Information:
According to the common Gambian sentiment, these are places where
toubabs live and everyone is rich. (In
The Gambia, "America" refers specifically to the United
States or the EU.)
Some Gambians will know otherwise, but the majority will swear
by this truth no matter how much you try to convince them that
capitalism's gaps in wealth wreak havoc on many lower class Americans.
You should give some credit to their assumptions—many Gambians
make less than two dollars a day, the low-standard education
is not free, and the average Gambian would have to save for months
to pay for the time you spend at the internet café over two weeks.
|
|
Alas, although you and your parents probably bought
your last pair of sneakers, you do validate the claim that Americans
are rich—your university education is securely funded, you have
paid for a plane ticket to Africa, and you can afford to buy a
soft drink everyday.
Youth unemployment and underemployment rates are very high though
figures are not easy to come by. This high level of economically
inactive young people accounts for some of the reasons why so
many young people wish to emigrate to the USA (preferably after
winning a green card lottery) or Europe through a quickie marriage
in Banjul.
|
A-Z
of Travel Bumsters
