Anonymous wrote:Hell yes, OP. I'm never going to The Gambia...I'm never going to Western Africa at all (and I have friends there who have a pool!), so the only way for my kids to see it any time in the near future is to have an opportunity like the one presented to your daughter. My vote is an emphatic yes, which probably should be worth two votes when you think about it.

What a strange post... a pool? 🤔

Did I miss it or did OP ever say if her daughter was white, black, Asian,etc? Did she ever say if both parents were black and both from Gambia? Are the parents Muslim, which I would assume if they are from Gambia? Is OP’s daughter familiar with Islam so she won’t embarrass the family if she goes?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think people are just freaked out because AFRICA! Africa is scary! when the travel advisory from DOS is level 1 (exercise normal precautions) for The Gambia at this time. It’s level 3 (reconsider travel) in Australia, Greece, France, etc.

If it’s Covid safe at the time of travel, then I really see no reason not to go.

But the issue is that you don't really know if it's COVID safe. The Gambia is at level 1 because there's no evidence of substantial COVID concerns. It could be that the country has very low COVID rates or it could be because they're not testing much. So many countries are at level 1 that I would suspect have COVID problems, and that's because they don't have the materials or capacity to do proper testing.

DP. That is the first time this issue has been brought up, so I don't think it's an effective rebuttal to the post you're replying to. The actual issues that have been brought up on this thread are, in no particular order: landmines, war, sex tourism, sex trafficking, being the only person in the country who is white, rape, and availability of healthcare.

"I don't know whether we have enough insight into their Covid tracking procedures to determine the level of spread" is a legitimate concern, but PPP is correct that most of the posts on this thread can be boiled down to OMG AFRICA!!!

Ok, sure. I'm not those posters, saying OMG Africa, because I've actually been to a number of countries there. I do know enough, and know enough people who work at State to know that just because a country is at Level 1, it doesn't mean it's actually in a good place. It just means, they have no information to the contrary.

OP, I'm retired Foreign Service. I've served in several posts in Africa. The Gambia is one of the more stable countries in West Africa, but it has experienced political turmoil in recent years.

There's a streak of racism in several of the comments so far on this thread that I find dismaying.

That said, I would not have allowed my children to travel to any country unless I knew the family extremely well. as in they were family friends I'd known for years.

In a foreign country and culture, there are all kinds of issues political, cultural and, in this case, tribal, that you and your daughter don't understand. You also do not know what kind of standing this family has in Gambia. For all you know, they could be tied to a family well known for corruption who have lots of people in the country who hate them. Or, they could be tied a politically controversial figure; maybe one of the parents is the cousin of a leading opposition figure. My point is that you don't really know who these people are in their home context, which means you don't really know what kinds of risks and dangers your daughter may face. You also don't know how well they would supervise and protect your daughter.

If she really wants to visit the Gambia with her friend, I would make it a family vacation, and I'd check the State Department travel advisory and other information about the situation in-country at the time.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/the-gambia-travel-advisory.html

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think people are just freaked out because AFRICA! Africa is scary! when the travel advisory from DOS is level 1 (exercise normal precautions) for The Gambia at this time. It’s level 3 (reconsider travel) in Australia, Greece, France, etc.

If it’s Covid safe at the time of travel, then I really see no reason not to go.

But the issue is that you don't really know if it's COVID safe. The Gambia is at level 1 because there's no evidence of substantial COVID concerns. It could be that the country has very low COVID rates or it could be because they're not testing much. So many countries are at level 1 that I would suspect have COVID problems, and that's because they don't have the materials or capacity to do proper testing.

DP. That is the first time this issue has been brought up, so I don't think it's an effective rebuttal to the post you're replying to. The actual issues that have been brought up on this thread are, in no particular order: landmines, war, sex tourism, sex trafficking, being the only person in the country who is white, rape, and availability of healthcare.

"I don't know whether we have enough insight into their Covid tracking procedures to determine the level of spread" is a legitimate concern, but PPP is correct that most of the posts on this thread can be boiled down to OMG AFRICA!!!

Anonymous wrote:I think people are just freaked out because AFRICA! Africa is scary! when the travel advisory from DOS is level 1 (exercise normal precautions) for The Gambia at this time. It’s level 3 (reconsider travel) in Australia, Greece, France, etc.

If it’s Covid safe at the time of travel, then I really see no reason not to go.

But the issue is that you don't really know if it's COVID safe. The Gambia is at level 1 because there's no evidence of substantial COVID concerns. It could be that the country has very low COVID rates or it could be because they're not testing much. So many countries are at level 1 that I would suspect have COVID problems, and that's because they don't have the materials or capacity to do proper testing.

What an amazing opportunity for her, OP!
I understand your concerns, but if it were my kid I'd be nervous, but suck it up and let her go.

Anonymous wrote:Do you people know any poor immigrants?
I guess poor is a relative term but we have many immigrants from Africa, Asia and India who travel home every year or so. They are certainly not wealthy. Family is simply important to them

And they're letting their kids bring friends with them for two weeks? Everyone knows poor and middle class immigrants who save up to go home regularly. They're not bringing classmates with them, which is what sets OP's daughter's experience apart.

Do you people know any poor immigrants?
I guess poor is a relative term but we have many immigrants from Africa, Asia and India who travel home every year or so. They are certainly not wealthy. Family is simply important to them

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t believe how parochial the answers are here. The friend’s parents are almost certainly cosmopolitan types - World Bank, foreign service, etc. They likely have very protected lives in The Gambia, tons of relatives, connections, etc. They are not going to let their teenage girls become sex trafficking victims, lol. This is an amazing opportunity for OP to experience an African country as the guest of a likely well-connected family. An irreplaceable opportunity.

Or just poor immigrants from the gambia themselves going back to visit the village

It is very expensive to fly to Africa. Poor immigrants do not do this. Even when the distance is shorter (like from Europe or the Middle East). African immigrants who are flying the whole family and taking a guest are going to be affluent people. They will either have a luxury apartment in a tony neighborhood or a very well appointed villa in a wealthy suburb. They will not be headed to a poor, rural village. West Africa did not have latifundia like Latin America and Asia so rich people don’t have massive rural estates and peasants to lord over.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t believe how parochial the answers are here. The friend’s parents are almost certainly cosmopolitan types - World Bank, foreign service, etc. They likely have very protected lives in The Gambia, tons of relatives, connections, etc. They are not going to let their teenage girls become sex trafficking victims, lol. This is an amazing opportunity for OP to experience an African country as the guest of a likely well-connected family. An irreplaceable opportunity.

there are a lot of poor African immigrants in this area. I'd be willing to bet that there are more poor or lower class Gambians in the DC metro area than there are World bank or embassy workers

The poor immigrants don’t go back on vacation to the village and they wouldn’t invite any American to tag along.
Pretty sure these immigrants are of the wealthier type.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t believe how parochial the answers are here. The friend’s parents are almost certainly cosmopolitan types - World Bank, foreign service, etc. They likely have very protected lives in The Gambia, tons of relatives, connections, etc. They are not going to let their teenage girls become sex trafficking victims, lol. This is an amazing opportunity for OP to experience an African country as the guest of a likely well-connected family. An irreplaceable opportunity.

Or just poor immigrants from the gambia themselves going back to visit the village

yes because poor immigrants have thousands of dollars every year take their whole family + friends home … but even if they were, it’s still a family trip, embedded in relatives and local culture. I honestly would feel better about my kid going to the Gambia with a Gambian family, then I would about “beach week” or Spring Break in the carribean.

+1
I would send my children on this trip in a heartbeat. My dh is from another country and as soon as my kids are old enough we’ll extend the invite to the friends, too. On the other hand there is no chance my children will ever attend beach week. This is from a mom who grew up here & both travelled with friends and their families and attended beach week.

Anonymous wrote:Your dd will embarrass you and herself and her friend. Customs for people visiting in Africa are much different than here. That family will likely go out of their way to host your DD. Your DD will be at loss for proper etiquette and hence perceived as rude.

Africa is not a single country. There are thousands of cultures —all with differing customs for visitors and hosts. The friend and her family will present general guidance and OP’s daughter has time to learn some basics. Otherwise, it is just a matter of following leads. And, people all of the world are very forgiving with visitors. I’ve traveled to some very off the beaten path places (and I don’t mean I left the resort in Bali) and people have overwhelmingly been delighted to have me in their homes even when I was clueless. They just showed me what to do. As an AA woman, I felt more welcome in strangers’ homes in most places abroad than I have visiting relatives of friends in parts of this area in the US.

Don’t show open disgust at any food you do not like. And don’t try to impose your customs on people.

Anonymous wrote:Your dd will embarrass you and herself and her friend. Customs for people visiting in Africa are much different than here. That family will likely go out of their way to host your DD. Your DD will be at loss for proper etiquette and hence perceived as rude.

Lol. Yeah, their customs are different, so the only solution to avoid embarrassment is not to go.

Your dd will embarrass you and herself and her friend. Customs for people visiting in Africa are much different than here. That family will likely go out of their way to host your DD. Your DD will be at loss for proper etiquette and hence perceived as rude.