More than half the population of Gambia consists of children and young people. High unemployment forces many of these youths to become migrant workers in neighbouring countries or even refugees in Europe. But many young Gambians are talented in traditional arts and crafts, and one NGO that has seen the potential in this is Future for Young People. Working in the fishing village of Tanji, Future for Young People has developed a model where young Gambians can earn an income and share their artistic skills by giving art and craft workshops to tourists. Today the workshops take place at the purpose-built Franco Inn Guesthouse that caters specifically to tourists interested in this type of cultural experiences. Locals also participate in these workshops that hence also function as skill training, making Franco Inn not only a guesthouse but also a skill center that keeps Gambian culture alive.
Cultural tourism
Most Gambians may be poor in terms of material possessions but they posses a rich culture. But it is difficult for Gambian artists to find ways to use their skills in a productive way. In this context, Future for Young People provides talented young Gambians with a well needed platform by connecting them to tourists who are interested in Gambian culture. The project has given these young artists not only a chance to earn an income, but also a chance to share their skills and what they are passionate about.
Future for Young People facilitates cultural workshops for tourists, include djembé, dancing, batik painting, sand painting and cooking. Tourists can book workshops according to their own interests and a young local artist will be their teacher. 75% of the income from the workshops goes directly to the locals giving the workshops while the remaining 25% go towards maintenance and running costs.
In order to have space for the workshops, Future for Young People built a cultural center in Tanji. The workshops were run by Future for Young People at the cultural center for seven years, until a couple years ago when the NGO handed over the center to the community. This had been the plan from the beginning and the idea was to give the community something self-supporting, something that didn’t need support from donors or an NGO.
The problem was that no one from the community had been very involved in running the center and the workshops during the initial seven years. Hence, the community didn’t know how to continue or what to do with the center. The community failed to see the benefit of this type of tourism and so there are no more cultural workshops at the center like there was before. Today the center is mostly unused, except for a carpentry workshop where community members are provided with space, tools and guidance for carpentry work.
Franco Inn Guesthouse and Skill Center
Because the community wasn’t taking responsibility in organizing workshops even though the concept was clearly working, Franco Inn Guesthouse was founded to continue the workshop in a different format. As before, workshops are arranged based on what tourists ask for and there is also a djembé workshop every day. Local youths and children are welcome to participate in the workshops so that the skills can be passed on to the next generation of Gambians. More comprehensive skill training is also sponsored by Future for Young People so that the youths can earn certificates and improve their livelihoods.
The guesthouse was still under construction during my visit but once it is finished there will be workshops every day, whether there are tourists or not. The finished guesthouse will include a shop where artists can sell their produce and the income from the shop will help finance the workshops and skill training. This will make the whole project more sustainable and less reliant on tourism.
But tourism is nevertheless a key part of the concept. The cultural center didn’t have housing for tourists who stayed at regular hotels instead. One problem with tourism in Gambia is that lot of hotels in Gambia are owned by foreigners, which means a lot of money from tourists doesn’t reach the locals. At Franco Inn the situation is very different. Franco Inn exists because of the workshops and all visitors have to participate in at least one workshop. At Franco Inn tourism doesn’t just provide income, it also helps keep Gambian culture alive by facilitating an exchange between Gambian and Western cultures.
