Silafando - 930km African Odyssey by Foot
The Gambia is the smallest country on the continent of Africa, and no matter the size of their villages each one has a chief, known locally as an Alkalo. An Alkalo can be male or female and can be either a descendant of the founder of the village or elected by the villagers. The Alkalo’s rolls include negotiating disputes within the village, giving land and hosting travelers that pass through his domain. One wonders how long the Alkalo system in The Gambia can survive, as the country is rapidly modernizing, and the position is largely unpaid.
Inspired by 19th-century Scottish explorer, Mungo Park, I co-led with my wife, the first recorded circumnavigation of The Gambia by foot – a 930 km journey over six weeks. Traveling with three Gambian companions -Samba - 'cultural liaison officer', Janneh - 'chief negotiator' and Bah - 'donkey whisperer' and two donkeys, Neil and Paddy, we spent each night in a different village. In each village, I would make a portrait of the Alkalo and his close entourage against a seventy-year-old 'blackout' cloth that was used my grandmother in London During World War Two. I asked each Alkalo to put their official stamp in my diary, to prove we had passed through their village. Traditionally a traveler who stays with an Alkalo would present him/her with five bitter seeds called kola nuts in thanks for hosting and protecting them for the night. This gift giving is called ‘silafando’ in the local Mandinka language - ‘a gift to you (on behalf of my journey)’.
As well as giving the Alkalo the traditional kola nuts, I would also give him/her a print of the portrait I made of them, using a battery powered printer. For many, this would be the first photograph they had of themselves. The portraits, therefore, are not just a document of the Alkalos and village elders but are my modern interpretation of the ancient practice of the traveler giving a 'silafando'.
Published in GUP