I AM AFRICAN & I CAN is a women's empowerment blog highlighting stories of Black women's struggles and successes. Their stories are a great source of inspiration for anyone seeking to learn from professionals who thrive in education, entrepreneurship, healthcare, engineering, architecture, accounting, law, and more.

Hadiatou Wann founded I AM AFRICAN & I CAN in 2013, then relaunched in 2018 to give African women and women of African descent a platform where they can embrace their identity, authentically share their unique stories, and leave a positive, and long-lasting stamp on the world.

Fatoumata Danso

Born and raised in The Gambia by a single mother, Fatoumata Danso from a young age was exposed to the “harsh realities of life” when her parents split. It forced her to mature and take responsibility for herself at the age of ten.

From junior high school, she oriented herself to become a gynecologist after realizing the lack of awareness girls and women in her community had about menstrual cycle, infections, and other female hygiene concerns. However, seven years plus four years of studies to become a gynecologist did not sit well with her. As she sought an alternative field of study, a friend of hers recommended computer science.

In 2022, without even knowing how to operate a computer, she enrolled at the University of The Gambia, which costs 38,000 Dalasi yearly (19,000 Dalasi per semester). After the first semester, she stopped attending because she could not afford tuition fees. Fatoumata views this rupture in her academic journey as a redirection rather than a setback. It’s “the way for Allah to guide me to the path He laid for me,” she expressed.