There are moments that reveal the true character of a nation. Sunday along the country’s beach is another fanfare moments for thousands of beachgoers.
The Red Dolphin Lifeguard Volunteers — young Gambians who have stood watch over our coastline since 2005 — received goggles, flippers, wetsuits, 9 long boards, 8 buggy boards, rescue boats, life jackets, surfboards and footwear from the Government of the Canary Islands, through Sonja Arup and STARUP Gambia.
It was a moment of joy. It was also a moment of reflection. For twenty years, these volunteers have done what many of us take for granted: they have kept our beaches safe.
Every day at 10 o'clock, they are there. Every weekend, when thousands of Gambians and visitors crowd the beach to swim, play football, share lunch and enjoy life, they are there.
As Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Abdoulie Jobe rightly noted, they do it voluntarily — out of love for country and care for people. Whether they receive support or not, they show up along the length and stretch of the beach.
That is not just volunteerism. That is patriotism in its purest form. But patriotism should not be an excuse for neglect. A nation that depends for two decades on unpaid youth to save lives at its beaches must ask itself a serious question: Have we done enough for those who do so much for us?
We thank the Canary Islands. We thank Sonja Arup. Their generosity has given the Red Dolphins tools to respond faster and save more lives. But a donation, however generous, is not a system. Equipment wears out. Boards break. Wetsuits tear. What happens then?
The MOU between the Red Dolphins and the Gambia Tourism Board was an important first step. It recognised their work. Now, recognition must become investment.
Gambia Tourism Board Director General, Mrs. Ida Jeng Njie, said beach safety is everybody's business. She is absolutely right. It is not only the business of the Red Dolphins. It is the business of government, of hotels, of beach operators, of local councils, and of every one of us who enjoys the beach.
If tourism is to remain a pillar of our economy, safety must be its foundation. No tourist will return to a beach where a child drowned for lack of a lifeguard. No family will enjoy a weekend where they fear for their children's lives.
Sonja Arup made the most important point of the day: We save lives through training. For two years, STARUP has trained the Fire Service, the Navy, SIS, the Police and Immigration in lifesaving. That is how you build a culture of safety — not by one handover, but by continuous training.
We need that culture in every coastal community. We need swimming lessons for children. We need clear warning signs. We need public education that, as Sonja said, if you don't know how to swim, stay in a safe place.
The Canary Islands face the same strong currents we face. They have learned that awareness saves lives. We must learn it too.
To the Government: Put the Red Dolphins in the budget. Give them stipends, insurance, uniforms, fuel and maintenance. Formalise them. A lifeguard who risks his life to save another should not go home hungry. To the private sector: The beaches make your business possible. Invest in the people who make your beaches safe.
To communities: Protect this equipment. It belongs to all of us. To beachgoers: Respect the sea. Respect the flags. When a lifeguard tells you to stay back, listen. Your life may depend on it.
The Red Dolphins have kept their promise to The Gambia for 20 years without pay. Now, let The Gambia keep its promise to them — not just with words of thanks, but with action, with funding, and with lasting respect. Our beaches are our pride. Those who protect them deserve our pride too.