Hello and a warm welcome to another edition of your weekly thrilling history corner.

In  today's edition, we bring to the limelight a new community; new in the sense that little is known about this settlement and that all the other communities that today flank it were in existence before it. This community is situated right along the famous trans-Gambia (Brikama-Soma highway) and found itself in Kombo East political district, in the Western Region of the country and administered from the Brikama local government authority.

This community is no other than the village of Madina Sotokoi. Read on to find out the historical rite of passage of this community, its aborigines and the present state of the community.  

The foundation
During a chat with the current custodian of the land of Sotokoi,Alkalo Masanneh Tamba, we uncovered that the land that today hosts the community of Sotokoi was first named by the founders as Madina, after the Arabian city, as they were Muslims. The community came to get the suffix Sotokoi from a white fig tree (sootoo); a Mandinka phrase which is in two folds: First, 'sootoo' refers to the fig tree and 'koi' meaning white. The people often refer to the community of Sotokoyo because of the presence of the white fig tree.

The settlement of Sotokoi transformed from a farmland to a settlement worthy of human habitation in the early part of 1957, after one Sarja Tamba demanded the place from the chief of Faraba at the time. Sarja Tamba is said to have hailed from Sintate Village in Foni Jarrol, and latter migrated to Bantajang in Foni Bondali. He and  brothers; namely Alasan, Ousman and Ebrima Solo Tamba together with their herd of cattle migrated from the land in search of the treasures of life.

When the trio left Bantajang, they temporally settled at the village of Faraba Koring Kunda under the guidance of the then Chief Fa Touray Sanyang. After staying with the chief for sometime, Sarjo Tamba then told the chief that he wanted his own land for settlement and that he had seen a place where he would like to stay - a place near the white 'sootoo' tree. Chief Sanyang heeded to the request of his guest. That marked the beginning of the foundation of a community that today is referred to as Sotokoi.

Aborigines and expansion
As we earlier stated, the land that today is known as Sotokoi initially belonged to the people of Faraba, but the land was transformed into a human habitat by the Tambas. When they  cleared the land and established their new home, people around the area began to join them in good company.

The first person to join the founders in the new settlement according to our sources was said to be a Fula man, who came from the Republic of Guinea. We was living on the outskirt of the new settlement at an area called Tanene and was engaged in the cutting and selling of "Fafa jambo" (the leaves used to cover colanut). When the new settlers arrived, Bapa decided to join them since he had neither a wife no a child. He felt it wise to be closer to the people.

The settlement of Sotokoi then merged with another near-by village called Sumakunda. Owing to the fact that the settlements of Tanene and Sumakunda were predominantly Christians and the Sotokoi being a Muslim community, people began moving closer to the community in comfort of religious practices. This explains why the alkalos of the two satellite villages are still resident in Sotokoi. The community is said to have a mutual relationship with the others and since then people continue to grab land without stringent conditions.

The alkaloship
Until today, the community of Sotokoi is in firm grip with the old good traditional authority. Being the founders, the seat of the alkalo unquestionably remain in the house of the Tambas. From generation to generation, the Tambas transferred authority to each other based on age.

African tradition
Just like any other indigenous communities, the communty of Sotokoi does not do without the practice of indigenous culture and tradition. According to our sources, the community operationalised the African philosophy that puts emphasis on age. Elders were given due respect by the youngsters and, this gesture was reciprocated.

The community was also structured on the African communalistic principles. There was also in existence the practice of African rituals at a certain degree by the women. They converged at a certain part of the bush to orientate young girls about motherhood, and rituals were also performed to overcome plights.