Bakau cultural festival Saturday

By Alagie Manneh The second edition of the Bakau cultural festival is slated for Saturday, organisers announced. The two weeks event is designed to depict some of the cultural and traditional values of the coastal community. Organisers said it will bring together young people, women and the entire Bakau population to celebrate and promote diversity, inclusiveness, tourism and community service. The local organisers, being led by the Bakau Youth Development Association, said they are inspired to come together to organise activites to enable young people participate in community development. “We want to celebrate and promote cohesion, our rich heritage and culture and promote tourism,” said PRO Ebrima Darboe. Laying bare some of the activities in the hectic festival, the chairman of the youth association, Alieu Ceesay, disclosed that a musical jamboree, a youth conference, sports and carnival are all included in the program. “We will visit various traditional or sacred sites such as the Bakau Crocodile pool, which is the most mystical and spiritual sites in The Gambia, and the grave of Sait Matty, the son of Maba Jahu – who fought colonialism before his capture and killing at Sun Beach in Bakau.” A delegation from the various government ministries, cabinet, civil society organisations and other cultural personalities will also be attending the festival, which organisers said is “ever growing.” A short documentary on the socio, economic and political history of Bakau will also be played. “It is also important to note that most of The Gambia’s political parties have their founding members in Bakau. In fact, they were formed in Bakau. The importance of this initiative is quite big,” Mr Darboe added. The youth association is being assisted in this endeavor by the Ministry of Youth and Sport and the National Council for Arts and Culture, NCAC. In a town afflicted by teenage pregnancy, drug abuse and other negative social vices, organisers are hoping to use the festival to engage young people of the coastal town to be serious in life and participate more effectively in community and national development.]]>