Fandema, a women’s development center in The Gambia, is transforming the lives of young women like Fatou Njie, a former high school dropout who once sold fish at Tanjai beach. “I initially wanted to finish school and go on to university, but lacked the funds and the grades,” Njie shared on RFI’s Africa Calling podcast. After discovering Fandema while gathering firewood, she enrolled in 2013, transitioning from a student of solar panel installation to one of 20 female trainers. Now, Njie leads a team of 16 girls to develop a solar-powered ice maker for fish sellers in Kartong, addressing a critical need to preserve fish in an area without reliable electricity.
Breaking Barriers Through Skills Training
Fandema, meaning “self-help” in Mandinka, is a community-based initiative by the Mbolo Association, targeting women and girls aged 18–65, particularly those who never attended or dropped out of school—affecting over 55% of Gambian girls before or during high school, per a 2020 Gambia fact-sheet. “My mother didn’t go to school, but all her brothers did,” said project coordinator Malang Sambou, explaining his motivation to prioritize female education in male-dominated fields like renewable energy. The center offers training in solar installation, tailoring, IT, and more, fostering economic independence. “Everyone is relying on me to use the skills learned here,” said student Jama Ceesay, who now repairs solar panels for her community.
Addressing Local Needs with Innovation
In Kartong, a key fishing hub, Fandema’s solar ice maker project tackles spoilage, a major issue for fish sellers like Isatou Jabang. “We can’t wait for the ice processing centre… because most of the time when we don’t have ice blocks, our fish spoils,” Jabang told RFI. Powered by an 8.3kW solar and wind hybrid system, Fandema’s initiatives, supported by UNIDO and GEF, promote sustainability and reduce women’s workload, per UpSocial. “The photovoltaic solar system… provides services to reduce women’s household workload,” creating time for income-generating activities, a 2017 UNIDO report noted.
Empowering Women in a Male-Dominated Society
Fandema’s focus on fields like solar energy challenges gender norms in The Gambia, aligning with the 2022 International Women’s Month theme of “breaking bias.” “The Fandema students are hoping to inspire more young women to start careers in professions not popular in The Gambia,” the RFI report stated. With 80 solar panels and a wind turbine, the center is one-third self-sustainable, per a 2017 UNIDO update, training women like Jankey Jassey, who now teaches electrical installation. The program’s one- to three-year courses emphasize literacy, technical skills, and entrepreneurship, impacting over 800,000 rural Gambians with limited electricity access.
Looking Ahead
As of August 2025, Fandema continues to empower women, with its model replicated in five Gambian regions, per UpSocial. However, challenges like funding and scaling remain, with the center needing 160 more solar panels for full sustainability. “Fandema has managed to inspire the community about the use of renewable energies,” UNIDO reported, but broader government support is needed. With 48% of Gambian girls still out of secondary school, per UNESCO 2023 data, Fandema’s work is vital, offering a blueprint for empowering dropouts and fostering gender equality through innovative, sustainable training.
