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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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Alpha Jallow fishing from a wooden canoe on the River Gambia at sunrise

Jane Smith

Fishing the River-Alpha Jallow

At first light on the River Gambia, Alpha Jallow works quietly, guided by tide, season, and long experience.

Alpha Jallow fishing from a wooden canoe on the River Gambia at sunrise

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.

Alpha Jallow fishing from a wooden canoe on the River Gambia at sunrise

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.

Alpha Jallow fishing from a wooden canoe on the River Gambia at sunrise

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

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