“Before, I could barely provide. Now, I can send my kids to school with pride.”
In Karantaba Tabokoto, a village tucked into the far eastern corner of The Gambia, life has always been defined by resilience. The dry season brings dust and scarcity, the rains bring renewal, and for generations, women like Sanna Sisawo have carried the weight of keeping their families afloat.
Sanna, a mother of five, once ran a tiny food stand with little more than determination and hope. Her customers were loyal, but her resources were scarce. “I used to wake up every morning wondering how I would afford the next bag of beans,” she recalls. With no access to credit or formal banking, expanding her small business felt impossible.
Everything began to change when Tostan—a West African NGO known for its Community Empowerment Program (CEP)—introduced a small loan initiative in her village. Guided by local committees and rooted in trust, the program helps women develop leadership, financial literacy, and confidence. When Sanna was selected to receive a modest grant of 5,000 dalasi (about $75), she saw it as more than money—it was a chance to rewrite her story.
She used the funds to buy beans, oil, and onions to prepare hot meals for schoolchildren and neighbors. Within weeks, she was earning steady income and reinvesting her profits. Her business, once a humble roadside stand, became a reliable source of food and comfort for her community.
“Before, I could barely provide for my children,” she says. “Now, I can send them to school with pride.”