Stories and Voices
Stories & Voices brings together personal reflections, community memory, and lived experience from Janjanbureh and beyond. These stories are not written about the destination, but from within it — shared by community members, visitors, youth, and cultural custodians who have taken time to listen, learn, and reflect.
Each piece offers a different way of seeing: moments of first encounter, accounts rooted in tradition, and journeys shaped by connection. Together, they form a growing record of voices that help humanise Janjanbureh — its heritage, its people, and its ongoing story
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Wuri Bah
Welcoming Visitors to Jamali, a Fula Village reached by horse and cart
Trained guide, Wuri Bah shares how community-based tourism brings visitors cultural exchange and new opportunities to his Fula village.
Chris Sylla
First Encounters at the Janjanbureh Kankurang Festival for Chris Sylla
A first visit inland leads musician Chris Sylla to the Kankurang Festival—where tradition, conversation, and learning left a lasting impression.
Banna Kongira
How Banna Built Talamanca Lodge: From Art Gallery to Solar-Powered Success
ITC reports how EU-supported solar panels helped Banna Kongira’s Talamanca Lodge thrive in Janjanbureh.
Isatou Foon
How Community-Based Tourism Training Changed My Life
Isatou Foon, President of the JJB Tour Guides Associationexplains the impact of the training on her own life
Jane Smith
Fishing the River Gambia in Janjanbureh later to sell at market- Alpha Jallow
At first light on the River Gambia, Alpha Jallow works quietly, guided by tide, season, and long experience.
Justice MK Saidykhan
From Initiation to Adulthood: The Kankurang Tradition in Janjanbureh
Based on Justice Saidykhan’s 2014 account, this piece traces initiation rites, community values, and the cultural roots of the Kankurang.