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Homes

These are homes about 300km up the River Gambia in Janjanbureh.
It is where the visitors stayed.
It is a town on MaCarthy Island (now called Central River Division)
in the middle of the River Gambia.
Most of the houses are built of concrete blocks which is the style mainly used by the Mandinkas but some use mud blocks.

Corrugated iron roofs are common.
They make a lot of noise when it rains

Both of these show compounds walled off from the red sandy road. Notice there are no pavements but there are telephone lines

The roof overhangs and provides shelter from the hot sun in the day and for beds at night.

This house is made from mud bricks. The roof supports will hold a straw roof.

Bright colours are sometimes used inside and out

Inside a compound will be several buildings and often a garden for growing food for all the family

This is away from the town on Macarthy island

Families are most important in The Gambia.

A compound will have more than one building
where several related families will live together.
Whoever earns money will use it to look after the extended family.
Sometimes young children are sent to live with other family members
if it is thought best for them.
Parents might do this so they can go to school.
They might be sent many miles away
and not see their parents for months.

So, there may be children living in the compound who are living with aunts, uncles, grandparents and their parents live a long way away and they have not seen them for a long time.
Travel between places can be difficult in The Gambia because of the very poor roads and it is too expensive for some people

Building Homes

In the villages most of the houses are made of mud blocks and have straw roofs. As much as possible, local natural materials are used.

These are some of a group of men from villages around Boraba who are working together to build a new house on the school grounds. Some of the teachers live on the school grounds.

Working together as part of the community is very important and strong in The Gambia