Gambian Girl Power

23/08/2026

Gambian Girl Power was excited to attend Packapalooza at NC State for the second time! 💛 Packapalooza is NC State’s annual festival that brings together students, faculty, local organizations, and the wider Triangle community.

We were grateful to be invited by NC State’s Office of Global Engagement to share the work GGP is doing with girls, families, mentors, and communities in The Gambia. The event was a wonderful opportunity to connect with NC State students, faculty, and members of the Triangle community while introducing new people to our mission of empowering girls through education, mentorship, and community support.

We also enjoyed learning about the meaningful work, programs, and opportunities that our university community and other organizations in the Triangle community have planned for the academic year. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to learn about Gambian Girl Power and support our work! 📚✨

28/07/2026

Today we’re celebrating two of Gambian Girl Power’s senior mentors, Aunty Fatou Jeng and Aunty Jainaba D. Jabang. 💛

Aunty Fatou Jeng has taught at Bundung LBS and now serves as Head Mistress at Old Jeshwang LBS. She has been a Gambian Girl Power senior mentor since 2018, giving back to children, especially the girl child, and helping girls pursue the highest level of education they can achieve while building a meaningful legacy. Her advice to our girls is to avoid comparing themselves to others unless it leads to something positive, be soft and strong, stay focused on their education, choose people who clap for them when they win, take care of themselves, and be respectful to everyone.

Aunty Jainaba D. Jabang is a senior teacher responsible for Bundung Nursery School and serves as the Gambia Teachers Union Ladies Society chairperson for Region One, supporting female teachers and girls. She has been involved with Gambian Girl Power for five years and is passionate about empowering girls through education and mentorship, helping them develop leadership skills, build confidence, and reach their full potential. Aunty Jainaba hopes that Gambian girls will have equal opportunities to learn, lead, and achieve their dreams, and she encourages them to stay focused on their education, believe in themselves, and never give up. 🌍✨

23/07/2026

Thank you, Peace Esso Adventures and Mr. Lamin SaidyKhan, for inspiring our students during Career Weekend in Njie K***a and showcasing the beauty of The Gambia. We look forward to collaborating again for another unforgettable and inspiring experience. 😀

18/07/2026

Congratulations to Aunty Jainaba Sowe and the Girl Power Njie K***a Chapter! 🎉

We also want to thank Headteacher Pa Sainey Sallah and the Njie K***a Village Development Committee for their continued support of Gambian Girl Power and our programs in Njie K***a.

The Njie K***a Girl Power and Boys for Balance members recently gathered to celebrate the successful completion of the school year together with their families. The group also used this special moment to reflect on the importance of speaking up about gender-based violence and supporting one another in their community.

We are so proud of our Njie K***a mentors, students, families, and village leaders for creating space to celebrate achievement and promote safety, care, and empowerment for girls and boys. 💛🌍📚✨

06/07/2026

On GGP Career Day, Amanda Manning led an engaging workshop introducing students to artificial intelligence and emerging research tools. Her session focused not only on what AI can do, but also on how to use it responsibly, with an emphasis on ethics, critical thinking, and awareness of its risks and limitations.

Students explored how AI can support learning while also discussing the importance of questioning information, avoiding over-reliance, and using these tools with integrity. The session sparked thoughtful questions about the future of AI and its role in education and everyday life.

It was an interactive and inspiring conversation, highlighting the curiosity and insight of our students as they engaged with both the opportunities and responsibilities of new technology. At Gambian Girl Power, we are committed to ensuring our girls learn how to use AI responsibly, thoughtfully, and with integrity. 🌍✨

24/06/2026

Love is one of our five virtues and at Gambian Girl Power, we believe it has to start within.

When a girl loves herself, she knows she’s worthy of respect. She knows her dignity is worth protecting. And she has the strength to extend that same love to the girls around her.

This December, our girls will share what love means to them, in their own words and languages. Follow along, you won’t want to miss it.

“If you do not love yourself, no one will.” 💛

14/06/2026

On GGP Career Day, Gambian Girl Power was excited to welcome back Kendall Mick for a follow-up professional development session with our teacher mentors. Kendall first connected with our educators through the NC State University Study Abroad Program and has continued to build meaningful relationships and collaboration across continents.

During this session, Kendall introduced the economics curriculum Owning the Dash by Anthony Delauny, which helps young learners explore key concepts such as supply and demand, investment and risk-taking, cooperation, and community support. The session also built on last year’s engagement by revisiting previously shared materials and introducing additional teaching resources focused on subitizing, mental math, and K–12 mental health supports.

More than a presentation, the day served as a valuable cross-cultural exchange. Teachers reflected on their experiences implementing new resources, discussed student learning, and explored ways to strengthen educational opportunities across both communities. We are grateful for partnerships that foster learning, connection, and the exchange of ideas across borders. 🌍📚✨

04/06/2026

04/06/2026

We are incredibly proud of Lia Willcoxon and Brenna Michaud for leading a meaningful and impactful reproductive health workshop during our Gambian Girl Power Day.

Held at Bundung LBS, with students from Charles Jow in attendance, Lia Willcoxon and Brenna Michaud led a reproductive health workshop geared towards mitigating period poverty and misinformation. The workshop was a peer-to-peer interactive discussion on what menstruation is, how female reproductive parts function during periods, and good mental health practices to empower our bodies. The workshop included discussions of myths and rumors heard from peers and family members, as well as roleplaying scenarios involving challenges related to periods and attending school. Our girls taught strategies they use when handling anxiety and offered ways to apply these practices to help manage period pain and anxiety.

While menstrual pads are available in The Gambia, they are often of poor quality and remain inaccessible to many girls due to cost. This highlights the need for continued investment in innovative, safe, and reusable menstrual health solutions.

At the end of the workshop, menstrual pads were distributed and demonstrated. The session also opened the door for questions and further discussion, inviting the girls to be leaders in protecting their own peace by understanding what nuances may not serve them when experiencing menstruation.

This is what empowerment looks like!❤️🇬🇲

30/05/2026

Our annual Career Weekend came alive in December 2025 as we brought together young scholars from Bundung LBS, Mamudfanna Junior and Senior Secondary Schools, Njie K***a LBS, and Kudang Senior Secondary School in rural Njie K***a Village, CRR.

Aligned with our motto “I Can…”, this year’s Career Weekend focused on achieving new heights. The event featured motivational talks, career guidance sessions, and powerful discussions on education, leadership, and resilience in overcoming social and economic challenges.
Distinguished speakers, including accomplished entrepreneur and gender equality advocate Mr. Malick Jarju (El-Malick Dabakh) and students from NC State CHASS, gave presentations emphasizing the need for girls to believe in themselves, stay focused on their education, and actively participate in community development. We were also honored to have support from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, under the leadership of the HON Bakary Badjie.

In partnership with Njie K***a Village Development Committee, we were able to expand our reach into rural parts of The Gambia. Through our Boys for Balance initiative, we’re demonstrating that when boys support girls, everyone thrives!