What we do
Explore how UNICEF works for the fulfilment of every right for every child in The Gambia.
Our work in The Gambia
For over 70 years, UNICEF has been working to save children's lives, defend their rights and help them realize their full potential. UNICEF is the largest international organization for the promotion and protection of the rights of children, with a presence in more than 190 countries and territories.
In The Gambia, UNICEF works with the Government to deliver services for children across the country. Guided by the principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF works to ensure every child survives and thrives, and is protected from violence, discrimination and all forms of harmful traditional practices.
Since 1965, we have partnered with the Government of The Gambia to strengthen national laws and policies and empower local communities to deliver better services for women and children. Our interventions are based on our Country Programme, signed with the Government of The Gambia. We implement our programmes in line with the country's National Development Plan 2017-2021, the United Nations Development Assistance Framework, and the Sustainable Development Goals.
To reach the most vulnerable communities and make the biggest impact, we've deployed our Ñsa Kenno (We can do it) model which is driven by the people we serve, and centres on community engagement as an integral part of a successful programming for change in behaviours and the creation of demand necessary to improve the health, social, and overall well-being of children in The Gambia. The model is based on the human-rights based approach to sustainable development, and is focused on delivering community-level services through the existing local governance structures with the inclusion and participation of children, youth, and other community members.
Our focus
Child survival and development
Our Child Survival and Development Programme contributes to the strengthening of health, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and nutrition systems in The Gambia, through service delivery for children and women across the country and empowerment of local communities and structures.
Protection and inclusion of children
Our Protection and Inclusion of Children programme focuses on strengthening the child protection and social protection systems to reduce violence against children and harmful traditional practices, making education more accessible to all children, and supporting the implementation of the new social protection policy.
Programme effectiveness
Our country programme is managed efficiently through well-coordinated, cross-sectoral interventions for gender, public policy advocacy, emergency preparedness and response, social behaviour change communication and monitoring and evaluation.
Our programmes
Where we work
Given the country’s small geographical area and population size, widespread poverty and limited human resource capacities, our country programme focuses on supporting the most deprived communities, based on evidence and in consultation with partners.
However, our work is spread across the country and reaches children and women in all seven regions.
