Activities in Gambia
Our partners
AVISU - The Agency for Village Support is our partner organisation that works in Gambia providing literacy training, micro-credit facilities and community development.
The Gambia was the very first country that Village Aid started working in back in 1990, after The Rotary Club of Bakewell sponsored Andrew Kingman to go there as part of his gap year. The programme in Lower Saloum is managed by The Agency for Village Support (AVISU), a local organisation developed out of Village Aid's long term work in the area. AVISU now supports over 40 communities, through local facilitators and learning circles.
The main interventions are REFLECT literacy, sustainable agriculture, and micro-credit.
Local supporters of Village Aid have supported communities directly by raising funds for wells to provide drinking water within communities.
Country facts & figures
Although The Gambia has a significant tourism industry in Banjul, the country is less than 48km wide, and is the smallest country on the continent of Africa. The situation in rural areas like Kaur is very challenging for local people, as the area suffers from severe desertification, poor government services, and food insecurity.
| Country fact file | |
| Country | Gambia |
| Capital | Banjul |
| Gained independence | 18/2/65 |
| Area | 11,300 km2 |
| Population | 1,517,000 |
| GDP | $3.094 bn |
| Government | Republic |
| Motto | Progress, Peace, Prosperity |
| Literacy Rate | 40% |
| Life expectancy (m/f) | 52/56 |
| UNHDI position | 155/177 |
