai will hand over to one Sheriff
Gomez on Monday 30th June. Sheriff Gomez up to his recent
appointment is the Director of the National Youth Service Scheme.
He is said to be a former Military officer and had studied in the UK
where he obtained a master's degree.

It is not yet known why Mr Gai is removed because hardly does the Gambian president give any
reason why he appoints people to positions of authority neither does he say why he dismisses them.
His method is more in tune with Autocracy than Democracy. But observers say Gai is not very
transparent in his dealings at the Sports ministry.

HALAKE CHARGED FOR SEDITIOUS
INTENTION AND GIVING FALSE
INFORMATION TO AMADOU SAMBA
....................By Solo, Banjul correspondent..............June 27th, 2008
The former managing Director of the pro-Government Newspaper,
the Daily Observer, Mr.Dida Halake was arraigned before Principal
Magistrate Buba Jawo at the Kanifing Magistrate court on Monday
23rd and Tuesday 24th June 2008 respectively.

The sacked managing Director was aided by lawyer Lamin Jobarteh
who informed the court that the accused has been in police custody
for sometime now and that the prosecution has already framed a
charge against him.

The police prosecution who earlier on told the court that they did not have intention to go ahead with
the charge against the accused person since they themselves were not satisfied with it, applied for a
short adjournment to enable them come up with a better framed up charge.

Counsel Jobarteh objected and argued for the prosecution to ask for an adjournment, that the
accused must first take his plea.

The magistrate on the 23rd then ruled that the accused should take his plea. The accused then pleaded
not guilty of intentional sedition.

The magistrate then struck out the case on the basis that the prosecution did not advance any genuine
reasons for their adjournment.

Halake however was later arrested as he tried to step outside the court room. He was later freshly
charged and brought to court on Tuesday 24th June, the following day.

The prosecution on the 24th then reframed the charge against him as thus; that he Halake as managing
Director of the Daily Observer has been charged with seditious intention contrary to section 52 (1) (b)
of the criminal code; that the former managing Director of the Observer was also charged with giving
false information to a public officer contrary to section 114 of the criminal code.

According to the particulars of offence, Halake uttered seditious words like �THERE WOULD BE A
REVOLUTION IN THE COMPANY.� According to the prosecution, this words constitute a threat
to the company.

On count 2, the accused on 12th June 2008, at the Observer Company, gave false information to
Amadou Samba, stating that �if the boss says I go then I go. Until then, it is revolution at the Daily
Observer, with me as the managing Director.�

Mr. Halake who appeared uneasy pleaded not guilty to the charges.Mr. Fafa E. Mbye now standing
for Halake applied for bail. He said even though the accused is an Ethiopian of British Nationality, he
has lived in the Gambia for the past 22years and is married to a Gambian; that his own property he
lived in, in Kotu is worth not less than 15million Dalasi; that they are applying for bail in his own
recognition and deposit the title deed of his propertyif need be, and even surrender his passport to the
registrar of the court.

The magistrate then granted court bail at the sum of D250, 000 Dalasi with a Gambian surety and his
Passport to be surrendered to the registrar of the court.

Sources however told this reporter that Mr. Halake could not have a Gambian surety making him
unable to meet the bail conditions. He is said to be still at the remand wing of mile two prisons
awaiting the trial.

Man Who Attempts Murder and
Suicide, Hospitalised
By Solo, Banjul correspondent..............June 27th, 2008
A middle aged man, known only by the name Uncle, was rushed to the Royal Victoria Teaching
Hospital, after allegedly attempting to commit suicide at his home in Bundung, in the early hours of
Monday, 23 June, 2008.

The man, said to be a Sierra Leonean national, is described to be quiet natured by neighbours. People
who claimed to be close to Uncle purported that he has a problem with his wife, who is also a Sierra
Leonean national. They alleged that the man had earlier attempted to kill the wife but succeeded in
only lacerating her face with a knife that led her to be admitted at the Serekunda Health Centre. It was
said that after this incident, the man, himself, then attempted to commit suicide on the same day.

Sources further claimed that Uncle had threatened that he would kill both his wife and himself if she
should disappoint him; that shortly before the problem occurred, the misunderstanding led the wife to
leave and went to stay with her sister, somewhere in Bundung for about two to three months.

On this fateful day of the attempted suicide, sources claimed that Uncle locked himself in his room
drank poison and stabbed himself on the throat and was struggling for almost one hour before he
could be rescued by the Bundung Police officials.

An eye witness, who was at the scene when the police arrived, said he noticed fresh wounds on the
throat of the man being escorted out of the house with foam on his mouth and clothes stained with
blood. The police had to break his door and later rushed him to the Serekunda Health Centre.

Whilst at the Health Center, the victim laid helplessly on the hospital bed, for almost an hour, because
there was no ambulance to take him to the RVTH in Banjul.

A lady said to be his partner was also sighted at the Serekunda Health Centre. An ambulance was
later fueled which transferred him to Banjul.

Critical Bones II � A short story
............................By Baba Galleh Jallow...............June 27th, 2008
As he rumbled angrily away, Samba Kookah reminded himself
of all the things he was going to do to this evil guy who sat on his
mind like a cloud of salt and made a fool f him in full public view,
before the eyes of the whole wide world. If this evil guy thought
that he was going to get away with all his evil deeds, then he was
the very fool Kookah knew he was. People will have to take
responsibility for their evil deeds, whether they know it or not.

People will have to watch their steps and their words and their
looks and even their smiles when they are dealing with other
people rather than just pretend that they are better than everyone
else. Otherwise, they will soon grow old and their bones will
wither inside their bodies and they will die unnatural deaths,
sneering at the world with their evil fangs, and they will have no
one to blame but their evil selves!

Yes, he Samba Kookah was going to deal mercilessly with this impudent bloke! He would turn into a
green snake and hide in the green grass and deliver an overloaded bite-full of poison into his evil
shanks when he least expected it. He would smile at him when he was around, but he would let him
know that beneath the whiteness of the smile lies the red-hot blood of a true Kookah. When they
meet, he would hail him hi and tap him on the back and call him bro and say oh yes you are truly
great; but behind that gentle tap on the back will be a devastating blow that would send this evil guy to
his stinking grave!

If people asked him whether he knew this guy, he would say oh yes I know him well and then like the
great craftsman and nimble wordsmith he was, he was going to gently ask that guy whether he really
knew this guy? When the expected answer of no I don�t really know him or just a little bit comes
floating out, he would then slowly nod and gravely shake his head and say never mind, I should not
even tell you this. And when the expected insistence that he need not worry about telling comes falling
out, Samba Kookah would make sure to paint such a nasty picture of just how evil this guy was that
he would instantly turn his interlocutor into yet another deadly enemy of this stupid guy who thought
that he knew it all and filled his heart like a sea of pepper.

He would say that people really did not know this guy and that if they did, they would not touch him
with even the longest bamboo stick. He would say that people should not be deceived by this guy�s
innocent face or his friendly smile, that below that kindly glitter in his eyes lay the poisonous fangs of
an evil snake. People should not, Samba Kookah would gravely warn, mistake this guy�s friendly
appearance for genuine humanity because just beneath that smooth and bright skin lay the darkest soul
ever to walk the streets of Dusty City. He would say that this guy pretends to be pious and deeply
religious when in reality, he was the very devil himself in human form. Did people know that the devil
actually enters and possesses the souls of really evil people like this guy? That often times we see
someone engaged in evil deeds and not realize that his soul, his mind, his body had entirely been taken
over by the horned devil himself? Why do people think that no one considers themselves bad or evil
even if they are the most evil person alive? He would ask these questions and add whatever spicy
details were necessary to ensure that whoever he was talking to would never again tread the same
road with this evil guy.

And no, that was no going to be the end of the story. He, Samba Kookah was determined that this
was going to be the grandfather and grandmother and uncle and father and mother and cousin and
nephew and niece of all battles. Every night he would kill a black cat and lay its dead carcass at the
doorstep of this evil guy so that when he comes out in the morning and sees it, ill luck would be his
companion all day long. And sometimes he would even creep up to a few meters from his house in the
middle of the night and throw a huge rock on his corrugated iron roof to scare the shit out of him. He
would listen to whatever this stupid guy says and do his very best to distort it and relay the distorted
version to the whole big wide world. If this guy says anything, he would report him as saying the exact
opposite. And he would get a big sharp invisible stick and follow him around and constantly poke him
in the ribs to make him taste the fruit of his evil deeds! This way he would bring out this devil�s true
colors and stop him from constantly pretending to be something he was not.

And he was not going to stop there. He would make sure to dig up all the dirt that this guy had left in
his evil trail and lay it out for the whole big wide world to see. He would dig up all the lies and the
cheatings and the betrayals of trust and the adulteries and fornications and hypocrisies and double
standards and slanders and libels and everything else that reeked of evil that this guy had said and
done, and he would bring it out so that everyone would know this evil guy who constantly sat in his
mind for what he really was. And all that would just be the beginning, the very tiny tip of the giant
iceberg of terror that Samba Kookah was determined to make this impudent bloke see! Was it not
the great Greek philosopher Junkus who said you saw what you ripe? Did not the great Arab thinker
Ibun Basapus say that what goats surround goats surround? And did not our own Dr. Soberface
Fuzzymind himself say that if you see a star in the sky, then the moon is sleeping? If this evil guy is
ignorant of all these words of wisdom, he Samba Kookah of Mbotagi fame will mercilessly hammer
the sharp nails of truth and wisdom into his stupid skull, just let him wait and see!

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