The Gambia's Three Best Pre-and Post-independence Authors and Their Books

A warm welcome to the blog of The Voice of The Pen. It's good to see you again.  I would like to keep asking for your usual understanding and interest in my blog posts that come your way every FRIDAY. This week, you're going to read about the 'Three Prominent Names Who Founded Gambian Literature.' In this post, I am honoring Gambian authors and books that lifted the voices of the unheard, addressed imbalance, and championed positive change. 


The pace of present Gambian literature is moving at a high-speed with the growing of many young writers- more defiant in both style and tone than those of the pre- and post-independence writers’ generation;  and a very few serious publishers in the country.  Having known the slow development and the injection of Gambian literature in the Western world was as a result of the Senegambian Confederation, believing that education has the potential to transform lives, and that it is the vehicle for continuous positive change that ultimately enables us to build a better world. For such growth to occur, individuals and educational institutions need to understand transformation and to be able to identify the radical changes needed in order to facilitate human development. For a rethinking of policies, strategies, and target setting to respond to old priorities in the Gambian context cutting across all levels of education, using an integrated approach for sustainable development, these writers saw light in the darkest of times to write about happenings in the past that wallowed our development endlessly.


Meanwhile, since the birth of Gambian literature in 1773 ( when the first Gambian author was published), there have been a very few number of Gambian authors renowned all over the World for their work, for those who have done a lot in the much respectable field of literature. THUS, the need for OUR GENERATION.

1. The First Female Gambian Writer  ( The Mother of Gambian Literature )

Phillis Wheatley ( from the Aku tribe of The Gambia,  one of the decendants of Free-Slaves from Freetown), also spelled Phyllis Wheatly ( c. 1753- December 5, 1784) was the first published Gambian female poet.  Born in The Gambia,  she was sold into slavery in North America at the age of eight. She wrote a collection of poems on various subjects, and was published on September 1, 1773.

Despite that most slaves had hardly receive a better education much more be able to read and write in the English language, Phillis had a sharp brain and read wider and in no time- she became the first African American writer from The Gambia to publish a poetry book.


2.  Lady Augusta Jawara ( from the Aku tribe of The Gambia, one of the decendants of Free-Slaves from Freetown)

Another influential female Gambian writer who shaped Gambian literature from post-independence is Hannah Augusta Jawara. She was born in Banjul, The Gambia in May 1924 and died on January 21, 1981.

Her famous work is Rebellion ( A play ). She was the first Gambian nurse, a playwright and activist for women's rights. Having seen a very low interest and proliferation in Gambian literature because by then Gambians hardly write, and as the first wife of first Gambian president  Sir. Dawda Kairaba Jawara, she adopted the penname Ramatoulie Kinteh and wrote about Gambian culture and women.


3. Dr. Lenrie Peters  ( The Father of Gambian Literature )

Lenrie Peters also an Aku and also known as Leopold Wilfred was a Gambian surgeon,  a poet and novelist. He died on May 28, 2009.  He is a founding-member of The Writers' Association of The Gambia ( WAG). He is the only Gambian from 1773 to receive international acclaim for his work and garnered fame for Gambian literature. His books include: The Second Round,  Katchikali, Selected Poetry and Satellites.

For more information about Gambian literature and writing, click on this link to see all writers from The Gambia:


http://www.self.gutenberg.org/articles/List_of_Gambian_writers


See you here next week Friday, and have a nice weekend!


( VERY IMPORTANT: PLEASE do not forget to subscribe to my blog by writing your email inside the textbox below the description of my blog; and click on the AD-SENSE ( i.e. the images showing on the right.) For every click you make for me, serve as a COMPENSATION and a HELP to me for the KNOWLEDGE and the JOY I am giving you for FREE. )

 My special wishes for you.

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 All Rights Reserved! Thank you for reading and following my blog. Should you wish to use any of my articles for research, lectures, personal use, etc, kindly address your message to: modoulaminsowe1@hotmail.com. Copying any of my articles without a written permission to, is an infringement of Copyright.

THE THREE INTERVALS OF CIRCUMCISION IN THE GAMBIA (An Article About Culture )

Welcome back to the blog of 'The Voice of the Pen' that comes your way every Friday. It's good to see you here. How was your weekend last week? I vomited twice yesterday morning in the presence of my boss-lady, and she looked at me somehow. Should I remind her that I am a man and not pregnant? (laughs 😂) I wasn't feeling wellaftergdevelopingd a sickness while trying to adapt to my new environment. My weekend was great because I am not married, have no time for women, and actuallyhadtfewers things to do during the weekend. However, I spent my weekend reading my books and gettingreadytfor ther resumption ofschools in October  How about you?In this blog post, you will learn "HOW CIRCUMCISION IS TRADITIONALLY DONE IN GAMBIA".  To get started, let me humbly remind you thatTheeGambia) is one of the smallest countries in Africa. It's alsocalledl the Smiling Coast of Africa because of the navigable RiverGambia  and the hospitable people of thecountry,y known for their hospitality, peace,love,e and unity. There areeightt(8)) actual ethnic groups in TheGambia,a and eachhase their own way of preserving their culture, caste, language clothing, dancee,  music, cooking, etc.


Each of these eight tribes speaks their own language and at least two or more other local languages of The Gambia, which is not actually their tribe. Although the official language of The Gambia is English, the "lingua franca," meaning a language commonly used in trade, is Wolof. Having said this, I would also like to tell you that most of the people of The Gambia shared common values, cultures, food, and caste with their neighboring country, Senegal. Almost three-quarters of all The Gambians have family members or relatives living in Senegal, which surrounded The Gambia on three sides except for the Atlantic Ocean. History has reliably and ceremoniously told us that all of the people in The Gambia came from Casamance, Futa Toro in Guinea-Conakry,  Senegal, Sierra Leone, Mali, Guinea-Bissau, and other West African countries to actually build the country today called The Gambia. Therefore, no tribe owns The Gambia because the settlers there all came from somewhere. Although some history books say the Gambia belongs to the Mandinkas,.

ETHNIC GROUPS OF THE GAMBIA

The largest ethnic group in The Gambia is the MANDINKA (Mandingos), whose origin is Kangaba or Manding in the Ancient Mali Empire. The WOLOFS are the second-largest ethnic group in The Gambia and are mainly found in the capital city of Banjul, in some villages, and in the Senegambia area. The FULAS (Fulanis) or Pol Futa are the third largest ethnic group in The Gambia and are engaged in herding cattle and trading; almost three-quarters of all businesses in The Gambia are owned and run by them. The JOLAS, or Jola, are the backbone of The Gambia and are mainly involved in the cultivation of rice, farming, and agriculture. The majority of them are found in the Foni district of the West Coast Region (WCR) of The Gambia.

The SERAHULES, or Sarahule people, are the traders and property owners of The Gambia. They can be found in their largest numbers in the district of Upper River Rigion (URR), and most of the rich men of The Gambia are Sarahules who are settled in the urban areas of the country.

The SERER ethnic group of The Gambia are involved in fisheries and have customs, and their culture and language are very similar to the Wolof because most of them are a mixture of Wolof and Fula, or other tribes.

Lastly, there are other minority ethnic groups in The Gambia known as the
'BALANTA', the 'AKUS', and the 'MANJAGOS.' But the Creoles, or Akus, are mostly Christians who are descendants of freed slaves who first came to The Gambia in 1787 from Sierra Leone.


Having known all the ethnic groups of The Gambia, let's now discuss CIRCUMCISION, which is common amongst them and almost done the same way, except for a few. In The Gambia, all ethnic groups except for a few usually circumcise their young boys before they reach puberty, and for the young girls, before they see their menstrual blood. Though the tradition is being eroded, particularly in urban areas, it is more adhered to in the country in towns and villages. The traditional ceremony is called 'Kuiyangho' in Mandingo or 'Harraf' or 'Lél' in Wolof, and these names have also been adopted by all the other ethnic groups of The Gambia, although each of them has their own specific names.

The circumcision ritual is done in two different ways: at home or at the hospital. This is mostly done by those Gambians living in urban areas, and middle-class men and women prefer this for their families. And the second type, which is the best type of circumcision traditionally done in The Gambia, involved young boys and girls being led away inside the bush for a number of days, months, or weeks while they were being initiated into manhood or womanhood and taught certain things such as respect for elders, the names and uses of some herbs, the names of birds and animals, tribal traditions, how to keep oneself away from sex before marriage, male and female responsibilities, etc.

The circumcised boys are called 'Kambano', and the circumcised girls are called 'Suunkuto', and the uncircumcised boys and girls are both called 'Solima' in Mandingo, respectively. The circumcision ritual is very dark and secretive, so much so that the secrets must not be revealed to anyone. In Mandingo society, it is the 'Kankurang' who leads the initiates into the bush and is supposed to protect them from evil spirits during their stay for weeks or months. The Kankurang is a traditional Mandingo masquerade that originated from Cassamance in Senegal,  and the masquerade is worn by men of proven integrity who not only evoke words to drive away the evil spirits but also see them live as they live with men in societies. The Kankurang therefore has the power to fight and defeat even genies and demon spirits. This is an image of the Kankurang in three different masquerades. The first one is called 'Chorimama', the one in the middle is called 'Faraa Kankurango', and the last one is called 'Boto Kankurango'.

In The Gambia, circumcision is done in three intervals, namely:

1. The Initiation Ceremony (the circumcision itself),
2. The Traditional Education Programme for the Circumcised, and
3. The celebration

The people who circumcise are called 'Munkanoo' for males or 'Ngansimbaa' for females. The intitiates are called 'Nyanssinyo' in Mandinka and 'Njunlit' in Wolof. Aside from the three types of Kankurangs discussed above, there are other three types of masquerades that protect the initiates both before and after their circumcission. But the most efficient and fearful is called the 'Fambondy'.
The Fambondy is the most dangerous masquerade that comes out a few days before the celebration, in the middle of the initiation, and also on the day of the celebration. The Fambondy have the power to fly and be invisible to everyone except strong-headed people.

                    This is a picture of the Fambondy

The Kumpo is a Jola masquerade that comes out during the first week of circumcision, few days before the celebration, and on the day of the celebration. The Kumpo sees with its heart and brain. As you can see, its mask covers its entire face- and ordinary people don't wear this masquerade. It is worn by soothsayers among men.

Jamba Kankurango is another Mandingo masquerade. It is fearless because it only comes out on the day of the celebration- and its purpose is to celebrate the initiates and lead them into dancing in order to free them from the pain of circumcision and the dark secrets involved. 

Gambian Literature and Publications, Arts and Culture

Have you ever wondered where to read about or find Gambian literature and publications for FREE of CHARGE? Worry no more. You've come to the RIGHT PLACE and to the RIGHT PERSON. This is the only available BLOG both in and outside The Gambia, about Gambian literature and publications, and arts and culture. I am tempted to begin by asking if you'd know by now what niche my blog is all about? Have you been following my blog posts for a very long time now-and have actually been impressed with the way and manner I write? If YES, wherever you are living in this world; I want to tell you that I value you most on anything I write about.

I am a selfless young man, an industrious, multi-talented and a creative emerging West African writer and scholar who can give voice to Gambian literature and writing. I saw a clamitious decline in the consumption of African literatures in the Western world over the past few decades. Our literatures should be known by both the indigenous people of Africa and those in the Western world. Instead, they are actually suffering a setback of poor readership and a huge lack of patronage. Do you know Africans can write and there is a very rich literature found in The Gambia; and it is call Gambian literature?


As a literary blogger, I have some huge advantages over established businesses and larger publishing outlets to delight you about Gambian literature. I am the most consistent young West African ( literary blogger ) you've ever known or knowing about. Why? Because I have a good content and a niche- and do not care about the money or fame, the amount of followers or likes I have on social media. Rather, I care about giving you quality products for FREE. I am the only young literary blogger I know about who can write on any topic and have been blogging for the past two years. Visit my blog archive to further see and read on different topics I've been writing about to date.


 I entertain; I influence; I educate; I inform; I instruct and delight you-- but at the same time,  heal you from pain and sorrow. I am a wordsmith, a love doctor, a cultural educator, a philosopher and an emotional thrapist. I am not an affiliate blogger neither am I a content blogger.  I am a CULT OF PERSONALITY BLOGGER because I share my model with people so that they can solve things the same way like me. I place on my blogger any topic that comes to my brain, I blog. I eventually get enough traffic that’ll make me some money.

Having known the type of blogger I am now, let me now tell you something about my niche. Often a niche is taken to be a topic to write about, but to me, a niche and a topic are like a husband and a wife. They love each other, and one cannot go without the other. For example past topics on my blog were about religion, the New World ,  philosophy, literature, etc. To help you understand what a niche is, if I write about religion for example, the word religion itself is very broad because there are many religions on earth. But if I say for instance " The Dignity of Women in Philosophy of Islamic Religion", which is one of my past topics I've already written about; obviously, becomes a niche because it tells on the type of religion my topic was written for and about.


Having now known my niche and did know what I write about, let me also tell you (Why You Should Visit My Blog And Be Subscribed To It.) I am very consistent with my work,  I love what I do, can do it; having been doing it for years- and doing it for FREE--with a very good quality and not blogging for quantity. My talent and originality is beyond the rims of my country and call for a global AUDIENCE like YOU. Happy to say that at the time of writing this post; I had a total pageviews of 23,398 coming from everyday, every week, and every month VALUABLE READERS from:

 USA, Italy, UK,  Germany,  The Gambia, Belgium, Canada,  France, UAE,  Niger, Ethiopia, Poland, Finland, Senegal, Norway, Indonesia, Cyrus,  Spain, Sweden, Burkina Faso, Morocco, Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Cameron, Liberia, Mali,  an Unknown Region, etc.


I would like to assure you more of me, and the consistency in my work to always impress you beyond expectation. With immediate effect from today, Friday 7th September 2018, my BLOG POSTS will now come your way WEEKLY on FRIDAYS.

Finally, I've a good news for you. My post next week Friday,  14th September 2018, is gonna be a post about (HOW CIRCUMCISION IS TRADITIONALLY PERFORM IN THE GAMBIA).  Be subscribed to my BLOG and don't miss it. Shout-out to y'all wonderful people.

HAVE A NICE WEEKEND-AND SEE YOU HERE NEXT WEEK FRIDAY!


( VERY IMPORTANT: PLEASE do not forget to click on the AD-SENSE ( i.e. the images showing on the right.) For every click you make for me, serve as a COMPENSATION and a HELP to me for the KNOWLEDGE and the JOY I am giving you for FREE)

 My special wishes for you. Kindly visit my mobile-friendly author website on this link :

http://www.modoulaminagealmusafsowe. doodlekit.com/home


 All Rights Reserved! Thank you for reading and following my blog. Should you wish to use any of my articles for research, lectures, personal use, etc, kindly address your message to: modoulaminsowe1@hotmail.com. Copying any of my articles without a written permission to, is an infringement of Copyright.

WHY DO I MATTER? ( A Poem )

I MATTER...

I matter in this matter and the world matters

For being a master in any other matter

Matter of fact, I am me in my world

After the hatred and the envy untold

Remove your blindfold

I am the only me who write very bold

Bold enough to run and play with a pen-like Usain Bolt

I am the servant of thy MASTER

The rain in every water

I breathe fire

My mind sees clouds in every dark sky

I MATTER...

For being the me you've never spoken to I

The only me who sees the ONE-EYE

I am the only me they don't want to hear about

They know I MATTER

Don't they?

They know themselves

Do they?

I MATTER in your life

Even if you stab me with a knife

Words I speak are holy

For those who want to accept Christ and be godly

I MATTER, for I am the me in every ME, and YOU

I MATTER...

Because they say;

"A MATTER is anything that has mass and can occupy a space"

The world is my matter

BECAUSE my words are the space

To put a smile on your face

BECAUSE I am the century's WRITER

I am the guardian angel for the poor

The voice to defend the defenseless

And the weapon to jump over fences

Make the evil be on diverging lenses

Trembling for being lost in their senses

I MATTER...

Because I am ME

Happy being ME

I am ME

Me I am

I ME am

I am I

Who am I?

ME.

I MATTER...

Because I am the only ME

Who write and speak like ME

Tell that to HE and SHE

I am the only I that is so eloquent like ME

And the only ME who talk like I

Do you know why?

I am good at being ME

I compete with nobody but ME

Because I am nobody but ME

I AM, BUT, ML ME- the poor servant of God.

( This photo was taken when I was 14 and started writing. 😂😂😂Looking at my pointed ears, my red lips and young eyes, always make me laugh at myself )

|| Annuit Coeptis || "The sugarcane will never be salty even if it grows on a salty land. So, your life would always be sweet whatever the ingredients your enemies will put in it. My special wishes for you." Kindly visit my Mobile-Friendly Author Website on this link: http://www.modoulaminagealmusafsowe. doodlekit.com/home All Rights Reserved! Thank you for reading and following my blog. Should you wish to use any of my articles for personal use, research, lectures, etc, kindly address your messages to: modoulaminsowe1@hotmail.com. Copying any of my articles without written permission to is an infringement of Copyright.

Youth Global Forum in Paris: Call For Journalists and Young Media Enthusiasts

The Youth Time International Movement is officially inviting journalists and young mediaenthusiasts to apply for the Youth Global Forum, which will take place in Paris, France from the 2nd to the 6th of December, 2018. Deadline to apply  is September 7.

The main topic of this year's forum is Worldwide Impact Investment: The Role of Entrepreneurs. The event is composed not only to equip young business people with the necessary tools to thrive in the realms of impact investment, but also to foster leadership, human values and a strong sense of social responsibility. A series of informative keynotes, masterclasses,case studies and highly-interactive workshops conducted by esteemed experts will help attendees to gain insight into the complex world of impact investing and learn about the opportunities which could allow them to realize their maximum potential. Further, young entrepreneurs will have the chance to pitch their very own social projects related to the event theme, with the winner receiving Youth Time’s Idea Grant to realize their idea!

Youth Time is also offering young media enthusiasts a unique opportunity to spend five days in the cosmopolitan city of Paris in the company of 100 young social entrepreneurs and prominent experts in the field of impact investment from all over the world. Here, they will gain invaluable international experience. 

A limited number of fully and partially funded reporting fellowships will be offered for media people to take part in the event. Fully funded fellowships will cover: travel to and from Paris, accommodation, meals, program including informal activities and transportation during the event. Partially funded fellowships will not include reimbursement for travel to Paris.

Who can apply for fellowships? 

Storytellers, bloggers/vloggers, digital media activists, online freelance reporters and anyone who works as a journalist in the media industryfrom around the world. 

What are the main criteria?

Everyone who is applying for the fellowship must accept a commitment to produce at least two media pieces both before and after the forum.They must also possess fluent English communication skills, both written and verbal.

Additional criteria for journalists:

• Current employment in national or international media (newspaper, magazine, news agency, TV, radio, or news portal);
• Efficiency, a track record of tolerance and cultural sensitivity, and a readiness for new experiences.

Journalists will be asked to provide the following: 

• Filled in online application form
• Examples of previous works
• A letter of support from an editor or newsroom manager endorsing the journalist’s participation in the program and support for publishing, posting and/or broadcasting the journalist’s coverage of the conference.

Additional criteria for the freelance media enthusiasts:

• To have active and regularly updated Social Media account or blogging platform;
• Significant experience in creating multimedia content and deep understanding of what makesa good online story;
• Efficiency, a track record of tolerance, and a readiness for new experiences.

Freelance media enthusiasts will be asked to provide the following:

• Filled in online application form;
• Link on the social media or blog platform account. 

Selection for the fellowships will be based on the professional qualifications, relevant experience such as demonstrated interest in the topic of the forum and level of input in promotion of application call for participants before the event.

Please note, that due to high interest in the Youth Global Forum we review applications on an ongoing basis. As soon as we select enough suitable candidates, we will not review new applications. In case of questions, please forward them to us via e-mail.

Find out more about Youth Global Forum in Paris.

Read 429 times

Last modified on 31/8/2018 - 10:45 am

SOURCE: THE YOUTH TIME INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT ( YOUTH GLOBAL FORUM )

|| Annuit Coeptis || "The sugarcane will never be salty even if it grows on a salty land. So, your life would always be sweet whatever the ingredients your enemies will put in it. My special wishes for you." Kindly visit my Mobile-Friendly Author Website on this link : http://www.modoulaminagealmusafsowe. doodlekit.com/home All Rights Reserved! Thank you for reading and following my blog. Should you wish to use any of my articles for personal use, research, lectures, etc, kindly address your messages to: modoulaminsowe1@hotmail.com. Copying any of my articles without a written permission to, is an infringement of Copyright.