After a long and arduous journey across Europe, Mame Mor Diarra Dieng  chose to return to Joal-Fadiouth, Thies region in western Senegal, where he has built a stable life through hard work and determination. His story, marked by sacrifice and hope, embodies the resilience of a new generation that refuses to give up.

Amid rows of dried fish laid out on wooden racks, a dark-skinned man stands beneath the scorching sun, sweat glistening on his brow. He is Mame Mor Diarra Dieng. Tall and imposing, with a piercing yet warm gaze, he stands proudly behind his smoked fish stalls. Having returned home after a long period of migration, the medium-built man embodies the daily struggle to survive and to carve out a better future in Senegal.

In 2006, Mame Mor left the fishing trade to travel from Joal to Kafountine (editor’s note: southern Senegal), before embarking on a perilous journey. He spent nine days at sea in a pirogue (local fishing boat), enduring ten harrowing days before being rescued by the Spanish navy. “When the Spanish sailors rescued us, they took us to a refugee camp, where we stayed for 40 days. Then they asked if we had any family in Spain. I called a relative in Madrid,” he recalls, his voice tinged with emotion. The Spanish navy arranged transport to his host family and gave him some pocket money to get started.

He spent eleven years in Europe, working without papers in small shops and on farms. Life was harsh and marked by the constant fear of police checks, the instability of undocumented labour and the aching distance from his loved ones. “It was really difficult. I couldn’t find decent work, so I had to survive on odd jobs,” he says. The turning point came with tragedy: a close friend lost his life in an accident while searching for work. That moment of grief and disillusionment in 2017 made Mame Mor realise it was time to return home to Senegal.

Homecoming and career change

Back in Senegal, encouraged by his brother, he began processing fish in Joal-Fadiouth.  “My older brother lent me a room so I could start smoking fish,” he explains. Since then, Mame Mor has remained active in the sector, even managing to buy a small plot of land where he dries and smokes his fish. Despite ongoing economic challenges, he has worked hard to secure his future through this trade. However, the scarcity and rising cost of fish make his work increasingly difficult. He sells his products to Burkinabé buyers at prices ranging from 900 to 1,100 CFA francs per kilo, but often ends up incurring losses. The future remains uncertain. At times, Mame Mor Diarra thinks about leaving again, but this time, he is determined to do it legally, to avoid the deadly risks of irregular migration. His message to others is clear: “Travel legally, or stay home in Senegal.”