Street art in some of the poorest villages in Gambia for a good cause. This is the leitmotif of a project called Wide Open Walls consisting of bringing the best of urban art to different populations of the smallest countries in mainland Africa that are outside of any tourist route. Thus the idea is to map a completely unknown places, attracting the attention of travelers arriving in Gambia and trying to involve local people. There were artists who selflessly lent as the Belgian ROA, the South African Freddy Sam or Spanish Remed, and traces of his work is preserved in the walls of houses or barns there where there is no asphalt and thick trunks of baobab shade red sand dressing corners where innocence lost and the smiles of the people are the best gift that you receive the visitor.
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During the last day of the trip I took to Gambia recently I got out of the ordinary roads to get into the heart of the country. It was after seeing a picture on the Internet and try to go at all costs. Villages like Galoya, Macumbaya and Bafulotu, with its painted houses and the company of dozens of children, became the center of the target from a trip to a really lovely project.
It was not as easy to reach as it may seem painted villages. Not being in the infaestructuras tourist circuits and means of transport are as rare as nonexistent. It is a project that takes little time alive and still lacks the necessary diffusion, but that gradually causes the surprise and innocence of the place is the best of the claims. We had a shuttle but did not want us to reach our goal and the driver put a thousand excuses for not going. That if he would not give time to leave the airport after that if he was far away, if it was not interesting. Do you know what was happening? The official tourism organizations and even many agencies that are dedicated to making tours do not care that people get closer to the reality of a country with tremendous poverty. Teaching is nicer beach resorts, a forest or four villages in tourist markets which sees the really thin and clean the snot without children. It's that simple, do not want people to see underdevelopment (Gambia is one of the countries with the lowest human development index in the world) since it is not the best welcome sign and deter tourism.
But far from it. They do not realize that travelers are not only sun and beach, but many of those we approach Africa want to see the truth and assist as much as possible. The aim of Wide Open Walls is simply to involve the local people so that, through art, there are those who approach these villages and discover the friendly Africa but extremely poor looming out of any road. I can ensure the authenticity of some villages like Galoya, Bafulotu Macumbaya and that now would be hard to place on the map is such that a lot of made up for a journey to Gambia.
Fortunately a Dutch sir, given the negative first of our driver to take us to these villages, offered to take us in his private car. But ultimately the driver who had reconsidered and went to those villages full of splendid graffiti we encountered upon arrival.
Since it's been years since I came to paint the ROA, Remed, Tika or shift Selah (as volunteers), one is finding the drawings cranky within semiruinosas houses. But still true works of street art that give a special to those places with sand floors and baobabs touch are discovered. Significant footprint ROA is my favorite, who drew huge animals in black and white that appear to have three dimensions. The work of Belgian is perhaps the most striking of this project, and most visitors tend to like.
But the best view art in places where they do not expect to appear and children everywhere who just want to play around with them, be portrayed on the screen of your camera. Certainly that's the prize, the human side of a visit wherever they never thought that would be. Some we appear suddenly, a trickle, and it shows in the faces of the people (and not only children). He still continues to the point where no one asks for money ... no one asks anything. Hopefully this continues long because look at the eyes of the innocence of Africa is one of the most wonderful things I have found traveling.
We were opening up walls, discovering new scenes drawn on the wall, but we realized that this was entirely secondary. Children and adults greeted us with open arms as long it had been so. Some kids were arguing about who I spent a deflated ball or who picked him in the arms or shoulders. I, I admit I've never had a defined paternal instinct, I felt for a few minutes the father, brother and even the friend of all those children who came to them talk on "my strange language" or simply play with them. Another thing that turned them crazy were the photographs and be portrayed in them. There was not anyone who would not be in the picture. It seemed to go on holiday in the village through which we passed.
Galoya, Macumbaya Bafulotu and became for many minutes in the center of our universe. Wherever a Play Station nor nor waiting, the kids played together and parents opened the doors of their homes. The phrase that is not happy the least has but the least beat in the hearts of those who were so small dirty the streets and never hid his smile. Perceiving that innocence and be part of it, it was wonderful.
Although it was sad that after all that children would have to leave within walking school age to have to help their parents, and that many of them would be concerted promised in early marriage (fortunately that tradition has been diminished in the last decade). There are still many cases of stolen innocence need to blow. To do education and work as Milcamins Solidari NGOs, with Merce Solomon fully committed to helping these people are essential to prolong the innocence of those childhoods that need not be disrupted artificially. Solidarity is all in countries such as Gambia and throughout the third world that ridicules the great powers for inaction obvious. The situation in Africa, with its conflicts and malnutriciones, like it or not, it's just a story of bad taste that broadcasters put us lunch. And it should not, because each and every one of us has a great debt to those who shout despite fail to have their voice heard.
Actually being there, it was easy to see that those murals that drew joy, are the claim to realize these things, spreading evil of Africa in all its magnitude, that it never leaves the mind traveling to the mainland black and that much needs to be done yet. The work of Wide Open Walls and ROA these giant animals or geometric colors Remed is to show ordinary places not listed in guidebooks and live, on the one hand, the innocence of its inhabitants and, on the other, everything they need to enhance their development.
That is the rural Gambia, The Gambia really. Something that has nothing to do with the beach hotels far away from that progress towards it is necessary to push a bit more together. Thanks to this last trip arreón I realized that what he had come for was not a particular place, was the soul of a painted on the houses and those legendary smiles country.
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