“The Migrants as Messengers project has given me more courage and has taught me to be more determined to reach my goals.”

When I think back on life before Migrants as Messengers, I know this project has had a huge impact on my advocacy and public speaking abilities. Participating in many trainings and awareness raising activities, I have learned new skills and became more confident.  Through this project, a lot has changed in my life. It has given me more courage and has taught me to be more determined to reach my goals. 

Working with my peers has contributed to my social reintegration, as it always made me happy to be around them during activities and trainings. They have been supportive and helpful in many ways. I feel safe with them because many of us have encountered similar situations in our journeys. The MaM Volunteers show each other empathy which has made working with them a positive experience. 

With MaM, I have participated in more activities than I can count. However, I must admit that the content I'm the proudest of is the "Forging New Opportunities in The Gambia” video. I'm proud of it because, the silver smith urges Gambians to learn skills to find and create employment opportunities. Instead of taking the backway, we should develop skills we can use to make it here in The Gambia and succeed together. I think Gambians can learn a lot from this video, which can be shared around the world. 

I'm sure we have done our best as the Volunteers and I have changed a lot of minds when it comes to irregular migration. By sharing our stories, we have shown people the reality of the backway, and changed the perceptions about fellow returnees.