The Africell Impact Foundation (AIF) is deepening its commitment to culture and community through its monthly Cultural Wednesdays, held at the AIF Creative Hub and Learning Center in The Gambia. Created as a platform to promote and educate people about Gambian heritage, the event brings together tradition, storytelling and artistic expression in a vibrant and engaging setting.
Each edition of Cultural Wednesdays shines a spotlight on a different ethnic group. From traditional dances and musical instruments to distinct genres and performance styles, audiences are treated not only to captivating performances but also to meaningful explanations about their origins, symbolism, and both historical and contemporary relevance. The result is an experience that is as educational as it is entertaining.
The art of storytelling is also being rekindled through the initiative. Through local folklore shared by skilled narrators, non-Gambians discover rich and timeless stories, while Gambians reconnect with memories from their childhood. The atmosphere is one of shared identity and cross-cultural appreciation.
Nafissatou Traore Badji, a Senegalese citizen living and working in The Gambia, expressed a nostalgic sense of joy at the experience. “Honestly the whole concept of the culture event was just so wholesome, fun and really took us all down memory lane. These are folktales that I listened to as a child in my country and hadn’t thought about in so many years. Hearing them today in The Gambia made me so happy and just shows me how close we really are.”
Africell’s CEO in The Gambia, Hussein Diab Ghanem, was equally moved. “I honestly felt like a child again hearing those songs that I used to sing with my family when they taught me those stories. The fact that my own children got to listen to them made me realize how much we really need to bring back storytelling into our lives.”
For many parents, Cultural Wednesdays also provide an opportunity for learning beyond the classroom. One attendee brought her son to a Wolof-themed edition of the event to support a school assignment about traditional dancing.
Beyond performance and storytelling, Cultural Wednesdays are evolving into a broader celebration of Gambian creativity. The platform will increasingly showcase local fashion, crafts, food and beverages, offering artisans and entrepreneurs an opportunity to present their work while reinforcing pride in national identity.