Meet Malick

Meet Malick.

17 years old and from Serekunda, Gambia.

To reach Lampedusa he crossed six countries: The Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and the most dangerous of all, Libya.

His journey took almost eight months. He traveled to Agadez, Niger for two weeks, then remained in the city for another two weeks while working.

Malick crossed the Sahara desert in the back of a pickup truck with 23 people with just two liters of water to drink.

He arrived in Sigaden*, Libya, where he stayed hidden for three days, then transferred to Sabha, Libya, where he remained for three weeks. Arab men attacked the camp. It was not safe.

He escaped from Sabha and traveled for nine days to Tripoli. Malick stayed in the Tripoli city limits for two weeks working, completing different tasks around the garden and house, but he was usually not paid for his work. With whatever money he managed to earn, much of which was saved from his time in Sabha, he bought his own food and water.

He left Tripoli for Sabratha and stayed at the coastal camp for five months, where over 500 people crowded the grounds.

Malick crossed the Mediterranean Sea on a Friday at midnight, 15 April 2017 in a rubber dinghy with 141 people, including one baby and 21 women, five of whom where pregnant. He was out to sea for 12 hours before being rescued by the Guardia Costiera. He landed in Lampedusa, Sicily at 6:00 a.m. on 16 April 2017.

Malick is an amazing human being.

*City name and spelling not verified.