My name is Cecilia Ann Campbell Nee Jaawo; I come from a village called Fullabantang in the Central River Division of the Gambia, West Africa. I am going to tell you a story about my family the Jaawos. Moundeh Jaawo was my grandfather his wife was called Sera Berreh Mballoh; Moundeh holds the great events that make the Jaawos memorable in my clan. He made his own settlement near the boarders of Senegal and The Gambia, he called it ‘Sare Moundeh’ which means Moundeh’s settlement, he planted a lot of mango trees which are still harvested to date by my family.
It happened that boundary stones where been put in place by the French who colonised Senegal and the British who colonised the Gambia so as to have a proper road map in place. However, during the demarcation process my grandfather’s land was taken. Grandfather was very upset, he called his clans men and they discussed what they were gong to do about the problems at hand. Moundeh had already worked out all what he was going to do in order to get back what belonged to him.
The boundary stones are very large it was buried half way into the ground and cemented so that only a quarter of it is was showing above ground level. After the stone was placed, Moundeh called his people one night and asked them to help him dig the stone out and move it out of his land and beyond. He warned them that if they were found out then he would take responsibility alone and say he did it all on his own. My Grandfather had great knowledge and other powers which earned him respect among his people and they trusted whatever he said to them.
When the boundary stone was found out of place, Moundeh was asked because he was the closest and admitted to doing it; the authorities insisted he had to name all the people who helped him because it was not possible to do the job on his own. Moundeh refused and his people also did what he told them so they did not get involved.
Moundeh Jaawo was arrested and questioned and then upon his release a court date was set to judge his actions. When the day approached Moundeh asked his mother to make sac clothes for him this was to include shoes, trousers, shirt and a hat, he also wanted her to roast some groundnuts (peanuts) for him all in preparation of his court hearing. The day arrived and people from all over the clan came to witness the day’s events. Moundeh arrived late, he found all seated, wondering if he will even turn up, upon entering the court room he took a hand full of the nuts from the ones his mum had roasted for him and started de-husking them in his hands and blowing the husks on the people as he went to take his seat in the front. Everyone was surprised at his actions because traditionally groundnut husks on people is believed to be a curse and for him to do that was completely out of order.
Now the judgement began, and Moundeh was asked about what had happened but he decided to say nothing, all he did was he nodded his head and behaved abnormally and convinced everyone that he was mentally disturbed. At the end the judgement was called off and he was set free on the grounds that he was not unstable. Afterwards, the French came to return the stone were it was but the first ones that came were attacked by bees out of nowhere and most of them died and the lucky ones escaped safely. This event terrified the French and English and at the end they decided to leave the stone where it was, making Moundeh a winner. When everything had died down Moundeh would say to his people ‘I have done what I will never repeat but I have done what no mate of mine can top’
THE JAAWO CLAN OF FULLADU WEST IN THE GAMBIA
My name is Cecilia Ann Campbell Nee Jaawo; I come from a village called Fullabantang in the Central River Division of the Gambia, West Africa. I am going to tell you a story about my family the Jaawos. Moundeh Jaawo was my grandfather his wife was called Sera Berreh Mballoh; Moundeh holds the great events that make the Jaawos memorable in my clan. He made his own settlement near the boarders of Senegal and The Gambia, he called it ‘Sare Moundeh’ which means Moundeh’s settlement, he planted a lot of mango trees which are still harvested to date by my family.
It happened that boundary stones where been put in place by the French who colonised Senegal and the British who colonised the Gambia so as to have a proper road map in place. However, during the demarcation process my grandfather’s land was taken. Grandfather was very upset, he called his clans men and they discussed what they were gong to do about the problems at hand. Moundeh had already worked out all what he was going to do in order to get back what belonged to him.
The boundary stones are very large it was buried half way into the ground and cemented so that only a quarter of it is was showing above ground level. After the stone was placed, Moundeh called his people one night and asked them to help him dig the stone out and move it out of his land and beyond. He warned them that if they were found out then he would take responsibility alone and say he did it all on his own. My Grandfather had great knowledge and other powers which earned him respect among his people and they trusted whatever he said to them.
When the boundary stone was found out of place, Moundeh was asked because he was the closest and admitted to doing it; the authorities insisted he had to name all the people who helped him because it was not possible to do the job on his own. Moundeh refused and his people also did what he told them so they did not get involved.
Moundeh Jaawo was arrested and questioned and then upon his release a court date was set to judge his actions. When the day approached Moundeh asked his mother to make sac clothes for him this was to include shoes, trousers, shirt and a hat, he also wanted her to roast some groundnuts (peanuts) for him all in preparation of his court hearing. The day arrived and people from all over the clan came to witness the day’s events. Moundeh arrived late, he found all seated, wondering if he will even turn up, upon entering the court room he took a hand full of the nuts from the ones his mum had roasted for him and started de-husking them in his hands and blowing the husks on the people as he went to take his seat in the front. Everyone was surprised at his actions because traditionally groundnut husks on people is believed to be a curse and for him to do that was completely out of order.
Now the judgement began, and Moundeh was asked about what had happened but he decided to say nothing, all he did was he nodded his head and behaved abnormally and convinced everyone that he was mentally disturbed. At the end the judgement was called off and he was set free on the grounds that he was not unstable. Afterwards, the French came to return the stone were it was but the first ones that came were attacked by bees out of nowhere and most of them died and the lucky ones escaped safely. This event terrified the French and English and at the end they decided to leave the stone where it was, making Moundeh a winner. When everything had died down Moundeh would say to his people ‘I have done what I will never repeat but I have done what no mate of mine can top’
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