Volunteer Abroad in the Gambia

Gambia is a very small country, covering roughly 4,000 square miles in western Africa. The country’s borders encompass a narrow strip that straddles the Gambia River as it flows through Senegal into the Atlantic Ocean. The Gambia River has always been an important trade route in Africa; after years of colonization at the hands of the Portuguese and then the British, Gambia finally became its own nation in 1965.

Banjul is Gambia’s capital and largest city, with a population of over 300,000 citizens living in the greater metropolitan area. Sitting pristinely on the mouth of the Gambia River as it flows into the Atlantic Ocean, there is hardly a more enticing destination where to volunteer abroad in Gambia than Banjul. Banjul was built on St. Mary’s Island and is connected to the Gambian mainland via several bridges.

Gambia’s rural areas are also a popular option among international volunteers, immersing them within a much more intimate cultural context than the big city. Living in a village while you volunteer abroad in Gambia will be an amazing experience as you become enmeshed within the tight-knit, family-oriented culture that continues to be an essential part of many African rural communities