By Makutu Manneh
Essa Bah, a 26-year-old 1st Class Police Constable, plans to publish his second book titled: ‘Dynamic Cultures and The African Child’.
The young writer discloses that the book portrays the pain, suffering, punishment and trauma experienced by African girls, when they undergo circumcision.
During an interview with this paper, Bah explained how girls are taken to isolated areas of forests where they are kept for weeks.
Essa who is also the deputy Public Relations Officer of the Writers Association of the Gambia, tried to trace the civilised culture and tradition of Africa before, during and after colonialism. He elaborated on how women and children suffered and are abused during periods of war and after, and how some of them are maltreated in their matrimonial homes by their husbands.
The young writer said his concerns are the unity and development of Africa; that Africa is one of the wealthiest in natural resources but the poorest in living standards and earnings.
He attributed this to the economic mismanagement and exploitation of the continent’s resources by a few. He expresses his belief that if Africans prohibit the culture of begging and receiving aid, or warring amongst themselves and taking loans, the continent will be a better place not only for her sons and daughters, but a land of great hope and destiny for humanity.
Bah published his first book on the 27th of May 2017 and it was approved by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education in July 2018, for use in Lower and Upper Basic Schools across the country.
With all his efforts as a young writer, Bah said he faces challenges in achieving his objectives; that there is less support for his work. He disclosed that only a few people or institutions are willing to support him; that most of the time, it is difficult to get financial support to publish his books.
Bah who graduated from Armitage Senior Secondary School, said he got his inspiration since at School; that he joined the Gambia Police Force (GPF) in 2016 and was posted as a Traffic Officer and later to Police Headquarters at the Gender and Child Welfare Unit of GPF.
He thanked the Banjul City Council (BCC) for their support as well as GPF, towards his quest to publish his second book.
He urged Gambians to patronize Gambian writers, which he said will help authors write more books.
