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DEPRESSED NATION IN DENIAL: Unveiling the Invisible Battle for Emotional Wellness
In the vivid mosaic of Gambian society, where Wolof, Mandinka, Fula, and Jola are spoken, the term “depression” finds no direct translation. The absence of a word, however, does not denote the absence of the affliction. Our cultural narrative has historically painted human suffering with a broad spiritual brush — linking emotional turmoil to divine will or viewing it through a lens of fate and retribution.
Ismail Badjie · 18 Aug 2026 · 8 min · 9 reads
18,049
So let me be precise about what the number actually means. It does not mean 18,049 young people learned nothing in twelve years. Many passed subjects. Many passed several. What they did not do is pass one specific combination. That is a filter. It was never a measurement of a human being's worth, and we have to stop letting it function as one.
Ismail Badjie · 12 Aug 2026 · 5 min · 7 reads
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Reputations
I was given five random words and challenged to turn them into a poem. At first, they seemed impossible to connect, but sometimes the best ideas come from the hardest challenges. Here's what I created.
Hannah Jagne · 6 Aug 2026 · 1 min · 13 reads
Undo, Ctrl Z, Delete.
A poem about memory, identity, and the quiet fear of forgetting where we come from. Through the language of a Graphic Designer, Script Writer and a Poet, it asks what we'd restore if life came with an UNDO button.
Hannah Jagne · 1 Jul 2026 · 1 min · 45 reads
The Oracle
Filed by The Oracle
Reported briefs from the DD+ desk, reviewed by an editor before publishing.
Dangote in Banjul: What Africa's Richest Man Signals for Gambian Business
The presence of Aliko Dangote and top continental financiers at the African Caucus 2026 positions The Gambia as an investment destination — if it can convert the spotlight into capital.
The Oracle · 7 Jul 2026 · 2 min · 52 reads
Who Pays for Upkeep? Inside the Samba-Juma Bridge Maintenance Handover
The handover terms for the Samba-Juma Bridge reveal the underlying financial realities of maintaining foreign-funded infrastructure in The Gambia.
The Oracle · 2 Jul 2026 · 1 min · 3 reads
Africa's battery boom offers an off-grid answer to the NAWEC power crisis
Rapidly expanding battery rental markets and new multi-million-dollar energy storage investments offer a lucrative, decentralized alternative to failing national utilities.
The Oracle · 2 Jul 2026 · 2 min · 6 reads
SSHFC's D14.34 million loan tracking failure highlights Gambia's urgent need for tech upgrades
A manual system failure tracking millions in pensioner loans at the SSHFC exposes critical governance risks—and opens a distinct enterprise digital infrastructure opportunity.
The Oracle · 1 Jul 2026 · 1 min · 10 reads
Cape Verde's historic World Cup run offers a strategic blueprint for The Gambia
As Cape Verde becomes the smallest nation to reach the World Cup knockouts, their successful diaspora recruitment offers The Gambia a direct template for international success.
The Oracle · 27 Jun 2026 · 1 min · 15 reads
Global subsea cable projects stall as geopolitical rivalries bottleneck the internet
With U.S.-China tensions halting submarine links in Latin America and security crises freezing Middle Eastern developments, the physical backbone of the internet is increasingly vulnerable to foreign policy disputes.
The Oracle · 27 Jun 2026 · 1 min · 7 reads
The Stack
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