PSY (Where I am From)

Mariama Faye

PSY 240-503W

Short Paper 1

This image below describes my experience and how I know West Africa and Africa as a whole.

I was born in The Gambia, West Africa. The Gambia is one of the smallest countries in mainland Africa. From the North, East and South of the country, it is surrounded by Senegal. On the Westside is the Atlantic Ocean. I was born in the Capital City of The Gambia, Banjul. My parents left the city when I was 4years-old and moved to a town called Tallinding. It is a fun, busy and wild town, full of life and activities. I and my friends were rarely indoors even if it rained. We loved playing on the sand and riding bicycles in the streets. At 8years-old, we moved to Sanchaba Sulay Jobe, a small developing village 15-minutes’ walk from the beach. I spent most of my time at the beach alone watching the sunset, taking walks or joining friends and family for bbq or beach days.

           My memories of The Gambia are joyful and phenomenal. We have tight communities and family ties. We work, eat and pray together. We share food and crops during the harvest season with our neighbours. Most families live in houses that allow them to have gardens to grow what they eat. In The Gambia and most African countries, there are only local markets to buy produce. We have local fishermen that bring us fresh fish from the ocean. When I think of Africa, I think nature, authenticity, simplicity, love, connection, community, joy, laughter, outdoors, wilderness and richness of life.

But then, I came to America and saw this…I never knew this is how the majority of the Western World viewed Africa.

I have met people who believe Africa is full of war and lack. I have come to learn that poverty is a mentality and with the little I know, I have seen and learned during my time in America, I can now say poverty is a mentality that has been given and sold to Africans to the extent that Africans believe they are not enough or what the nation has to offer is not enough. I have met so many people who found it unbelievable that Africans are happy, have clothes and shoes and do not sleep with animals in the wilderness.

           The idea of Africa that has been sold to the world is insane. What is mindblowing is what is considered rich and what is considered poor. As an African, I live in America with conversations piercing my heart like a knife when hearing people give examples of poverty, lack of education, wars, illiterates, and the bottom of what it means to live a life of suffering using Africa as an example. What many don’t know is that suffering is more mental than it is physical.

           I aim to change this misconception of Africa by starting with Africans themselves. Getting to see the perception of Africa, and African’s perception of themselves is another reason that got me in Psychology. I pray to God every day to open the way for me to show the world what Africa has to offer, the beauty of Africa and what it means to live in connection with mother nature, with life. The narrative surrounding Africa breaks my heart, but the change must start from ourselves as Africans.

           Africans as a collective will have to first see themselves as worthy, capable, fearless, beautiful, enough, especially Enough.