Built with love by friends and family, to celebrate Laura & Dan's wedding

“Talokoto is an old rural settlement located within the Kombo area of The Gambia. The community lies approximately 3 km from the Senegalese border along the Selety road and about 15 km from the town of Brikama. The village is inhabited predominantly by members of the Jola and Mandinka ethnic groups, who have lived together in harmony for many years. The people of Talokoto are primarily engaged in subsistence agriculture, cultivating corn and groundnuts during the rainy season. During the dry season, women are involved in small-scale vegetable gardening, producing vegetables such as okra, pepper, and tomatoes for sale in nearby markets, particularly the Brikama Central Market. This seasonal livelihood helps sustain households but remains vulnerable to environmental challenges and limited access to essential resources. Talokoto is also notable for its female Alkalo (village head), a position she assumed in 2014 following the death of her father. Her leadership is a rare and inspiring example of women’s empowerment in traditional community governance within The Gambia. Despite its cultural and agricultural significance, the community faces serious water challenges. The only functional water well that once served the village has broken down, leaving residents especially women and children to walk long distances in search of clean drinking water. This has increased hardship, reduced productivity, and heightened health risks associated with the consumption of unsafe water sources.”

Drop4Drop In-country Partner

This project was undertaken as part of our campaign of projects that actively reduce carbon emissions. This project helped the community save their much needed wood which was previously being burnt daily to boil water. This project has also eliminated the many thousands of hours previously spent on walking to collect water.