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. |
