Women and Koriteh
Friday 12th October 2007

Thank God the Almighty that we have witnessed this year’s Ramadan and have ended it peacefully. The question now is: what’s next? Eid al Fitr (KORITEH). This is a moment of joy for every Muslim but with expenses and some difficulties. Although things are very easy for some, but again difficult for others, and when it comes to the time of feasts children of poor families always end up facing their mothers when their fathers don’t provide anything for them. For example a man with more than one or two wives who all have at least three to four children, and whose salary is not that much attractive, how can one expect all these children to have what they are supposed to have?  At the end of the day, mothers have to struggle and get things for the children.

To see evidence of this, go to Serrekunda market where you find hundreds of mothers selling different things while some of their children sitting and waiting for their mothers to get some money so that at the end of the day they can go and buy things for themselves. Believe me, some of these women sometimes go to the extent of buying clothes for their husbands even. As the Koriteh may be tomorrow or day after, many women like house or office maid, firewood or charcoal sellers, street cleaners, housewives and many talented women are very much busy in order to make their family proud. But with all these struggles yet some women’s efforts are not realized by their partners but still they maintain their hard work and diligence.

Imagine an event where a woman finds herself to be a single parent with three or more children, and at the same time jobless… how will she manage to cope with the situation? If I am right we have a lot of these kinds of women in our society but they always make sure they involve in some petty trading as those at the market and at the street corners. Some appreciative men have said women are wonderful because at this moment in time, women are even re doubling their efforts and preparing for this coming feast, because they are selling all types of things, doing all necessary jobs, going up and down and even making more sales to benefit their male counterparts. They have been in struggles for quite a long time, because during the beginning of the Ramadan things were very expensive. I had an interview with some of them at the market and they stated a lot of hardship concerning the price of the commodities, but with all these, women have tried to cope and making sure everything goes right. And now that the Ramadan has gone and the Koriteh is here, again they are facing the same challenges, but with their hard work and commitment things always go fine with them, although they some times suffer in the struggle. 

‘SHE SHE SHE’ wants to say ‘Bravo’ to all committed mothers/women who always contribute to their families’ well-being in one way or the other. Keep up the good momentum. Happy Koriteh and May we witness many more to come!