GTS response below Marike's email

Hello,
I 'm Marike from Holland and I realy like your organisation GTS.
I visited the Gambia for two times now and i like the country and the people there.
I also did have a nice dinner one time in your restaurant!
I apreciate your care for the local people.

But... there's one thing that concerns me.
I know there are a lot of unemployed people in the gambia. And do i understand that you supporting your local people to help them to have a better life. And what concerns me is that I experienced some employers, including your organisation have been discharging some of their employees especialy those who should have a relationship with western women.

I understand that it's not easy and maybe you have your own priority's.
But you have to understand that if you discharge those " rich" employees then there will increase another serious problem in The Gambia:
You will support the idea that love is about money.
People will get more lazy because, why should they go on working if their lady is paying them? Lot of man (in this case) will be looking for a western woman who can take care of them. I know that's already happening, but if you and other employers go on like this, it will increase more and more.

It's not a methode to solve this the problem.
I think it's not fair to treat your people like this.
If those peole like to have a foreign girl, that's of their own business.
And believe me, not every people are the same. There are also guys who are lucky to meet their real love and like to take care of themselves and their woman.
Whatever you think about this writing, it's not that I want to bother you, it's from a good heart.

And I would like to receive a reply with your opinion about this.

Please take care of your people and show them the good things in life
Greetings from Marike.

If this is the same young man he then turned up for a meal at the restaurant almost two weeks latter with a friend and a lady friend. He said he had not been in work because his friend from Holland had come to Gambia and he was with her.

It is true I told him that not contacting us was not responsible and we had managed without him and replaced his position with a new member of staff.

This had nothing to do with the nationality of his girlfriend it had to do with his lack of respect for his job - which he lost because he didn't care too much about it.

We would never dismiss a member of staff because they had found a foreign friend and if this is what he is saying then he is covering up his own errors by suggesting someone else is being unfair to him so he will get your sympathy - not an unusual story in Gambia.

If he was rich - AND this was not the hard luck story he was telling the English couple (or us) who were sponsoring him, then maybe he didn't even tell you about them.

GTS is often in a difficult position Marike, we see these young men with a string of ladies week after week after week. Then we get the emails from the ladies who feel conned and ripped off when they discover what is going on. As a support organisation to tourists we do owe some responsibility to the tourists who are being taken advantage of, BUT as an organisation trying to employ Gambians we owe loyalty to the Gambians who are trying to stop being bumsters and working for their living.

As a result we have a few rules -
If tourists ask a direct question to us we will not lie to them in the answer
If Gambians are serious about their jobs we will be serious in dealing with them.

I hope this helps you deal with the reasons behind sending me your email.
I am not currently in Gambia, but I will be back in November and I am more than happy to see and discuss this with him and you the next time you are in Gambia.
My very best wishes to you,
I am sorry you are not being told the whole truth.
Francis

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