About

Why this series exists.

The story

Lamin Ceesay is a native Mandinka speaker, writer and educator from The Gambia, now based in Milan, Italy. He is the author of the Learn Gambian Mandinka series — six volumes, a children’s series, dictionaries, flashcards and a free AI tutor, all built around one rule: every word is real, verified Mandinka.

Living far from home, he knows how easily a language can fade between generations — spoken at home, but never taught. The series exists to change that: to give the diaspora, their children, and every new learner a clear written path to speaking Gambian Mandinka with confidence.

Nothing in these pages is invented or guessed. Every Mandinka word is written, checked and confirmed by Lamin himself as a native speaker — so what you learn is the real language, as it is truly spoken in The Gambia.

Why it began

This series began at home. Lamin wanted his own son to grow up speaking Mandinka, the language of his family, even while being raised far from The Gambia. Looking around, he saw the same story in the homes of friends across Europe and beyond: parents who speak Mandinka every day, children who hear it but are never taught to read or write it, and a language quietly slipping out of reach with each generation.

So he started writing it down, first for one child, then for many. Everything here is built for the family at the kitchen table as much as the classroom: a father teaching a son, a mother and daughter sounding out their first words together, friends keeping their children connected to where they come from. That is who this is for.

The mission

Every word in this series is verified vocabulary, native-speaker-checked, never invented. The language, kept whole.

Get in touch

Questions, corrections, or just to say hello: info@learngambianmandinka.com

Or join the list — a little Mandinka in your inbox.