The Gambia after Live Aid

The Gambia is one of Africa's smallest countries and has experienced long spells of stability since independence. Nevertheless its President, Yahya Jammeh, who seized power in 1994 rules with an iron fist, and stability has not meant prosperity.  Only one-sixth of the land is arable and poor soil quality has led to dependence on peanuts, making the country incredibly vulnerable to fluctuations in the production and world prices of the crop.

Life expectancy in The Gambia is only 56 years and there is a high infant mortality rate at 112 per 1,000 live births. Major public health issues are caused by infectious diseases, notably diarrhoea and malaria.The country also suffers from flooding and in 2010, many homes were destroyed, thousands left homeless  and crops ruined.

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Time Line

• 1965 The Gambia becomes independent with Dawda Jawara as prime minister.
  

• 1981 SOS Children begins its work in The Gambia with a Children’s Village in Bakoteh.

• 1982 SOS Children open a Nursery in Bakoteh.

• 1990 SOS Children open the SOS Technical Senior School in Bakoteh , giving local children, as well as those living in the Children’s Village, the chance to achieve higher education.
  

• 1994 Jawara ousted in coup led by Lieutenant Yahya Jammeh.
  

• 1996 New multiparty constitution, but three major political parties remain prevented from taking part in elections; Jammeh elected president.
  

• 1997 SOS founds the SOS Mother and Child Clinic (later the SOS Medical Centre) in Bakoteh in response to the lack of medical facilities in the area.

• 2000 SOS Children establishes the SOS Lower and Upper School at Bakoteh.
  

• 2001 President Jammeh lifts the ban on the political parties he overthrew in his military coup of 1994.
  

• 2001 (October) Jammeh wins a second term. Foreign observers give the poll a thumbs up despite the rising tensions ahead of the vote.
  

• 2002 Ruling  party sweeps parliamentary elections which are boycotted by the opposition amid widespread voter apathy and disillusionment.
  

• 2004 President Jammeh announces the discovery of large reserves of oil.

• 2006 Jammeh wins a third term.
  

• 2007 Ruling party wins parliamentary elections, retaining a tight grip on parliament. SOS Children opens Basse Village and founds the SOS Lower and Upper School in the far eastern part of the country. The area has a huge unemployment problem meaning that the majority of people survive on subsistence farming. Coupled with the high malaria infection rate, this means that Basse is an incredibly hard place in which to grow up.

• 2010 Maternal death rate stands at 360 deaths per 10,000 live births, 28th worst in the world. 89% of the population have an improved drinking water source.
  

• 2011 President Jammeh wins another term in widely criticised elections. The growth of the economy suffers due to an agricultural harvest failure.
  

• 2012 Ruling party wins parliamentary polls boycotted by the opposition.

• 2013 Infant mortality rate is 67.63 deaths per 1,000 live births, 20th worst in the world.