Seven Years of Girls Talk Organisation: Why We Expanded to the U.S. and What Comes Next

On May 4th, 2025, Girls Talk Organisation marked seven years of advocacy, sisterhood, and steadfast commitment to the rights and well-being of girls and young women. What began as a grassroots movement in The Gambia grew into a trusted space for education, healing, and leadership, and in 2025, that journey reached a new chapter.

After years of community-based work, learning, and global engagement, Girls Talk Organisation officially registered in the United States, expanding its presence while remaining deeply rooted in its original mission and values.

Why the Expansion Happened

Participants gather in a supportive circle during the anxiety workshop at Girls Talk's inaugural Mind the Gap event in Los Angeles.

While contexts differ, Girls Talk observed shared realities: barriers to mental health support, stigma around survivorship, gender-based violence, digital harm, and systems that often silence girls’ voices. Over time, Girls Talk’s girl-centered, community-driven approach proved effective. In The Gambia, girls built confidence, strengthened leadership skills, and engaged critically with issues affecting their lives. As Girls Talk’s reach grew and connections with U.S.-based communities deepened, it became clear that this model could also serve girls navigating similar challenges in American contexts, particularly Black girls, girls of color, and immigrant girls from under-resourced communities.

The U.S. expansion was not about rapid growth or replication. It was a deliberate step grounded in experience, learning, and solidarity.

Girls Talk Organisation's Work in the United States So Far

Girls Talk’s work in the United States is still in its early stages. To date, the organisation has hosted one in-person community event—Mind the Gap: Mental Wellness & Violence Awareness Forum held in Los Angeles in collaboration with the Jenesse Center. This inaugural forum reflected the core pillars that guide Girls Talk’s work globally and offered a foundation for future programming in the U.S.:

A participant adds her thoughts to the "Gap and Growth" Walls at the Mind the Gap event in Los Angeles.

Mental Health & Wellbeing

Mind the Gap centered mental and emotional wellness through trauma-informed practices, grounding exercises, and healing spaces that encouraged reflection, rest, and access to support.

Confidence, Identity & Leadership

The forum created space for girls and young women to explore self-worth, identity, and voice, affirming lived experience and encouraging leadership through storytelling and shared dialogue.

Advocacy & Social Change

Conversations addressed gender-based violence, survivorship, and community safety, helping participants connect personal experience to broader systems and pathways for change.

Digital Empowerment & Collective Power

While early, the forum reinforced Girls Talk’s commitment to responsible storytelling, resource-sharing, and community connection, laying the groundwork for future digital engagement and advocacy work.

This first U.S. convening was not a conclusion, but a starting point, a way to listen, learn, and build relationships with intention.

A Shared Vision: The Gambia and the United States

Girls Talk’s expansion into the United States does not replace or diminish its work in The Gambia, which remains the organisation’s foundation and heartbeat. Programming in The Gambia continues to inform Girls Talk’s values, approaches, and understanding of what it means to build with girls rather than for them.

The work across both contexts is deeply connected, guided by the same commitment to healing justice, cultural responsiveness, and girl-centered leadership. Lessons learned in The Gambia shape how Girls Talk presents itself in U.S. communities, while insights from the U.S. help strengthen a global perspective rooted in shared experiences and mutual learning.

Girls Talk’s work is global in scope, but local in practice, honoring the realities, cultures, and voices of girls wherever they are.

Looking Ahead, Together

Reaching seven years was a moment of reflection and gratitude. The trust of girls has shaped Girls Talk’s journey, the dedication of mentors and volunteers, and the belief that safe, affirming spaces can change lives.

The expansion to the United States represents a careful and values-driven next step, one that will continue to grow with intention, accountability, and community at the center.

With every chapter, Girls Talk remains committed to the same truth: when girls are supported, heard, and empowered, they lead change, locally and globally.