By Kaddy K Saidy
Celebrating the bicentenary of a cherished settlement of Janjanbureh after two centuries of resilience, growth, and community spirit raised eyebrows in the community and the country at large.
Janjanbureh, formerly Georgetown and McCarthy Island, was founded by the British in 1823 for the settlement of freed slaves, and it serves as an administrative capital on the south of the Central River Region in current day The Gambia.
A bicentenary commemoration would have been one of the most festive and eventful occasions to be organized by the people of the community of Janjanbureh but then there was a turn of events. The arrival of invited guests to the beautiful island community started on the 4th of January 2024, anticipating a celebration that comes once in every century.
On Friday 5th January, witnessed a symposium held at the Armitage High School Hall with guest speakers such as Dr. Assan Sarr, Associate Professor, Ohio University USA, Dr. Pape Bassene, Associate Professor Universite Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, DR. Bala Saho, Associate Professor Oklahoma State University, USA, and Mr. Nana Grey-Johnson. historian and award-winning author in The Gambia all delivered on topics such as Slavery, Freedom, Return, Reparations, Krio and Tourism in relation to the historical narratives of Janjanbureh. This mega event witnessed intellectual exchange of history and lessons to learn on the journey of recovery after slavery as a people but also as a member of a community pinned on the aftermath of the hideous experience of slavery. The symposium ended on a high note as resolutions came up on The Gambia and reparations for slavery and Georgetown as Heritage Tourism Hub in the near future.
The D-Day
The community of Janjanbureh sets to celebrate the existence of their beloved land that stood for two centuries but little did we know that they were mostly not involved, or their opinions did not matter to the government during the preparations of the commemoration event.
The event was graced by the President of The Gambia, Prime Minister of Senegal, Secretary General of The Commonwealth of Nations, Cabinet Ministers, National Assembly Members, and other top government officials in Janjanbureh.
Contrarily, as a keen observer, one would notice that the local people did not embrace the event and so being, most decided to stay out and not bother to show up thus, making it a show of intruders from the city to the village. One would ask why are the people absent at an event they are supposed to own and celebrate for all to see?
According to reports, the locals did not see the need to participate in the event as the central government made promises on implementing projects for the community prior to the event which remained unfulfilled, and the locals had little or no say as to when they were ready to make the event happen. In as much as, the government wanted to ensure that the event took place, yet the local people had a major part to play to make it a success and a memorable one in years to come.
Apparently, to many the event was one of the most disorganized events to be witnessed as seen during the arrival of almost a hundred people at 10pm on Friday evening with no food for them and thus creating a tension while nearly making the event unsuccessful for the organizers.
The controversy
Reading through the guest booklet during the opening ceremony, one would be excited to witness the cultural night festivities as inscribed in the booklet on the culture and history that defines us as a people such as the rites of passage was so much to anticipate as an individual born in a town these activities are rarely something to witness and that was one reason guests decided to travel over 200km to witness in Janjanbureh.
To everybody’s surprise, the event did not end up happening as the company paid millions to provide the tents, stages and electricity which was not provided as they claimed the contract did not include the night activity which left everyone wondering why the Ministry of Tourism and Culture gave them the contract but perhaps, it’s a bit of diplomacy and nurturing our foreign relation with the neighbors.
For the NCAC to invite cultural troupes from Banjul to Janjanbureh and not any of them performing as expected was indeed a waste of resources no one dares to explain but yet, in a country where accountability is not a keen thing to anyone these incidents are common.
Lessons for the next century
As a lover of history and festivities, and as an individual not optimistic of whether the next century celebration will find me alive, I believe there are lessons for us to learn if we have the people of our communities and nation at heart. For the government now and those yet to come there should be a people centered approach if we desire to impact their lives and give them a memorable celebration on an occasional celebration of their existence.
Kankurang festival (26th to 28th January) and what to expect
The most anticipated event of the Janjanbureh Island settlement for the past seven consecutive years is the Kankurang Festival, a celebration of the rich tapestry of their ancestors left behind and for many years. For many curious minds the anticipation is on high gear and while we wait for the festival to happen, we hope to see the participation of the local people and yet another vibrant display of community spirit and cultural prowess in the beautiful island of Janjanbureh.
