About Us

About_INTBNINTBN provides free literacy, health education and economic self-sufficiency programs in The Gambia, West Africa and Chicago, IL U.S.A. Our basic literacy programs are for adult females 18 and older that cannot read, write or sign their name. The organization conducts health education workshops in Chicago and The Gambia that are tailored for the participants, health fairs and health literature.  We focus on health topics that affect Africa and the African American Community such as HIV/AIDS, STI(D)s, Malaria, Heart Disease, Hypertension, Diabetes, Mental Illness and other topics that affect the communities we serve .  Our educational material is in line and in compliance with local and international standards. INTBN also donates new and used usable goods to individuals, families, organizations, schools and communities when these items are available. INTBN is governed by an international board of directors in Chicago, IL, U.S.A. and has an advisory board in The Gambia that oversees Gambia specific projects.

We Need Your Help

Our goal for 2023 is to serve 40 women. We can do this with just $400 per woman.

We have reduced each class size from 30 to 20 students due to COVID to insure social distancing.

This includes:

  • Full participation in our free 9-month literacy program
  • Transportation back and forth to classes
  • Includes important education on health and wellness

We need your help to make this happen.

Donate Now !

Origins

VictoriaBlakeyINTBN was started and developed as a registered a nonprofit, charitable organization in The Gambia, West Africa.  In 2004,  Ms Victoria D Blakey began to teach basic health education on communicable as well as non communicable diseases to her neighbors in a local community while on a short stay in The Gambia.   These neighbors, knowing that she was a nurse would ask for different kinds of medications.  Ms Blakey didn’t have any medicine for them but what she did have was the information and or access to the information to help individuals and families take better care of themselves and treat some minor problems with nutrition and proper hygiene. A few weeks later Ms Blakey met a young school age local girl on the beach selling mangoes, bananas and peanuts from a tray the little girl carried on her head.  It was in a tourist area, which is not safe for children, especially young girls.  On her face this young girl wore a grimace and a look of confusion, but with deep knowing eyes.  She was not in school and had never been to school because she had to work to help support her family.  This young girl touched Ms Blakey’s heart and spirit to fund this young girl’s education and give minimal financial support to the family to supplement the loss wages of the little girl and other children like her.   The short stay became a very long stay. While praying for clarity on these new challenges in a new land Ms Blakey received her divine inspiration and understood her purpose.  Core essentials were missing for many, the ones needed to survive, progress and lead fulfilled lives.  Good health and education, this is the mission of INTBN. INTBN was registered in February of 2005 as a non profit, charitable organization in The Gambia, West Africa.  The organization was self funded and developed by Ms Blakey.  In June of 2008, INTBN registered in the state of Illinois, (Ms Blakey’s home state) as a charitable non profit organization to serve the Chicago land area.  The organization has been mainly self funded and has partners that contribute many of its educational material. Read Victoria’s Blog “A Journey, Everybody Has One” Read Victoria’s Book “Never a Mile from Home”