THE GAMBIA: SMILING COAST OF AFRICA 

I am one month already in the Gambia and electricity is still smiling at me sheepishly. The other day, I decided to go to a restaurant, I ate rice with enough meat for 50 dalasis. Dalasi is their currency.

It is a small country with about 2.5 million people. The land mass is 11,300 km². The country is almost the size of Rivers State, Nigeria. Niger state in Nigeria is about 7 times bigger than the whole of Gambia. Malawi should be about 10 times bigger than the Gambia.

Generally, the country is not that clean. The capital city is Banjul. There is not much to attract your eyes. I am yet to visit the beach. If I do, you will know. The largest metropolitan area is Serekunda. This is where you will see many Nigerians.

The country is very crowded in the city area. It can be very hot as well. The first few days here were hell for me. I just noticed that I was drying up. At night I couldn't sleep because of the heat. My fan blows hot air. I kept drinking water. Some days in my room, I use to record about 37°C to 39°C. I even heard that where I am is not hot compared to other places. Crazy! Well, I was told that it could be very cold too. I am yet to experience that.

The country is entirely surrounded by Senegal, except for a short coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. Learning French is a big advantage if you want to visit Senegal.

It is an English-speaking country, but there are different tribes as well. In my parish, I have the Kanoninkas. One of my outstations is Wolof. I have parishioners that speak Jola. But the major tribe is Mandinka. So, to effectively communicate, you may need to know something from each tribe.

So far, when it comes to food, it is only their Jollof rice that I have loved. I first ate it in Senegal. Yesterday, they prepared it for me in the parish. Today, that is what I am eating. Jollof rice will soon kill me. I learnt Jollof rice, which they call Benachin, originated from this part of the world.

Everywhere on the street is punctuated with religion and the Arab way of dressing. The country is said to be 95% Islam. The Christians are predominantly Catholics with just one diocese and one Bishop. The country is generally peaceful. Christians' feast days are public holidays here. I was even surprised that November 1st, which was All Saints Day, there was a holiday for all schools in the Gambia. I love the Christians here, they are making sincere effort in the practice of their belief.

The Gambia economy is driven by farming, fishing, and Tourism. Their young men are tall, blacK and handsome. Their young women are generally slim with curves. I noticed that a lot of second-hand goods from the UK or so, make their way here. It is like their dumping ground.

I like their education system here. In the schools that I am managing, Muslims are the majority. But you won't know who is a Muslim or a Christian unless you are told.

By and large, the country is Ok, it is called the smiling coast of Africa. The people are happy people and fun to be with.

Thanks for reading! 

Ohh, I forgot, the network is poor in my area...that is a very important point actually.