Meeting with Gambia
When I got on the plane to Gambia, I knew the journey would be educational -- but I had no idea how much it actually was was going to change me. I left with a desire to contribute for others, but it didn't take long for me to realize that I was going to be left with the greatest gift. Despite Gambia being among the world's poorest countries, I met a remarkable community and an inner strength that made strong impression. It is exactly this mental power that we can learn so much from in Norway, where we often have everything we need material set, yet can feel empty or dissatisfied. In Gambia, where the material is scarce, people find an incredible power through their relationships, gratitude, and their ability to find joy in the small. It inspired me.
In Gambia I met poverty up close, not only as an absence of money and material prosperity, but as a daily challenge that shapes the lives of people. In many ways, we can see it as a country that lacks the resources we take for granted in Norway — stable roads, reliable electricity supply, or access to healthcare at the same level we are used to.
The Smiling Coast
What really hit me is how the people of Gambia have developed such a strong mentality that allows them to meet these challenges. In a land with so many obstacles, humans have found a strength that goes far deeper than the surface. They have learned to accept what they cannot change, and rather focus on what they can actually do something about. It is precisely this ability to accept life for what it is, that gives them an inner peace and strength to face every day with a smile. This mental strength is not about disregarding the problems, but about facing them with a positive attitude and a belief in life. They showed me that despite the difficulties, life is full of possibilities. It was powerful for me to see how liberating acceptance is.
Some of the finest moments in Gambia were plainly the talks with people I met along the way. They radiated a strength I've rarely seen. I learned that it is in the most difficult relationships that people really develop the ability to find joy and courage. This became evident in how they faced each day, despite the challenges they had. It was in their ability to Smile and show care for each other that I saw the true wealth. They showed me the importance of focusing on what matters: community, gratitude, and love. When one lives with little, one learns to value what little one has, and to find joy in the small moments. In Gambia, it is through cohesion and the support of others that people find the strength to face challenges, and not through material possessions.
How to take it
Having the ability to accept what they cannot do anything about, and rather spend their energy on what they can influence, is a philosophy of life that we in Norway can really learn from. Most of us have access to everything we need in our daily lives, yet we can be characterized by stress, dissatisfaction, or a feeling that something is missing. The Gambia showed me that happiness does not depend on what we have, but how we choose to live with what we get.
Cultural meetings - a necessity
This trip to Gambia has given me a deeper understanding of why it is so important to challenge our own mental attitude. Gambia reminds us that in Norway we may focus too much on what we lack, and too little on what we have. It's about how we face challenges, how we share with others, and how we find gratitude in what we have. The mentality in Gambia offers us a reminder that wealth is not necessarily something we see in the bank account, but something that is found in our hearts, in our ability to be present to others, and in how we choose to live with what life gives us.
Some of the most memorable at my stay was how people in the Gambia met us -- not just with a smile, but with a smile that expressed a choice to face life with positivity, love and acceptance. These are lessons that are important to all of us. On the fellowship line we get the opportunity to explore these values, to meet other cultures and gain insight into how people in other parts of the world deal with life's challenges. The Gambia reminded me that we don't have to have much to live a rich life. It's about finding the strength within ourselves.
I am so glad that I have had the opportunity to be challenged in how I look at the world. Travelling to Gambia has taught me the importance of facing differences with openness, and how powerful it can be to engage. The world needs more than our help — it needs our understanding, our time and our heart. We need each other — both to move forward where we stand and to lift others where we have come further. It is precisely in this mutual engagement that we can bring about real change.
Travel to Gambia opened a new door for me -- that's where for the first time I really understood what matters to me. I feel there is still a lot for me to learn, understand and contribute - and in the autumn I will therefore to Vietnam at development studies. I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to experience Gambia, and now have the opportunity to continue this meaningful journey in Vietnam.
I hope you are inspired to lift your eyes — to engage. To travel, meet people, listen and learn. We have so much to gain from drawing inspiration from other cultures and their solutions to challenges we may not have even thought about. Their values and life perspectives can help us find meaning. Let's use the opportunity to see the world through a different perspective, share what we learn, and together create a better future For ourselves, for others, and for the world.
Written by fellow Ingvild Bruvoll Antonsen
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