Discuss the impact of cultural and socioeconomic context on the realization of UN MDG in Gambia.

Despite being comprised of many different ethnic groups, The Gambia seems to exist in relative harmony. The official language of the country is English but each ethnic group still practices their own language. Yaya Jammeh is the current Gambian President and was elected during free democratic elections over a decade ago; however, there is still some skepticism in the international community about the direction of political practices in The Gambia. Despite the notions of corruption and the continued criticism against Jammeh's regime, the President has continued to support the United Nations and the global efforts to combat serious social issues present in that country like in so many sub-Saharan countries in Africa. These issues include extreme poverty especially in rural areas, diseases such as AIDS and Malaria and poor economic development.

Generally, the people of The Gambia are peaceful and their manners are easygoing and friendly. They welcome the efforts of international humanitarian projects such as the UN's MDG's and generally support the objectives of local and global organizations that fight to combat so many social concerns.

Despite the willingness of the Gambian people and their dedication to change, there are still many obstacles that impede efficient control over their troubles. For instance, The Gambia suffers from the lack of up to date and reliable information like in so many countries in West Africa. This fact prevents organizations to efficiently strategize over socio-economic concerns in that country. A second obstacle is the lack of administrative and financial capacity among local communities to be able to consolidate efforts and formulate more efficient strategies to reach MDG's in that country. The Gambia also suffers from serious resource constraints, specifically many donors have failed to meet donations that they had previously pledged.

Resources

United Nations Development Programme. MDG Monitor. In Millennium Development Goals.
Retrieved 9/6/09, from http://www.mdgmonitor.org/index.cfm

Every Culture, "Countries & Their Cultures". Advameg. 10/10/2009
http://www.everyculture.com/Cr-Ga/Gambia.html