Demba Ali Jawo, the former minister of Information & Communication Infrastructure is to launch his autobiography at the Paradise Suites Hotel in Kotu this Saturday afternoon.
The 157-page A Date With Destiny is Mr Jawo’s third published book. The first A Living Mirror: The Life of Deyda Hydara was co-authored with the Nigerian journalist Alota Ahmed Alota and the second is Focus: Birth Pangs of The Gambia’s Transition to Democracy.
The book is divided into 21 chapters and tells the story of a young Fula herds boy who got enrolled into the newly built local primary school because his brother who was to be enrolled fell ill and died. He had to juggle going to school, cattle herding and other chores. He battled against the odds to complete his primary education and moved to Banjul to attend Crab Island Secondary School. He neither had relatives in Banjul nor did his family know anyone there. He studied and lived under very trying conditions usually with very little food, little or no other basic amenities including a decent place to sleep. He went on to sit for both the O and A level examinations through the Rapid Results College, then a popular correspondence institute.
Despite all the hurdles and challenges of life, he managed to transition himself from a herds boy to become one of The Gambia’s most formidable and respected journalists eventually leading Gambian media fraternity for many years and culminating in becoming a cabinet minister under President Barrow.
A Date With Destiny will be launched by Mrs Adelaide Sosseh, vice chairperson of TRRC who also taught him at both Crab Island school and The Gambia College and reviewed by Madi Jobarteh, head of the Westminster Foundation national office.
The book is published by Fodeh Baldeh’s Fulladu Publishers.
