I am 58 (part 1)
By: Saffiyah Joof
At dew point, our eyes are full of views,
A morning bird greets me from the flora and fauna mouth of The River Gambia.
Standing tall in the forest, opening the first pages of our Independence.
A young boy ran up close, knuckle bent,
Then struggle to read our history.
Sadness covers his face for being neglected.
Edward Francis small,
Born in January 1891 at the lips of Bathurst,
In the sacred blessings of his rich mind,
He established his strong faith,
That led him to lose his job.
But planted his flower beds,
And his tree continues to grow,
attended a conference in 1920 that changed the voice of our freedom.
Back in his motherland, he formed” The Gambia outlook and Senegambia reporter.”
Battling for a better solution,
He stretched further in 1928 to build the Bathurst Trade Union, which rejuvenated The Gambia 🇬🇲 first labor workout.
And then build the cornerstones of national liberation.
Dives to swim in ten years of fighting,
bearing the painted efforts of pain
That drag him to set up Bathurst Urban District
Council and board of health.
The flowers of the embedded tree were elected to the legislative council in 1942.
Being the first person to win a majority vote
while the sun shone, he became the representative of Bathurst in the legislative council.
Died in 1958, a close chapter of his life
That sprinkles to the Independence of our nation.
In 1952, reverend JC Faye seeded the first political party
As the deem light travels for a year later
The Muslim Congress party emerged in 1952
Under the leadership of IM GARBA JAHUMPA
As the sun seems beam, in the same year,
The united party under PS Njie emerged to lead the polls, under the leadership of Saint Clair joof, with the clouds, sun, and moon.
He kicked the bucket at an early stage.
After being defeated in the 1954 polls.
In the search for our Gambian tree,
The political dreams spread out,
The people’s progressive party was formed
By the colony in 1959,
As I keep deeping my hands into the history
It confirms that it coincided with the constitution of 1960,
Led by David Jawara (Dawda kairaba Jawara)
Our nights of Independence became fresher
The tightness of votes was detected,
seats of 8, 8 scrolls,
But Edward Windley decided to appoint PS Njie in 1961 as the majority chief supported him.
Before the moonlight comes out,
The sun sets to the resignation of Jawara as the minister of Education.
That further push to the cotton in 1961, the colonial master assembled the Bathurst and London constitutional conference.
That gave birth to the 1962 constitution of internal self-rule.
In that ring of the May 1962 general election,
PPP won 17 seats out of 25.
Given Jawara a landslide victory as the majority in Parliament.
The victory was a Road map.
Then formed a coalition government with PS NJIE of the United Party
Making Gambia the first independent government.
In 1965, when Gambia was sprung to the commonwealth monarchy
Elisabeth11 being the nominal head of state,
In April 1970, the Gambia became a republic as the Jawara batch was changed from minister to President of The republic of the Gambia.
As the seawater became tasteless,
The birds began to sing the clear roots of freedom; Yahyah Jammeh match up to a led coup in 1994 that brought us more infrastructural development.
I walked under the soil of joy to kiss my flag with pride,
I am 58
Wait for part 2
#GambiaBefore18February1965
