In the first of a series of guest-blogs by POLIS Summer School students Hannah Citron reflects on a session where we attempted to create a media for development strategy for the impoverished West African state of Gambia, which is currently led by President Yahja Jammeh, a man who claims to be able to ‘cure’ AIDS

Citron, Hannah

LSE Research Online

img_0020.jpg2007-8-8Bananas about AIDSblogs.lse.ac.uk /polis/2007/08/08/a-cake-sale-to-cure-aids/In the first of a series of guest-blogs by POLIS Summer School students Hannah Citron reflects on asession where we attempted to create a media for development strategy for theimpoverished West African state of Gambia, which is currently led by President YahjaJammeh, a man who claims to be able to ‘cure’ AIDS.In a country infested with the AIDS/HIV pandemic, the Gambian president assures his people that the ailments canbe cured with an all-natural remedy, using the small African country’s natural resources rather than invasive, costlytreatments the poor inhabitants cannot afford. This natural remedy consists of nothing more than a banana-basedpaste, which the Gambian President claims will rid the affected individual of AIDS/HIV within two to three days. Withso many suffering, banana paste as the proposed cure for one of the most malignant and fatal diseases of ourgeneration?Let’s be serious. Outside media sources need to infiltrate Gambian borders to educate the masses about AIDS/HIV,proper treatment, and of course, prevention. To do this, the state of journalism has to change in Gambia. The lowquality of journalism has to improve. We need to give journalists inside and outside Gambia the desire to report onthis pertinent issue. Perhaps creating a Journalism Centre for both Gambian and Foreign Journalists would behelpful. The centre could serve as a media watch to see if the media is reporting issues fairly and objectively, or ifjournalists are being bribed by the government to make ludicrous statements claiming that the banana paste cancure HIV/AIDS. Radio shows or TV shows should be created to serve the ‘infotainment’ purpose, creating a teen-aged range program alerting the Gambian youth of contraceptives and the practice of safe sex, which would greatlylower their risk of contracting AIDS or HIV.All in all, the journalism in Gambia needs to be much less restricted by the government and people should have thechoice to make informed decisions. That being said, perhaps the establishment of a Journalism school in Gambiawould also be lucrative for all the Gambian inhabitants.by Hannah CitronThe POLIS report on Media for Development is hereCopyright © 2014 London School of Economics and Political Science1/1

Bananas about AIDS

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