I live in arguably one of the safest places on earth. This sounds counter-intuitive because I happen to live in Africa, but in a very safe town with a relatively low crime rate.
Crime and violence are not the only factors to consider when it comes to safety.
You need to consider all that cause mortality, including the risk of traffic accidents, murders, lighting strikes, tornadoes, flooding, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, air pollution and more.
The town of Serrekunda in The Gambia experiences no tornadoes or earthquakes. It is not in a river valley and the risk of flooding is minimal and very localized. We have no hail storms and seldom experience lightning strikes. Extreme weather here is mostly limited to strong winds and lots of rain during summer.
There is no volcano nearby, no risk of mudslides, and we are away from the coast to be at risk of a tsunami.
In addition, traffic is very light and deaths from car accidents are rare. They do happen and mostly involve speeding vehicles or a truck losing control. But the occasional death from a car accident always makes the front page of the local paper.
Our crime rate is low and murders are not common. They do happen, and where you live will determine how safe it is. The poorest parts of town are definitely less safe than the wealthier suburbs.
Our air quality is excellent and there is less pollution. Only clean ocean air. We have no extreme weather and the temperature never drops 15 degree. We never see snow.
Serrekunda has a population of about 390,000, and is 13km to the southwest of the capital, Banjul. It is actually made up of nine villages which have merged into an urban sprawl, that incorporates the villages of Latrikunda, Dippa Kunda, Bundung and London Corner, and effectively forms the Kanifing LGA, in the Kombo St. Mary District. The urban settlement is about 3 kilometres inland from the coastal resorts of Kololi and Kotu. far removed from the military squabbles and wars going on elsewhere. It is not a big city. Big cities bring their own set of risks. If something goes down in in the world, Serrekunda is not going to be first on the list of targets or disaster areas. If nuclear war or World War III breaks out, Serrekunda unlikely to be a flash point.
However, the Coronavirus has not missed us. 3 cases so far, all isolated. We’re in 3/4 lockdown and practicing social distancing in our own way. Seen no new cases for several days, but I do not expect Serrekunda to escape the spread of the virus. Covid-19 may be the first real threat to our bubble safety here in Serrekunda.
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