By Mustapha Jarju
Government has promised to support and strengthen the cultures and tradition of the country in a bid to help it from disappearing.
The support will seek to help young Gambians to understand their cultures and traditions of the country’s settlers. The commitment was made during the Bainunka International Cultural festival that brought different people within and around the sub region together for the celebration.
Speaking on behalf of the government at the festival, Honorable Lamin Dibba, Minister of Environment and Climate Change said: “the government will give support to strengthen our culture and tradition so that the young ones will learn from what has been transpired during the ancestral time.”.
“Our norms and tradition are not only to show our way of life but to show what kind of persons we are. Therefore the work is left to us the young ones after the elders have shown us how the tradition was and expressed to us how they do traditional activities in the past,” he stated.
According to him, even though President Barrow was not physically present at the event but he is aware of it and he is ready to support people who are ready to back our tradition and culture.
“When people forget their tradition and culture they get lost. It is important to note the plans on how people use to live before development came and what you have done, the Gambia government has recognized it,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Bubacarr Sambou, Secretary General of the Bainunka Association The Gambia described culture as very useful, a reason he said they initiated the international cultural festival in which the first edition was done in 2021.
“During the last year`s festival we have gathered Bainunkas from Gambia, Senegal, and Guinea Bissau to showcase the culture of the Bainunka ethnicity and tradition. This year`s festival is different from that of last year because of its success and we have improved far better than the previous editions.” he said.