Jomma Jarju

• This is the story of Jomma. A beautiful and smart Gambian girl, who grew up selling fruit along the roadside to pay for her schooling. Notwithstanding her big dreams to change life in her village, she married and had two children, and in her early thirties she found herself selling fruit at the market. One day a woman from the University of the Gambia came to buy fruit at her stand. After talking for a while, the woman asked Jomma: “what are you doing her? You belong in the University!” Jomma smiled and said, “this is just where I am, what I do.” But the woman insisted and supported her to start her academic studies.
  
• In 2006, her last year at the University, Jomma met with Better Future. Although she was older than the average student, they were convinced that she belonged in the first Fortis Future Leaders Program that was about to take place in The Gambia. What they saw was a true leader, with perseverance, a positive outlook on life and a story that could inspire many others with a dream. In the two-week program she met with 19 of her ambitious counterparts from The Gambia and The Netherlands, and was given the chance to develop her talents further.
  
• After the program, the start-up microfinance institute Reliance asked Better Future whether they knew any suitable people to strengthen their team. Jomma was one of the people proposed and selected. She worked hard and earned her marks quickly, heading the department that offers financial services to women groups within two years. In this position, Jomma is able to give hope and inspire many other women to develop themselves and change their communities.
  
• The song about Jomma by Joseph Bangura.