#Headlines

Gambian in the U.S. makes historic book selling, collecting

Jan 28, 2022, 12:01 PM | Article By: Alhagie Mbye, The Point’s Europe Correspondent

Dawda Bah, a Gambian who left his hometown of Bakau for the U.K. in 1999, and later moved to the United States in 2002 is currently being featured in the U.S. media as one of the most dynamic and self-motivated online book sellers and collectors.  

Bah, who did not only sell books on-line via Amazon and Ebay, also collects and ships them back home. He has been highlighted by news sites including The Columbian and KGW8, an NBC affiliated television station.  

The “Bookseller of Bakau”, responding to The Point revealed that after finishing high school, he traveled to the city of Birmingham, U.K., and attended a local college where he earned a Foundation in Law certificate.  

  He explained that his “goal was to get a law degree but that didn’t happen. I moved to the United States in 2002 to further my education. I ended up getting a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree in International Business Management.”  

Bah also noted: “My motivation, like most Gambians was to get an education and move back home. Even from a very young age, I loved books and loved reading. I would read anything I could get my hands on, from newspapers to magazines to books etc.”  

He added: “It wasn’t easy to get access to affordable books even at that time…the situation still remains the same in Gambia. The one major bookstore in the country sells books at prices that are not affordable for most Gambians. This is my motivation for launching Noor Books Gambia”.  

Bah stressed that he is planning to open a bookstore that will sell “very affordable used books for the masses. I have collected over 2000 books and I’m collecting more to ship…We want to be a place for book lovers, old and young”.  

In addition to loving books, Bah revealed to this correspondent that his passion includes writing and that he has published a book. Already “The Secret Powers of Meditation” is available on Amazon.com. He is currently working on writing a second book and has expanded by selling magazine, DVDs and sports cards.  

Bah, who encourages others to “integrate meditation into their daily lives”, also earned his teacher certification in yoga, signifying that he is qualified to teach yoga.  

Acknowledging to have a “successful online used books business here in the United States, selling used books on Amazon and Ebay” Bah disclosed that the The Columbian, a local newspaper has a section where they feature local businesses and entrepreneurs, “so I was fortunate enough to be one of them”.   

Bah, noted that he would “encourage any Gambian who wants to start an online business to just go for it. There is a ton of free information online on how to sell on Amazon and Ebay, and YouTube is an invaluable tool on how to do it. The key is to get started and to believe in yourself. It also helps to sell something that you are passionate about”.  

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