Want to Help in The Gambia? Start With These Charities in 2026

A school meal can help a child settle into class ready to learn. Clean water closer to home can give families more time for school, work and each other. Support for women’s health can help protect wellbeing and choice. Across The Gambia, these everyday needs shape what families and communities can make possible. 

If you’re considering a gift, this guide introduces organizations working on different parts of that future and what to check before you choose where to give.

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Our Selection Approach

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We looked for a current public description of work in The Gambia, a clear program focus, and recent or dated evidence where available. For giving, we describe the route shown publicly or note when donors should contact the organization to ask about designation. 

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The Needs These Organizations Address

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UNICEF The Gambia’s programme page for 2024–2028 reports that 78% of children are enrolled in primary school; it also lists indicators for basic drinking water, basic sanitation, and child marriage: less than 40% using basic drinking water, 20% using basic sanitation, and 23% of girls married before age 18. These are the indicators as presented on UNICEF’s programme page

Food security is also affected by limited domestic production and climate and price pressures. The WFP Gambia page says agriculture covers less than half of the country’s food requirements and describes exposure to imported food prices and climate-related shocks. I’ve left out the 53% poverty and 29% food-insecurity figures for now because the source page’s dates and denominators need to be confirmed before we can state them precisely. Add them back only with a verified date, definition and denominator.

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Organizations Working in The Gambia

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1. Child Survival, Learning and Protection: UNICEF The Gambia

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UNICEF’s 2024–2028 programme works with the Government of The Gambia and partners on child survival, learning, protection and reducing child poverty. Its country page features work on breastfeeding support, community efforts to end FGM, and children’s access to water. Donors who want to support work specifically in The Gambia can use the UNICEF Gambia Children’s Fund: UNICEF says contributions to this fund support its work in The Gambia, including education, child protection and social protection.

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2. School Meals and Food Security: World Food Programme Gambia

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WFP says it has worked in The Gambia since the 1970s and supports the Government’s home-grown school-feeding programme, which uses locally produced ingredients. In its 2024 Annual Country Report, WFP reports that the programme reached 151,378 school-aged children across 421 schools that year. The report also says WFP worked with 14 farmer cooperatives and procured 95% of its food through smallholder farmer aggregation systems. These are reported 2024 results, not a current-year forecast. WFP’s donation page is available for giving; contact WFP to confirm whether a contribution can be designated to its work in The Gambia.

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3. Education and Vulnerable Children: Fresh Start Foundation

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Established in 2006, Fresh Start Foundation says it is registered as a charity in the UK and as an NGO in The Gambia. Its work includes school resources and renovations, basic healthcare, food, water and sanitation for children and rural communities. A 2023 Birmingham City University profile reports that the foundation had supported 10 schools and renovated 16 classrooms; it also says the first Fresh Start School was built in 2013. Its JustGiving page offers one-off and monthly giving options and describes the foundation’s focus as The Gambia.

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4. Women’s Health and Community Empowerment: BAFROW

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The Foundation for Research on Women’s Health, Productivity and the Environment (BAFROW) is a Gambian NGO working on women’s and girls’ health and economic wellbeing. Its public profile describes maternal and neonatal health, fistula care, health services, livelihood support and prevention of harmful practices. The profile does not display a public donation link; contact BAFROW at info@bafrow.org to ask about its current giving process and whether a gift can be designated to a particular programme. 

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Integrated Community & Regional Relief: ARCD

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Africa Relief and Community Development (ARCD) works across Africa on clean water, health, education, food and nutrition, empowerment and orphan care. Its programme pages describe this Africa-wide work; they do not establish that a gift through ARCD’s general donation page will be directed to a Gambia project. If you want to support work in The Gambia through ARCD, contact the ARCD team before donating to ask which current projects, if any, can accept a country-designated gift. Don’t assume a general contribution is restricted to The Gambia.

For donors considering Sadaqah Jariyah, ARCD’s Sadaqah Jariyah page describes project types intended to provide continuing benefit. Confirm the specific project and giving option with ARCD; consult a qualified scholar if you need a religious ruling. A general donation should not be described as Sadaqah Jariyah unless the selected project and designation support that claim.

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>>Considering a gift through ARCD for work in The Gambia? Contact the team first to ask which current projects can accept a country-designated contribution.

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FAQs 

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1. Which organizations in this guide work in The Gambia?

The guide profiles ARCD, UNICEF The Gambia, the World Food Programme, Fresh Start Foundation and BAFROW. Each has a different focus, from child protection and school feeding to education, health and community programmes. 

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2. Can I direct a donation to work in The Gambia?

It depends on the organization and giving route. UNICEF’s Gambia Children’s Fund supports UNICEF’s work in The Gambia. Fresh Start Foundation’s JustGiving page describes its focus as The Gambia. For WFP or BAFROW, contact the organization to ask about the destination or designation of a gift. ARCD donors should contact ARCD before giving if they need a Gambia-specific designation.

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3. How can I check an organization before donating?

Review its current programme pages, dated reports, registration details and donation information. Check that the receiving organization is named and ask whether the gift can be restricted to the country or project you intend to support. If a detail is unclear, ask the organization before donating.

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4. What does ARCD’s donation route support in The Gambia?

ARCD’s public pages describe programmes across Africa, and its general donate page does not confirm that a gift will be directed to The Gambia. Contact ARCD before giving to ask whether a current Gambia project can accept a country-designated contribution. Do not assume that an unrestricted gift is Gambia-specific.

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5. Does an ARCD donation automatically count as Sadaqah Jariyah?

Not automatically. ARCD’s Sadaqah Jariyah page describes project types intended to provide continuing benefit, but donors should confirm that the specific project and donation option are eligible. Seek qualified scholarly guidance for religious rulings.

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