Author: Kaddy Jawo
Published on: 19/03/2025 | 00:00:00
AI Summary:
Taba, a local Mandinka word for powdered tobacco, has been consumed in The Gambia for generations, usually through smoking, snuffing and chewing. Sellers like Saf take regular taba and mix it with potent chemicals to enhance its intoxicating effect. Many women then use it intravaginally, believing it enhances sexual pleasure. Taraba*, 28, and Isatu*, 42, began using taba to address health concerns. "Taba damaged my system," says Taraba, who initially took it in an attempt to cure gonorrhoea. It felt like fire burning inside me, and my whole body became paralysed. Regular user Fatmata insists taba has no harmful effects on her health. Taba seller Saf agrees, saying most customers have been buying from her for years. The ministry has used social media to educate the public on the risks. “Taba is dangerous, and women should reject it,” said Minister Lamin Samateh. Women’s rights organisations have also been raising awareness about the harmful effects of taba. Taba is commonly sold secretly in markets and within circles of older women. But it is not available in shops. Saf runs a makeshift business on the outskirts of Banjul. At one of the busiest markets in Banjul, a 75-year-old seller insists on taba’s medicinal properties, claiming it heals wounds, relieves back pain and cures headaches. At her makeshift stall, the woman who has been in the trade for decades works openly but also in secret. Each transaction is swift and calculated; she scans the surroundings before carefully opening the jar, retrieving the product, and slipping it into the hands of a waiting customer Dr Bittaye suggests that a starting point in addressing taba issue may be the Tobacco Control Act. The Ministry of Health works with NGOs to educate the Gambian women about the dangers of taba. But while the authorities deliberate, women continue to demand it.
Original: 1969 words
Summary: 304 words
Percent reduction: 84.56%