Nothing really prepared us for this outcome, although it was obvious that some people in the committee were more interested than others. It used a great deal of our time but that was not totally wasted, it led on to the Theatre project that GTS is starting now and leaves open the passability for another village to benefit from the idea.

As GTS really wants to run this project at a village and make it a commercial success I do not really want to publish all the details, but in essence the ideal was that the village provided the land at an agreed price and provided some of the labour and materials in creating the cultural environment that the village would provide for the cultural centre. In return they would receive 50% of all the profits after any expenses had been paid. If the project ceased to operate at any time in the future, the developed property would be sold and the village would receive 50% of the sale price.

What the village wanted was 50% of all the takings to go to the village and for GTS to pay for all the development, the labour and all the materials used in creating the centre, the villages side as well as the GTS side.

A very typical working example of wanting everything for nothing. It was simply not financially viable on that basis and was really an example of the charity based culture that is holding The Gambia at a third world level.

There will be a village that will want to be an active partner in such a project, but it is going to take a little longer to find it.