A Brief History of the Development the
Janjanbureh Tour Guides
Extracted from the blog written by Jane Smith, founder member with the Late Hon Foday Jibani Manka of Just Act Gambia
2009/10: The Very First Germs of an Idea in developing Just Act Gambia
Jane Smith, visiting regularly since 2004, inspired by the island’s history as told by the late
Hon. Foday Manka, saw an opportunity for young locals to share this knowledge with tourists, as many visiting guides lacked depth, merely reading out from information boards worded by the Honourable Manka. Despite rising tourism, the community saw minimal financial benefit. In 2009, Jane and Foday began working towards establishing the UK charity 'Just Act Gambia,' focusing on community-led tourism and development in Janjanbureh.
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​Main Aims
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Community-led development
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Accredited/non-accredited training to enhance skills and income
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Maximize local expertise for training
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Develop responsible, sustainable, pro-poor tourism
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Support rural regeneration to reduce migration
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2011: Very first training introduced and funded by Just Act Gambia with input from local expertise and UK Tony Johnson with vast knowledge of Tourism
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2013: Further training was provided in partnership with the Gambia Tourist Board and ASSERT with support from (now) Dr Adama Bah​ and Daouda Nyang
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Janjanbureh Uniting Sustainable Tourism And Community Training
The Creation of JUST ACT
2015: Youth leaders registered JUST ACT with the National Youth Council, officially recognised as a charity.
​NB: Just Act Gambia refers to the UK charity, JUST ACT to the NYC organisation
Development of JUST ACT
JUST ACT worked to enhance its profile and training efforts. Although political unrest in 2016/17 disrupted tourism, the arrival of a new government allowed for renewed European funding.
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2017: Janjanbureh Announced as The Second Tourist Destination
In November 2017, Janjanbureh was named Gambia’s second tourist destination, diversifying tourism from coastal resorts. JUST ACT was a key participant in this initiative, with 14 individuals trained as specialised tour guides and 5 chosen for advanced training to become Trainers of Trainers (TOTs) alongside Master Trainers and international tourism experts to enhance impact in The Gambia, in particular Janjanbureh.
​January 2018: The First Kankurang Festival
JUST ACT partnered with NatureFriends International, and local and national organisations attracting over 70 European visitors to the inaugural Kankurang Festival, solidifying its role in cultural tourism and securing a C-category membership for future sustainable initiatives.
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March 2018: Community-Based Tourism (CBT) was introduced, with TOTs developing models with local villages like Jamali and Tabanani, focusing on destination assessment, experience design, local capacity building, and sustainable tourism.
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2019: Janjanbureh Tour Guide Association was registered. It took the colloquial name
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Destination Janjanbureh
Hiking/cycling tours were developed, followed by kayaking training in 2020, leading to increased local youth engagement in tourism and improved income for the community through various tours .
The full original blog can be read here on My Gambia online Magazine
NB: The charity Just Act Gambia no longer operates as such but
Jane Smith continues to support the community and visits when possible
