Dear Editor,
Many of us who left the shores of our beloved colonial space carried with us similar aspirations: travel to Babylon, establish ourselves, acquire land, build a home, and eventually return to something greater than what we had left behind. I doubt too many of us intended for our time overseas to stretch into decades. And so the first big investment for many of us was a piece of land and, when possible, building a dream home. Unfortunately, for many, these homes remain largely unused! They are either occupied by other family members or become places where we spend little time, if any. And for those fortunate enough not to have been fleeced into buying land that was already sold to someone else, these dream homes often become monuments built in our name.
A buddy of mine relocated to The Gambia after more than thirty years in Babylon. I remember his excitement about returning home. He was filled with optimism and had envisioned a future full of possibilities. Made plans and had backup plans. Was even able to live off the grid. He already owned a few properties in The Gambia and had built his dream home in a nice area near the ocean. In preparation for his move, he shipped a few cars back home and seriously considered selling his house in Babylon, which I was dead set against. Thankfully, he relented and only rented it out. But living in the Gambia after a prolonged absence is not for the faint of heart. It requires uncomfortable adaptation and resilience. Having spent about two years in the colonial space, I was perhaps a bit more clear-eyed about the place than he was. So I became the voice of caution. I was cautious because, like me, this fellow had never worked in the Gambia and left the place as a teenager. But he often jokingly accuses me of being cynical.
Perhaps he was right that I was cynical. When I reflect on this colonial space, I cannot help but feel that the place many of us, particularly those my age and older, once knew is no longer recognisable. I am all for change because it is inevitable. What I am yet to be convinced of is whether this colonial space has changed for the better. If it had, many of us would have been home by now. That we choose to stay in foreign lands is a testament to the fact that things are just better for us in other people’s homes. That we find comfort and peace in other people’s lands is an indictment on all of us, a friend opined. For many of us, there’s been a sort of rupture between what we long for and what we come home to. Home exists only in the nostalgia of what it used to be.
Long story short, after four years living back home, my friend ultimately decided to leave and return to Babylon. Fortunately, he already owned a home and had a marketable skill set. That certainly made the retransition much smoother. His journey highlights the importance of not putting all your eggs in one basket.
I can’t count how many people I encounter who feel disheartened and tired of living in Babylon. The repetitive daily grind toward the unreachable summit, essentially living hand-to-bills, the loneliness, and being a foreigner can all be overwhelming. Ironically, despite these challenges in Babylon, Gambia can feel even more unwelcoming! There is a reason many of us choose the difficult life in Babylon over returning home. I am not talking about those who claim to be sacrificing for Gambia by leaving behind the comforts of the West to come and improve people’s lives while enjoying the benefits of senior government officials. They are a different breed of charlatans. For us regular folks, if it’s not family members sucking your blood and eating your flesh raw, it’s friends and acquaintances waiting to stab you in the back. Surviving in the colonial space requires a special set of skills and experience. Those who live there and honestly survive by their brow are the true heroes. Those mooching on the back of the poor are a different breed altogether.
If you are living in Babylon and yearning to return home but, for various reasons, find yourself unable to do so, do not despair. You only need to widen your circle! Africa has 54 countries, and although every country has its unique challenges and sometimes Africans can be extremely unkind to their fellow Africans, I still urge you to consider other countries. There are many opportunities across Africa! You see, many senior government officials now own homes or apartments in Senegal, Morocco, and even Dubai. They’ll be the same ones insisting on you investing back home because they need to tax you higher so they can feast on you even more than they already do. Their patriotism is truly “the virtue of the vicious.”
If you haven’t considered it, I encourage you to consider investing in other African countries. I urge you not to limit yourself to the Gambia! The comfort and peace of mind you seek may be in another African country. But you’ll never find it if you don’t look beyond familiar borders! Expand your horizon.
Alhagi Saidy Barrow
United States
