Gambian Migration seek better futures abroad, sending vital remittances home, but face immense risks and emotional tolls on families.
In Kwinella, Gambia, Binta Bah met her husband, Suleyman Bah, through a dating app and they got married over a video call, even though they only met in person once.
Suleyman decided to take a big risk and travel to Europe for better chances, and now he works in a factory in Germany.
He sends a lot of money back home, which is a huge help to Gambia’s economy, making up a quarter of all the money the country makes.
More Gambians are looking for a better life overseas. About 10% of Gambians have left, mostly young guys from the countryside, lured by the promise of a better future.
As they deal with more dangerous weather and less farming land, getting money from back home is super important for their families.
Moustapha Sabally, who works for the government in Kiang Central Province, says that without these funds, life would be really tough.
Even though the European Union is trying to stop people from moving, Gambians keep going on dangerous trips across the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea because they need money badly.
Sadly, a lot of them don’t make it; there have been a lot of bad incidents, like a boat that sank carrying Gambian and Senegalese migrants.
Moving away from home is really hard on families. They’re split up, missing each other, and have to rely on the money sent back to pay for school and basic stuff.
Musukebbe Manjang’s husband moved to Italy ten years ago and he’s missed a lot of family events, and he still feels really sad about it.
Eliman Jallow, who’s from Gambia but lives in the U.K., says that even though there are a lot of different stories from Gambians living abroad, the cost of living in Europe is making it harder for the money sent back to make a big difference.
But hearing about people who’ve succeeded can be really inspiring for young Gambians, pushing them to chase their dreams of a better life away.
As they post TikTok videos from their fancy homes, the idea of moving away from home keeps pulling young Gambians towards it.