The Daily Observer (Banjul)
Amadou Jallow
5 May 2009
The United States Embassy in Banjul, in partnership with the National Council for Arts and Culture, is embarking on a landmark project for the preservation and restoration of James Island, a historic site in Jufereh, North Bank Region. This project will entail three hundred and sixty-five thousand dalasis (365,000).
In a press briefing with reporters, yesterday, the United States Ambassador Barry Wells, said James Island, over the years has suffered some deteriorations, as some of the buildings at the site were on the verge of collapsing. He added that it is their belief that without tradition, there will not be a culture. Ambassador Wells further delved into the importance attached to James Island, saying that this was why they took it upon themselves to revive it.
Baba Ceesay, head of Cultural Heritage at the National Council for Arts and Culture, said James Island is a world heritage site that needed to be preserved. Like Ambassador Wells, Ceesay was also concerned about the threat posed on the site by the natural forces of the sea, saying working towards restoring the place is a step in the right direction.
Chris Honeycutt, a US Peace Corps volunteer at Aljamdou village also said that he came to know James Island after intensive research on books. Keeping the site well decorated, he observed, will revive the place.
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