Alhaji Alieu Ebrima Cham Joof

Alhaji Alieu Ebrima Cham Joof
Alhaji Alieu Ebrima Cham Joof as a Scout Master
Born	Alieu Ebrima Cham Joof (1924-10-22)22 October 1924 Banjul, the Gambia
Died	2 April 2011(2011-04-02) (aged 86) Bakau, Gambia
Occupation	historian, politician, author, trade unionist, broadcaster, radio programme director, scout master, Pan-Africanist, lecturer, columnist, activist, nationalist
Nationality	Gambian
Literary movement	history, politics, culture
Notable works	The history of the Banjul Mosque Getting to know The Gambia The root cause of the bread and butter demonstration Banjul Daemba 1816-1999 Tagator

Alhaji Alieu Ebrima Cham Joof (22 October 1924 – 2 April 2011) commonly known as Cham Joof (pen name: Alh. A.E. Cham Joof) was a Gambian historian, politician, author, trade unionist, broadcaster, radio programme director, scout master, Pan-Africanist, lecturer, columnist, activist and a nationalist who advocated for the Gambia's independence during the colonial era.

Cham Joof was born on 22 October 1924 at 7 Griffith Street (Half-Die) in Bathurst now Banjul (the capital of the Gambia). He came from a Serer and Wolof background. He was the third child and the eldest son of Ebrima Joof (1887–1949) and Aji Anna Samba (1896 – 9 April 1977). On his father's side (the Joof family), he was a descendant of the Joof Dynasty (Diouf – the French spelling in Senegal) of Sine and Saloum, and the Njie Dynasty (Ndiaye in Senegal) of Jolof. On his mother's side, he was the great grand-nephew of Tafsir Sa Lolly Jabou Samba (a 19th-century Senegambian jihadist, military strategists and advisor to Maba Diakhou Bâ and one of the commanders of his army). Cham Joof was the elder brother of Gambian barrister Alhaji Bai Modi Joof.

Cham Joof started his schooling just before his 12th birthday. He attended the St. Mary’s Personage at the Priest’s Residence in 1935. Having completed his first key stage, he proceeded to St. Mary’s Kings School (St Mary's Anglican School) under the guidance of Reverend John Colley Faye (commonly known as Rev. J. C. Faye). He was there until 1940. Having passed his Standard Four Examination, he progressed to St. Augustine’s High School (now St Augustine’s Secondary School) with prominent Gambian political personalities like Alhaji Kebba Conteh, M. L Drammeh and Michael Baldeh. Cham Joof was a passionate football player. While at St. Augustine’s High School, he was selected as the School's goalkeeper. His favourite subjects included history and religious studies. He completed his schooling in 1945 which coincided with the end of World War II. After his schooling, he got a job with CFAO (Compagnie Française de l'Afrique Occidentale) where he had worked as a Commercial Clerk until 1962.