Zakat Foundation of America in
The Gambia
Response to Humanitarian Crisis
The Gambia, Africa’s smallest country, faces persistent economic and humanitarian challenges driven by high unemployment, poverty, and climate vulnerability. Food insecurity and malnutrition remain concerns due to reliance on rain-fed agriculture, rising food prices, and recurrent floods and droughts. Limited healthcare access, gender-based violence, and child protection risks further strain vulnerable communities, particularly in rural areas. At Zakat Foundation of America, we provide a viable alternative to crisis-driven migration by working alongside local partners, addressing humanitarian needs and systemic challenges. We empower a new generation of Gambians with education, access to healthcare, food security, and livelihood opportunities, so they can thrive in their own country and build lasting progress from within Gambian soil. In 2022, we partnered with The Gambia Academy, founded by Dr. Sona Jobarteh, to advance educational reform rooted in African identity. Its African-centered curriculum builds critical thinking and leadership skills. In parallel, we deliver food assistance and livelihood support. At the 2024 Global Peace Leadership Conference, experts praised the Academy’s success and its scalable, continent-wide impact.
Zakat Foundation Sponsored New Curriculum Initiative (NCI)
An educational framework centered on four core subjects: Literacy, African History, Math, and Science.
Educational Framework
Serves the specific needs of West Africans and their communities
Provides practical, hands-on learning opportunities
Incorporates local culture and tradition to instill pride + connection
Replicable for swift expansion across remaining West African nations
Rigorous Education
Provides context-specific training for success in Africa
Prepares students for leadership roles in their community
Nurtures their self-identity and pride in being African
Instills confidence and self-determination
Actively challenges the misconception that a better future will be found elsewhere
Specific Outcomes & Impacts
Increased number of skilled workers in The Gambia
Fewer young adults opt to leave for Europe and America
Turnkey education model that can be replicated elsewhere
Gender equality established among cohort of boys and girls
Our Impact in The Gambia
Stories of Change
Fostering Education by Supporting Community Initiatives at The Gambian Academy
Choro
Choro came to the academy in 2015. She travels 90 minutes each way to and from her home in Sanchaba Sulay Jobe to The Gambia Academy.
She came from a very challenging home environment- a broken home.
Her mother was now married to her stepfather. Because she was not his biological daughter, Choro was frequently the object of his aggression and rage.
Quite often, she was not even allowed inside the home unless her mother was there.
Her mother, who is not literate and only speaks Wolof, struggled to keep Choro in school because her stepfather refused to allocate funding towards her education.
As a result, Choro had only a sporadic education prior to arriving at the academy.
Michael
Michael is one of eight children, but in contrast to Choro his has a lot of family support and love. Yet his family is one of the least economically stable ones at the school.
His major challenge, early on, was that he was classified as “homeless”, which is a big taboo in The Gambia. As a result, Michael was constantly bullied before he came to The Gambia Academy.
Michael lives nearby in Medina Salam. We gave him a bicycle, so he can get himself back and forth to school.
During his initial school interview, Michael found it difficult to speak. When asked if he could change one thing about his situation, he said it was to stop being bullied for not having a home. As a result of continually being targeted, he was a very depressed, very shy young person.
News from The Gambia
Captured Moments: A Glimpse of Our Work
A smile of relief when receiving a food package brings hope and healing
Ramadan is the season of giving and sharing
Our Ramadan food packages include staple ingredients for filling meals
Our teams ensure hot meals and drink for fasting families
Ramadan food packages bring food security and hope to needy families
Water wells bring safety, clean water, and better health for families
Your support allows families to break their fasts with food in Ramadan
A shipment of medical supplies is packages at our headquarters for shipment to Gambia
Support The Gambia Now
Emergency Relief
Help victims of disaster & violent conflict recover and heal. Give $100 for Emergency Relief.
Give to Emergency ReliefEducation
Providing access to education & creating powerful antidotes to unrest, distrust, & war.
Give to EducationFood Security
Delivering urgent food in Ramadan & year round to relieve starvation. Give $50 for Food Security.
Give to Food SecuritySadaqah Jariyah
When you give Sadaqah Jariyah, you are providing a lifeline that keeps on giving.
Give to Sadaqah JariyahSeasonal Islamic Giving
Additional opportunities to provide more aid throughout the world.
Give Seasonal Islamic Giving
