Rohey Malick Lowe, Mayor Of Banjul
By Mustapha L. Marong- USA
Rohey Malick Lowe is a trailblazer in politics and leadership. She made history in 2018 when she became the first woman to be elected mayor of Banjul, the capital city of The Gambia. Since then, she has been working tirelessly to improve the city and its people. She has also become a role model and an inspiration for women and girls in our country and around the world.
Rohey Malick Lowe was born in Banjul in 1971 into a family of politicians. Her father, Alhagie Malick Lowe, was mayor of the city from 1981 to 1983. He was also a prominent businessman and philanthropist. Lowe grew up in a supportive and nurturing environment. She attended St Joseph’s High School, where she excelled in academics and extracurricular activities. She then pursued higher education at the University of Falun in Sweden, where she studied international relations. After completing her studies, she returned to The Gambia and worked in the tourism industry for several years.
In 2018, Rohey Malick Lowe decided to follow in her father’s footsteps and run for mayor of Banjul. She faced many challenges and obstacles as a woman in a male-dominated field. However, she did not let that deter her from her vision. She ran on a platform of change and development. She promised to improve the living conditions and the opportunities for all residents of the city. Furthermore, she also promised to tackle the issues of waste management, sanitation, health care, education, and infrastructure. She won the election in a crowded field of nine candidates, becoming the first woman to hold the position of mayor of Banjul in the history of The Gambia.
Since taking office, Lowe has made significant progress in improving the city of Banjul, especially in municipal waste collection and sanitation. She has also launched a number of programs to improve the lives of women and youth. Some of these programs include:
– The Women’s Enterprise Fund: This is a fund that provides loans and grants to women entrepreneurs who want to start or expand their businesses.
– The Youth Excellence Project: This is a project that provides training and mentorship to young people who want to develop their skills and talents in various fields such as agriculture, technology, arts, sports, etc.
– Banjul led a CERPASS – Center for Policy Research and Strategic Studies, University of the Gambia’s survey of residents of municipalities in satisfaction with waste collection, thanks to her efforts in provision of waste bins and vehicles to collect them.
– The Banjul Green City Project: This is a project that aims to make Banjul more environmentally friendly and sustainable by planting trees, installing solar panels, promoting recycling, etc.
– The Banjul Smart City Project: This is a project that aims to make Banjul more modern and connected.
– The 6.8-million-dalasi Albert Market shed project to protect women vendors from the elements while they sell their wares at the city’s main public market.
– The provision of boreholes to ease the way of women and families around the country, giving them clean drinking water and irrigation for their gardens.
-Commenced the digitization of revenue collection in Banjul to reduce fraud and waste in tax collection and increase the revenue base of the municipality for efficient and effective service delivery.
-Secured a yearly grant USD1M for five years under the SDG Cities Global Initiative to address issues relating to gender inequality. The grant is aimed at increasing the social, economic, entrepreneurship and political empowerment of women in the Gambia.
-She has also been elected as the President of the Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA) where she promotes the participation and leadership of women in local governance around the continent of Africa and world at large.
-Lowe is a global leader and a member of the Global Parliament of Mayors, where she serves as Vice Chair of the Executive Committee.
She is a tireless advocate for the rights of women and girls, and she is a role model for leaders around the world.
Mayor Rohey Malick Lowe is a strong advocate for women’s empowerment. She has worked to increase the number of women in government and in the workforce. She has also worked to ensure that women have equal access to education, health care, justice, and decision-making.
Lowe is also a strong advocate for youth empowerment. She has worked to increase the number of young people in school and in the workforce. She has also worked to ensure that young people have access to quality education, health care, recreation, and participation.
Rohey Malick Lowe is a qualified and experienced leader who has made significant progress in improving the city of Banjul. She is a role model for women and girls in The Gambia and around the world, and a shining example of what can be achieved when women are given the opportunity to lead.
The May 20th mayoral election will give Banjulians the chance to re-elect Rohey Malick Lowe, a trailblazing woman who has been doing amazing work for the past five years. Lowe’s re-election will bring many opportunities to the city of Banjul and the country at large, including a multi-million-dollar REFELA housing project for low-income women and families. If Lowe is defeated at the polls, she will lose her position at REFELA and the tremendous, life-changing public housing project that is waiting in the wings.
The choice facing voters in the city of Banjul brings to mind the epic work of Thomas Frank in What Is The Matter With Kansas. In it, he bemoans the tendency for poor and middle-class people to vote against their own interest. Will Banjul voters fall prey to the machinations of the ruling party’s propagandists and wave goodbye to this once-in-a-lifetime REFELA opportunity in the improvement of housing and human development, or will they vote for their own interest? It is my fervent hope that they will choose Rohey Lowe and benefit from REFELA largess. To wit, she has a proven track record of success, and she is the best person to lead Banjul into the future.