By Suntou Touray
Of course because we drove, flown and canoed To the heavens on earth, if there is such a place
Yet, we who made the journey wallow in our achievements To the United States , “here I come’Down in Deutschland, the streets greets us with frownsIn London , the cocktails of humanity litter every corner of the East EndWhilst Sweden swallow our offspring in de-AfricanisationWith all the congested invisible souls from far away nationsOur people are proud for us to be Invisibles in the WestThe tag ‘parasites’ lingers behind us
What about the crimes against our ancestors, the thieving of our gold and silver
The stealing of mortal men??? They say we are parasitesAfricans are parasites in the West They go unnoticed to work places created by the WesternersThey enjoy the supermarkets, the cheap food, beer, and meat, chicken
They even depend on the social servicesThey get houses, income support, and many other benefit packagesAfricans ignore African problemsAfricans look up to Western achievements for comfort But Africans are parasites even in spirituality
They pay to Evangelist pastors to Prophesies for them
They belabor Marabous to seek successes for themWhat is that, we’re not parasite of???We announce our victimizations but forget our responsibilities
Will the West ever mirrors our future AfricaWhere our hopes and aspirations will dependAnd passive inactivity will turn into a machine of Ever ready activist for the common causeFor now ‘let’s make do with our parasital tendencies’ whilst we ponder
Toubab
ReplyDeleteI get your drift. Actually the poem is a difficult subject as you can see. The central message is not a support for the west neither an anger venge towards Africa.
The realities on the ground in Africa is appalling in many regards. To this day in the 21st Century, still Africans are suffering more than any other in our globe. And Africans are still largely mute to that effect.
Now many can say, since the larger section of society fear repression in the soil of Africa, what about when those same Africans migrated to the West, the promise land?
Again, if you take the Gambia as a sample, the estimated number of Gambians and their descendants in America and Europe is in the region 100,000. How many of this 100,000 say again about the plight of their people back home? Very few.
However, contrast that with an African who gets a European citizenship or An American passport. You will find this African fighting for every smallest rights he or she is aggrieved on.
Why is that so?
Now come to the political climates in the Gambia as case study. You will find out that, very few bother to get stuck in. Yet the West did not became a place where the rights of Europeans or those legally resident their took the form of utmost respect and protection. The people stood up to authority in making sure, no politician, however powerful he/she may be can abuse people's right and go to bed. When will Africans want to be uncomfortable and tackle this difficult issues.
Now coming to Parasital tendecy, some people express anger for my use that phrase and Scales even tries to assume that, I need some fresh air. This have nothing to do with personal odessy, its after years of social observations, i wrote this piece.
The Evangelist Pastors are getting richer by day, because people pay them 10% of their earning every week. And the Muslim Marabous are exploiting people thousands to pray for them. Try to rationalise why people pay for others to facilitate God's grace on them?
Thanks. Later
In many African countries, brain drain is a serious issue. The European and American embassies across Africa only issue Visas to Africans who have a certain aptitude in intelligence ie, they have competency in academic field.
ReplyDeleteTo be able to study in America, England, Germany, etc, one most have a good credit in core subjects.Now then, if the Africans abroad belongs to the intelligent category, why are we ineffective against tyrant and corrupt murderers? Yet when you question that lame dockness, some Africans will interpret that as neo-imperialism. What a buffonery accusation.
Anyhow, the intelligent Africans who are given Visas to travel to Europe or America later settle there, shouldn't they be able to further get organise and tackle their common problems? But people have become experts in making foolish remarks against people they don't know. In some platforms, I am accused of xenophobia, tribalism and what have you. Yet the main issue lies unresolve.
Attend any board meeting of the Asian community, you will find them very organise and purposeful (they have lawyers, accountants, estate agents, retailers and wholesalers, doctors, etc all keen to stand up for their community). Attend a similar meeting of Africans, you will find many unwilling to even come forward let alone voice a solution.
In doesn't matter whether this is journalistic groups, social group or political. Many of us have become too consume with our personal goal fulfilment to the detriment of our collective good. The west is not perfect, yet they were able to see the collective good above and over individual interest.
Only Africans can tackle the slow solution to the little problems we face. Imagine Africa have more lands to feed every Africans. yes, we live in Europe, but if only 20% of Africans living in the West should get involve in fighting injustices, the vibration will cause many things to change.
As it happens, because Africans are lacking behind in organising and having a strong voice in the West, there is fears in Sweden, France and England that, the social services are taking children away from their parents. How many African groups are consulting local authorities on the performance of African children in schools?
ReplyDeleteWe did it last year, and in fact, as for Gambia and Senegal, the West Midlands local authourities classify them according to ethnicity, not country...
If anyone wish to hide behind pen name to assume that, i am miseducated, I would like to see where your education have taken you that mine havent. Right thinking readers will discern that, the 'WE' is inclusive of me. We failed to organise and be effective. Only in entertainment are any African group able to bring community members out.
Very few individuals create an avenue for African descendant children to have a place to socialise...This children will experience identity crisis and may potentially join bad crowds. In any case, those involve in community action will acknowledge that, because many (married or single parents) can run to the existing social buffer, not many are willing to get out of the booble and create an alternative avenue for their children to have access to something unique.
Worst of all, try to have a conversation bothering on African politics, you will be left talkning to yourself.
A strong community can create jobs, open doors to prosperity (who you knows) been a bench mark. many accountancy firms, law firms, small businesses all started with community support. Therefore, for Africans to be lacking behind and allowing government patronising, it will not lead them much higher in society.
ReplyDeleteI know, the views in Europe about integration, however, a good law firm started by immigrants can help create jobs and can also act as a pressure group in standing up for vulnerable members of society.
The jewish lobby works wonders because they do not rely on government for everything, they open up doors for each other.