Building a Culture of Reading Rooted in Gambian Experiences
"Creating a culture of reading is simple yet revolutionary."
That's the whole idea behind Mbife — because a child who sees themselves in a story doesn't just learn to read. They learn who they are.
The Mbife Foundation started as a child’s idea and grew into a movement. Every book on our shelves, every story we tell, is chosen because it reflects Gambian experiences, culture, and identity — children deserve stories that sound like home, not just stories that teach them to read.
"We just wanted a place with lots of books, where kids could hang out, read, create and fun!"
— Louis & Ella (aged 12 &9 ), whose idea started it all
What we do
Community libraries.
Classroom libraries.
Phonics that turns first sounds into first words.
Storytime that kids beg to stay for. All of it, all in partnership.
Libraries used to be where a community gathered, told stories, and passed things down — and we're bringing that back.
Our spaces aren't just about books on shelves.
They're for storytelling, art, word games, and soon, writing workshops where kids don't just read stories — they write their own.
Reading, writing, connection, culture. That's the whole point.
We grow through Partnership
Mbife doesn't grow alone, and it was never supposed to. Every library, every classroom shelf, every phonics session exists because a school, a restaurant, an organisation or buisness decided to build it with us.
If you believe what we believe, there's a place for you in this. That's not a tagline — it's how every single thing we've built actually got built.
More than a Library
Take a seat and enjoy the library
Big Plans
A few libraries was never the plan — it was the start.
We're growing toward more classrooms, writing workshops, play-based learning, and speech and language support for kids who need it most, in every community that'll have us.
Ongoing community giving — the same spirit that funded our very first library — is now funding our classroom libraries, one school at a time.
Grow with us!
“Creating a culture of reading is simple yet revolutionary.”
— Emily Joof, Author and CEO Mbife Foundation
