The imposing virgin land from the luxurious Brufut Heights residence is gradually shaping up to become a multi- purpose sports center.
The vast land is almost totally fenced off by the youths of Brufut and the VDC who successfully mobilised the town’s population around the need for the much deprived community to have a recreation center before losing the land to grabbers.
” There has never been such a collective and united desire and commitment among the people of Brufut as it is seen in this project. Each weekend Brufut people at home and abroad join hands to support work at the Strasser field by providing labour or financial contribution to buy materials while communities provide food to the volunteers,” said Abass Manneh, head of one of the groups organising work at the site. Manneh said for far too long Brufut have had all its land taken away by projects that had not benefited its natives; the Brufut Gardens, the Burusbi housing estate, the Brufut heights, the Sheraton hotel, wildlife parks are all located in Brufut people’s lands while the town has no space for a market, sports field or taxi park.” This land here is the only hope left for the town to use for its own benefit and that is why you can see everyone is here working because all of us know that the project is for the common good,” Abass Manneh said.
Each week, the VDC Chairman Pa Lamin Fatty would be on hand coordinating the work and logistics. He said the pain of the deprivation faced by the town, with all its land taken away, has rallied everyone toward this project and there is no turning back. “This is one project we will not compromise. This town has been deprived too much of its land resources and unless its citizens take their responsibility by the horn, it would be too late. This is a united Brufut at work. This is progress and no one can stop us,” the VDC chairman said. He thanked the entire Brufut community at home and abroad and all those who helped for their patriotism and dedication to their homeland.
The multi- purpose center is expected to be an imposing complex housing a football, basketball, volleyball, wrestling, lawn tennis and handball playing grounds, pavilions, meeting halls, shops and other amenities. Already the plan has been drawn and unveiled attracting excitement and commitment among the community who are now at the tail end of fencing the complex.” The next phase of the project will be the most daunting but enthusiasm and devotion among the people is vey high,” Abass Manneh said. The massive enthusiasm among the natives for the project has already galvanised and energized football in town. An ongoing inter-ward tournament sponsored by Brufut Heights resident Papa Njai (playing good neigbourliness) is attracting massive crowds to the Strasser field with its fascinating scenery and splendid environment as a sports center. “By all standard this place is naturally and easily the best place anywhere in the Gambia for anyone to invest in sports infrastructure,” commented a retired footballer who watched one of the matches last week. He was not alone. The panoramic view from the Coastal Highway which is just meters from the complex coupled with the sparkling skyscrapers overlooking the park makes it the ideal place to play or watch sports. The future will tell. We are laying the first bricks to what will be an edifice the whole nation would be proud of, a Brufut Diasporan told The Standard.