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Red Black Nonsense - A Layman's Economy

I was comfortably seated with three beautiful young ladies over bowls of very delicious ebbeh the other day as i watched the growing traffic on Kairaba Avenue, when I noticed something rather peculiar. Two of them when they spoke had “strain veins” – I think they fall under the “varicose vein” category but medicine not being my profession, I’d go with the former. I have not spoken to myself in front of the mirror, so I am yet to confirm whether or not I have visible veins on my neck when I speak. However, before I lose myself in this piece which is certainly not about visible veins or beautiful women, or ebbeh – come to think of it, ebbeh might fall into place either way – something else happened which has happened to me so frequently over the last few months that it scares me to mush; A man old enough to be my father walked in with a young girl asking for alms.

Black Red Nonsense - Battle of the Generations

For the purpose of this essay and this essay alone, Generation Y refers to all those born between 1975 and 2000; Generation X refers to all those born between 1962 and 1974;The Baby boomers are born before 1962 (or can easily remember what Independence day felt like – The Independence Day itself and not the movie! It in no way reflects the generational brackets as stipulated by the American public…or so it seems.

Now, if you’re reading this, you’re either one of the above mentioned generational brackets or my piece somehow survived the trying times of literature appreciation in the smiling coast. When you look around your office, except if you’re working for one of those “high tech”, modern, private companies, you’ll easily see these three brackets in the same building trying to get the work done.

Politricks and Fussball

It’s another Thursday and I meant to write quite a bit on the state of our nation’s football seeing as the FA has been dissolved by the state (or is it the ministry of youths and sports I should be mentioning? Or are they one and the same? However, finding the inspiration to write has been very tasking and it is not because I am “disgusted” and “baffled” by the ministry’s decision to dissolve the FA so quickly after my Last week rant – which I believe has no connection to the ministry’s decision, neither is it because I am even more surprised that the Ministry decided to appoint relic figures (no insult meant) to look over the state of affairs of an entire people’s lives in football, but mostly because I am sick and tired of writing.

It is pretty much ironic that of all the places I could find inspiration, it had to be from our colonial masters yet again.

On Dreams That Wait

She is a dreaming realist and she believes when she must...when she has to fill a void that threatens to swallow her...when life is better felt than seen. She collects them...bags...of which she owns close to thirty...shoes...of which she owns a round eighty...outfits...which she has managed not to count...panties...yes panties...all shapes and colors...tangas, thongs, g-strings and more...all new...untouched...never worn...Lying somewhere in a closet...waiting...hopefully...waiting...for a dream...a beautiful dream...but still...a dream.

She is a dreaming realist and she keeps her distance...when she has to find herself within the void...when life is not what it seems. She pushes them away...men...of all shapes and sizes...of all accents and dialects...she does not refuse to smile...she talks...shares a laugh and a joke...but that’s as far as it goes...they are either too dumb...or too forceful...or too “unambitious”...or too violent...

Mental Health in Gambia

There was another suicide in the news today. A man hung himself from a tree, and was not discovered until days later, by a woman gathering firewood. The newspaper report had scant details, but the story is a familiar one: a man (or woman) ending their life with no explanation and no apparent reason, a final and senseless act. How could someone who believes in God do this, some will ask, shaking their heads. And yet others, who knew the victim, will try to work out a pattern in their interaction with him, a sign - any sign - that he would choose this path, that something was wrong in his life. And they will come up empty-handed, or all they will find will point at a good life, a life that no one had a reason to throw away. Only someone lacking in faith then, the conclusion will come. Someone morally weak, with hints of witchcraft as well, from jealous relatives, dark doings and spells cast by marabouts.

Last year a friend of mine tried to kill herself.

New York Subway Chronicles

**Reader's precaution: this tale has no begining or ending**

She sat on the opposite side of the train from me. I was sort of centered but she was more to the left end of the train, so that I had to look out of the corner of my eye to see her without looking like a creep. I have the worst habit of staring at people on the subway. I could sit in a park or go to Wal-Mart if I really was a stalker but I’m not. It’s just that subway people seem to have so much character, so much personality, yet none of them – not one – seem to be observing it. You have a moving, iron tank chocked full of people sitting, standing, leaning and swaying. Some of them have on Armani suits. They are late for their third meeting of the day. All four meetings of their day are in one of those luxury suites in Manhattan. They hold a little briefcase, black or brown, always genuine Italian leather.

World Malaria Day

*I was planning to write an article about it, but this lady summed it up more eloquently than I ever could. She is the Executive Director of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership and Former Health Minister of Senegal, Professor Awa Marie Coll-Seck. Here is her statement commemorating World Malaria Day*

A decade ago, far from public outcry or front-page headlines, malaria was killing 3,000 people every day, mainly African women and children. Few of the over 3 billion people at risk had access to mosquito nets or effective malaria drugs. Chloroquine, the main malaria drug, had become ineffective against malaria's deadliest strain, and the pipeline for new drugs, vaccines and other tools to control malaria was virtually empty.

(Today) April 25th is World Malaria Day. It is an opportunity to recognize the achievements of the last decade, since the moment when advocacy efforts shifted malaria from a neglected disease to global health priority.