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Viaje al país de los blancos
La odisea de un joven que arriesgó su vida por un futuro mejor. Mi nombre es Ousman Umar. Sé que nací un martes, no sé de qué mes ni de qué año porque en mi tribu eso no importa. Crecí en la sabana africana. Caminaba siete kilómetros para ir a la escuela. Mi vida era feliz y sencilla, hasta que un día, entre juegos, vi un avión volar. Desde ese momento quise ser piloto, ingeniero, todo, menos negro. La curiosidad por conocer el mundo me empujó a hacer un viaje sin retorno hacia el País de los Blancos. A los trece años crucé el Sahara a pie, el mar en patera y vi morir en el camino a la mayoría de mis compañeros de viaje, entre ellos a mi mejor amigo. Cuatro años después de comenzar esa hazaña, logré llegar a España y, tras varios meses durmiendo en la calle, me acogió una familia. La primera noche que dormí en su casa, pese a las comodidades y el confort, me puse a llorar como un niño. ¿Por qué había sufrido tanto? ¿Por qué tanta lucha? ¿Qué había hecho mal? Ahora, necesito contar esta historia, hasta que no haya más historias como esta que contar.
224 pages, Paperback
First published April 4, 2019
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December 20, 2022
4.5★
“The border between Niger and Libya is known as “the snakebite” because if anything happens to you there, you’re a goner.”
Ousman was a boy when he left his village to go to the land of the whites. He had no real idea of the perilous conditions he’d find himself in as he wound his way through deserts and over rocky terrain with smugglers who would leave travellers stranded to die.
Beginning at home in Ghana, it took him five years to travel north through to and around the top of Libya, then across to Algeria where he zig-zagged around, eventually going by dinghy into the Mediterranean.
This reads like a straight-forward journal, but the circumstances every day range from starvation, privation, occasional work (he was already a bit of an auto mechanic), abuse, and even boredom.
At nine, he was sent to a nearby town to learn a trade. He made friends with an older boy who planned to go to Libya to earn money and come back and marry his girlfriend. Ousman seems to have been a quick learner and a pretty handy mechanic by the time he went to the big port of Accra, where his eyes were opened to the outside world even more.
He had seen an airplane and been told it came from the land of the whites, where people were pilots and doctors. He had also seen movies in the village square once a month, so he and his friends were aware life was different elsewhere. Now he was seeing some of these people for himself.
He’d made friends with the truckers who came through, and one helped him start along his journey north.
“ ‘With expertise and skills like yours, you’ll get a job there, no problem,’ he assured me. ‘They’ll even pay you a decent salary.’”
I won’t attempt to summarise the hell trip across the Sahara, other than to say that of the 46 who were left stranded in the desert by a ‘guide’ to fend for themselves, only 6 survived, and he himself survived only because the 5 others carried him at the end.
“When I decided to leave for Europe, I had no idea that I would be traveling for four years, forced to trust my life to a patchwork network of smugglers. The journey led me to the Sahara, where I nearly died.”
I feel that his luck, such as it was, came from his youth and personality, his general helpfulness and talent for fixing things. He managed through many languages without knowing how to read or write. He seems to have been exceptionally resourceful, not to mention resilient.
He did get to Libya, and stayed in Benghazi, for a few years, earning money where he could, and learning what he was up against in his dream to go to Europe.
“Libya is in North Africa, and most people who live there aren’t Black, they’re Arab.
. . .
That was the first time I understood that there is a thing called “racism.” When I was in Ghana, in Black Africa, there was no racial discrimination
. . .
We didn’t even know that immigration is considered a problem in Europe. We were under the naïve impression that we would be welcomed with open arms.”
He knew how to hang on to whatever money he earned and spent it well. After leaving Libya, in one instance, he saved himself from an Algerian prison because he’d bought a bus ticket for a guy he befriended whose promise of having the right “connections” proved to be true.
It is all about connections – and money – and gaming the system. It is an industry.
“It’s true, though, that these organizations can acquire whatever documents you need, like a false passport. The different criminal organizations form a chain, and you work your way from one link to the next along your journey. It’s all connected.
. . .
Algeria receives economic support from France to stop migration, so in each prison, they gave us a different name. That way, they could claim they were detaining many more immigrants than they really were, and get more money. If it weren’t for that, I assume they would have brought us straight to our destination.”
After Algeria, on to Morocco.
“In the no-man’s-land between Algeria and Morocco, hidden from the world, lies the Valley, where the smuggler networks run a sort of autonomous state.”
Then a dinghy, one of two – the other sank and all on board drowned – and Spain. It’s an amazing story, all of it. It was 24 February 2005 when he reached Barcelona, The Promised Land.
It would be hard to say No to a smile like this!
He now lives in Europe and has an NGO to make sure the kids in Ghana will have a chance in the ‘real’ world, beyond where he grew up. It looks terrific. You can read a lot of his story there, and donate to the charity, too.
His NGO – NASCO Feeding Minds Digital Education in Ghana
https://nascoict.org/en/
In the afterword, he explains what he was up against.
“They do something in Ghana that, from a European perspective, could seem both peculiar and sad. Students learn how to use computers at school, but without actual computers in the classroom. The teacher draws everything on a chalkboard: the monitor, the icons and menus, the keyboard, the mouse, and so on. They teach Excel by drawing entire spreadsheets by hand. Students have to learn to use computers to pass the university entrance exams, but many Ghanaians won’t use these lessons until they see a computer. Some of them never will.”
And we complain about glitches on smartphones and tablets!
“The border between Niger and Libya is known as “the snakebite” because if anything happens to you there, you’re a goner.”
Ousman was a boy when he left his village to go to the land of the whites. He had no real idea of the perilous conditions he’d find himself in as he wound his way through deserts and over rocky terrain with smugglers who would leave travellers stranded to die.
Beginning at home in Ghana, it took him five years to travel north through to and around the top of Libya, then across to Algeria where he zig-zagged around, eventually going by dinghy into the Mediterranean.
This reads like a straight-forward journal, but the circumstances every day range from starvation, privation, occasional work (he was already a bit of an auto mechanic), abuse, and even boredom.
At nine, he was sent to a nearby town to learn a trade. He made friends with an older boy who planned to go to Libya to earn money and come back and marry his girlfriend. Ousman seems to have been a quick learner and a pretty handy mechanic by the time he went to the big port of Accra, where his eyes were opened to the outside world even more.
He had seen an airplane and been told it came from the land of the whites, where people were pilots and doctors. He had also seen movies in the village square once a month, so he and his friends were aware life was different elsewhere. Now he was seeing some of these people for himself.
He’d made friends with the truckers who came through, and one helped him start along his journey north.
“ ‘With expertise and skills like yours, you’ll get a job there, no problem,’ he assured me. ‘They’ll even pay you a decent salary.’”
I won’t attempt to summarise the hell trip across the Sahara, other than to say that of the 46 who were left stranded in the desert by a ‘guide’ to fend for themselves, only 6 survived, and he himself survived only because the 5 others carried him at the end.
“When I decided to leave for Europe, I had no idea that I would be traveling for four years, forced to trust my life to a patchwork network of smugglers. The journey led me to the Sahara, where I nearly died.”
I feel that his luck, such as it was, came from his youth and personality, his general helpfulness and talent for fixing things. He managed through many languages without knowing how to read or write. He seems to have been exceptionally resourceful, not to mention resilient.
He did get to Libya, and stayed in Benghazi, for a few years, earning money where he could, and learning what he was up against in his dream to go to Europe.
“Libya is in North Africa, and most people who live there aren’t Black, they’re Arab.
. . .
That was the first time I understood that there is a thing called “racism.” When I was in Ghana, in Black Africa, there was no racial discrimination
. . .
We didn’t even know that immigration is considered a problem in Europe. We were under the naïve impression that we would be welcomed with open arms.”
He knew how to hang on to whatever money he earned and spent it well. After leaving Libya, in one instance, he saved himself from an Algerian prison because he’d bought a bus ticket for a guy he befriended whose promise of having the right “connections” proved to be true.
It is all about connections – and money – and gaming the system. It is an industry.
“It’s true, though, that these organizations can acquire whatever documents you need, like a false passport. The different criminal organizations form a chain, and you work your way from one link to the next along your journey. It’s all connected.
. . .
Algeria receives economic support from France to stop migration, so in each prison, they gave us a different name. That way, they could claim they were detaining many more immigrants than they really were, and get more money. If it weren’t for that, I assume they would have brought us straight to our destination.”
After Algeria, on to Morocco.
“In the no-man’s-land between Algeria and Morocco, hidden from the world, lies the Valley, where the smuggler networks run a sort of autonomous state.”
Then a dinghy, one of two – the other sank and all on board drowned – and Spain. It’s an amazing story, all of it. It was 24 February 2005 when he reached Barcelona, The Promised Land.
It would be hard to say No to a smile like this!
He now lives in Europe and has an NGO to make sure the kids in Ghana will have a chance in the ‘real’ world, beyond where he grew up. It looks terrific. You can read a lot of his story there, and donate to the charity, too.
His NGO – NASCO Feeding Minds Digital Education in Ghana
https://nascoict.org/en/
In the afterword, he explains what he was up against.
“They do something in Ghana that, from a European perspective, could seem both peculiar and sad. Students learn how to use computers at school, but without actual computers in the classroom. The teacher draws everything on a chalkboard: the monitor, the icons and menus, the keyboard, the mouse, and so on. They teach Excel by drawing entire spreadsheets by hand. Students have to learn to use computers to pass the university entrance exams, but many Ghanaians won’t use these lessons until they see a computer. Some of them never will.”
And we complain about glitches on smartphones and tablets!
May 17, 2025
5/5 Estrellas
Hace poco comentábamos en una reseña si la parte emotiva, lo que te toca la fibra de un libro, contaba para la calificación final (las estrellitas que le pones en tu reseña), o sólo habría que considerar la parte literaria.
Pues bien, este libro desde un punto de vista literario no tendría ni media estrella.
Pero desde un punto de vista emotivo, transmite un mensaje de tal importancia, es un testimonio tan relevante, que se merece 5, 100, 1000 estrellas. Sobre todo en los tiempos que corren, en los que la ola reaccionaria que recorre el mundo pretende demonizar el fenómeno migratorio y a la pobre gente que se juega el pellejo cada día, intentando buscar una vida mejor, que digo, una simple vida digna de tal nombre. Sobre todo a los que vienen de África.
Ousman nos narra su periplo desde Ghana, hasta Barcelona. Salió con 13 años y llegó con 17 (aunque él ni sabía su edad). 4 años de jugarse la vida, de desierto, pateras, guetos, abusos, mafias, torturas, desesperación y miedo, mucho miedo.
Pero 4 años también de esperanza, por intentar llegar a lo que él llamaba el Paraíso de los blancos.
Un paraíso que para muchos se convierte en un nuevo infierno. Diferente, pero infierno al fin y al cabo, incapaces de salir de la marginación en la que permanecen y de la que en muchos casos no queremos que salgan.
Ousman tuvo suerte, mucha suerte. Encontró a dos ángeles de la guarda, que lo sacaron de la calle y le dieron una nueva vida. Esa gente buena que hay en el mundo. Ahora se dedica a ayudar allí donde se deben hacer las cosas, en origen, en su país, intentando darle una educación a los niños que les permita tener un futuro en su propia tierra y no tener que jugarse la vida allende los mares. Porque Ousman llego, pero miles se quedan cada año en el camino. Nunca sabremos sus nombres, pero sus osamentas quedan en el desierto o bajo el mar o en las fosas comunes. Ousman los vio, este es su testimonio.
El pobre chaval se pregunta: ¿Porqué he tenido yo que pasar por todo esto? ¿Porqué han muerto mis amigos? ¿Porqué yo y no ellos (nosotros)? ¿Quién danza los dados que deciden tu lugar de nacimiento?
Si este tipo de libro se leyera en las escuelas, cuantos haters nos ahorraríamos. Aunque tal y como están las cosas hasta te denuncian por adoctrinamiento.
El que quiera saber que lo lea. El que pueda levantar un momento su mirada de la pantalla con la que se está entonteciendo que lo lea. Y el que tenga un mínimo resquicio de humanidad, que lo lea también.
Creo que ya lo he dicho, leedlo. Enteraos de lo que pasa, de primera mano.
Volvamos a la ficción, que la realidad es muy dura.
Hace poco comentábamos en una reseña si la parte emotiva, lo que te toca la fibra de un libro, contaba para la calificación final (las estrellitas que le pones en tu reseña), o sólo habría que considerar la parte literaria.
Pues bien, este libro desde un punto de vista literario no tendría ni media estrella.
Pero desde un punto de vista emotivo, transmite un mensaje de tal importancia, es un testimonio tan relevante, que se merece 5, 100, 1000 estrellas. Sobre todo en los tiempos que corren, en los que la ola reaccionaria que recorre el mundo pretende demonizar el fenómeno migratorio y a la pobre gente que se juega el pellejo cada día, intentando buscar una vida mejor, que digo, una simple vida digna de tal nombre. Sobre todo a los que vienen de África.
Ousman nos narra su periplo desde Ghana, hasta Barcelona. Salió con 13 años y llegó con 17 (aunque él ni sabía su edad). 4 años de jugarse la vida, de desierto, pateras, guetos, abusos, mafias, torturas, desesperación y miedo, mucho miedo.
Pero 4 años también de esperanza, por intentar llegar a lo que él llamaba el Paraíso de los blancos.
Un paraíso que para muchos se convierte en un nuevo infierno. Diferente, pero infierno al fin y al cabo, incapaces de salir de la marginación en la que permanecen y de la que en muchos casos no queremos que salgan.
Ousman tuvo suerte, mucha suerte. Encontró a dos ángeles de la guarda, que lo sacaron de la calle y le dieron una nueva vida. Esa gente buena que hay en el mundo. Ahora se dedica a ayudar allí donde se deben hacer las cosas, en origen, en su país, intentando darle una educación a los niños que les permita tener un futuro en su propia tierra y no tener que jugarse la vida allende los mares. Porque Ousman llego, pero miles se quedan cada año en el camino. Nunca sabremos sus nombres, pero sus osamentas quedan en el desierto o bajo el mar o en las fosas comunes. Ousman los vio, este es su testimonio.
El pobre chaval se pregunta: ¿Porqué he tenido yo que pasar por todo esto? ¿Porqué han muerto mis amigos? ¿Porqué yo y no ellos (nosotros)? ¿Quién danza los dados que deciden tu lugar de nacimiento?
Si este tipo de libro se leyera en las escuelas, cuantos haters nos ahorraríamos. Aunque tal y como están las cosas hasta te denuncian por adoctrinamiento.
El que quiera saber que lo lea. El que pueda levantar un momento su mirada de la pantalla con la que se está entonteciendo que lo lea. Y el que tenga un mínimo resquicio de humanidad, que lo lea también.
Creo que ya lo he dicho, leedlo. Enteraos de lo que pasa, de primera mano.
Volvamos a la ficción, que la realidad es muy dura.
March 28, 2024
Pues ha sido todo un viaje, pero quizás la forma tan escueta de hablar del viaje, no parándose mucho tiempo en cada lugar al que llega le ha restado algo de dramatismo o de profundidad, aun eso es un viaje terrible, desde Ghana hasta llegar a Europa, concretamente a España.
Es una biografía escrita por el mismo, al ser de poca extension, lo que comentaba antes de falta de profundidad en cada situación dura en la que se ve envuelto, que hay que recordar, que inició el viaje con solo 12-13 años!!!
Me ha gustado el epílogo, donde se muestra como es su situación actual y todo lo que ha logrado.
Valoración: 7.75/10
Sinopsis: La odisea de un joven que arriesgó su vida por un futuro mejor. Mi nombre es Ousman Umar. Sé que nací un martes, no sé de qué mes ni de qué año porque en mi tribu eso no importa. Crecí en la sabana africana. Caminaba siete kilómetros para ir a la escuela. Mi vida era feliz y sencilla, hasta que un día, entre juegos, vi un avión volar. Desde ese momento quise ser piloto, ingeniero, todo, menos negro. La curiosidad por conocer el mundo me empujó a hacer un viaje sin retorno hacia el País de los Blancos. A los trece años crucé el Sahara a pie, el mar en patera y vi morir en el camino a la mayoría de mis compañeros de viaje, entre ellos a mi mejor amigo. Cuatro años después de comenzar esa hazaña, logré llegar a España y, tras varios meses durmiendo en la calle, me acogió una familia. La primera noche que dormí en su casa, pese a las comodidades y el confort, me puse a llorar como un niño. ¿Por qué había sufrido tanto? ¿Por qué tanta lucha? ¿Qué había hecho mal? Ahora, necesito contar esta historia, hasta que no haya más historias como esta que contar.
Es una biografía escrita por el mismo, al ser de poca extension, lo que comentaba antes de falta de profundidad en cada situación dura en la que se ve envuelto, que hay que recordar, que inició el viaje con solo 12-13 años!!!
Me ha gustado el epílogo, donde se muestra como es su situación actual y todo lo que ha logrado.
Valoración: 7.75/10
Sinopsis: La odisea de un joven que arriesgó su vida por un futuro mejor. Mi nombre es Ousman Umar. Sé que nací un martes, no sé de qué mes ni de qué año porque en mi tribu eso no importa. Crecí en la sabana africana. Caminaba siete kilómetros para ir a la escuela. Mi vida era feliz y sencilla, hasta que un día, entre juegos, vi un avión volar. Desde ese momento quise ser piloto, ingeniero, todo, menos negro. La curiosidad por conocer el mundo me empujó a hacer un viaje sin retorno hacia el País de los Blancos. A los trece años crucé el Sahara a pie, el mar en patera y vi morir en el camino a la mayoría de mis compañeros de viaje, entre ellos a mi mejor amigo. Cuatro años después de comenzar esa hazaña, logré llegar a España y, tras varios meses durmiendo en la calle, me acogió una familia. La primera noche que dormí en su casa, pese a las comodidades y el confort, me puse a llorar como un niño. ¿Por qué había sufrido tanto? ¿Por qué tanta lucha? ¿Qué había hecho mal? Ahora, necesito contar esta historia, hasta que no haya más historias como esta que contar.
May 31, 2023
This book was made available by Amazon on World Book Day for free, but I originally read it in spanish. I would not ordinarily pick this up. I'm more a horror, mystery, science fiction, kind of guy, but occasionally I dabble in other genres in the hope of finding something truly special (like another WBD offering: The Ardent Swarm. Check out my review for more info.)
Although Ousman Umar's memoir is fascinating, it doesn't pack the emotional punch of Trevor Noah's Born a Crime. I take nothing away from Umar's journey to Spain from Ghana. He was 12-years-old when he left and it took him 5 years to arrive. He walked through desert, navigating the trepidatious networks of smugglers, grifters, and would-be rapists. He climbed aboard a packed dinghy that made it to within a mile of shore, and he along with a handful of other migrants made it to freedom as the vast majority drowned because they could not swim.
He experienced violence, racism, and exploitation, but there were some who offered him assistance, understanding, and love. Despite being a stranger in a strange land, he found bonds that were almost as strong as the natural bonds of his family and village in Ghana. This is a book of triumph, and it's pretty darn good.
Although Ousman Umar's memoir is fascinating, it doesn't pack the emotional punch of Trevor Noah's Born a Crime. I take nothing away from Umar's journey to Spain from Ghana. He was 12-years-old when he left and it took him 5 years to arrive. He walked through desert, navigating the trepidatious networks of smugglers, grifters, and would-be rapists. He climbed aboard a packed dinghy that made it to within a mile of shore, and he along with a handful of other migrants made it to freedom as the vast majority drowned because they could not swim.
He experienced violence, racism, and exploitation, but there were some who offered him assistance, understanding, and love. Despite being a stranger in a strange land, he found bonds that were almost as strong as the natural bonds of his family and village in Ghana. This is a book of triumph, and it's pretty darn good.
June 13, 2022
Ousman Umar’s 2019 non-fiction account of his migration from rural Ghana to Barcelona was a no-nonsense account of this area of our contemporary world.
Umar’s upbringing in Ghana, in a small and remote village, seemed bucolic and peaceful. He was the son of a village shaman and so had some privileges, though his life was as simple as most of the other people living there. He needed and wanted to move to Europe so he began his trek across the Saharan desert to Libya, Tunisia, Morroco, and Mauritania before finally arriving in Spain.
What stands out in this autobiography is the underground network of illegal and sketchy people who “help” immigrants. Ousman encountered more than his share of human trafficking, prostitution, drugs and violence as he made his way north. The text is frequently disturbing but also powerful in that Umar demonstrates a pragmatic resiliency that is inspiring.
This first person account should be read by anyone interested in immigration from Africa and for a glimpse into this part of the world now.
Umar’s upbringing in Ghana, in a small and remote village, seemed bucolic and peaceful. He was the son of a village shaman and so had some privileges, though his life was as simple as most of the other people living there. He needed and wanted to move to Europe so he began his trek across the Saharan desert to Libya, Tunisia, Morroco, and Mauritania before finally arriving in Spain.
What stands out in this autobiography is the underground network of illegal and sketchy people who “help” immigrants. Ousman encountered more than his share of human trafficking, prostitution, drugs and violence as he made his way north. The text is frequently disturbing but also powerful in that Umar demonstrates a pragmatic resiliency that is inspiring.
This first person account should be read by anyone interested in immigration from Africa and for a glimpse into this part of the world now.
February 6, 2022
Book 7: #ReadingBlackout for Feb.
⭐ Rating: 5 stars
📖 Format: ebook (Amazon First Reads)
💭 Thoughts: Ousman's journey is nothing short of miraculous! I can't even believe a child endured so much and lived to tell about it.
He is the definition of perseverance and strength (with a sprinkle of luck 😉). I'm inspired! Thank you Ousman for sharing your journey with the world. 🙌❤️
Quotes: "One of the saddest things I learned on my journey is that in this life, no one gives you anything for free."
"Given all the hardship I’ve experienced, it would be easy to think that the world is full of bad people, but I prefer to think that most people are good. It’s just that the good people make less noise."
⭐ Rating: 5 stars
📖 Format: ebook (Amazon First Reads)
💭 Thoughts: Ousman's journey is nothing short of miraculous! I can't even believe a child endured so much and lived to tell about it.
He is the definition of perseverance and strength (with a sprinkle of luck 😉). I'm inspired! Thank you Ousman for sharing your journey with the world. 🙌❤️
Quotes: "One of the saddest things I learned on my journey is that in this life, no one gives you anything for free."
"Given all the hardship I’ve experienced, it would be easy to think that the world is full of bad people, but I prefer to think that most people are good. It’s just that the good people make less noise."
February 3, 2024
Ousman’s story is one worth reading, and Ousman himself is an example of true bravery, perseverance, and optimism despite the odds.
Ousman’s journey across a continent and then an ocean in search of a life of opportunity was harrowing and horrific, to say the least. The suffering and challenges he faced while still a child were hard to fully grasp, but his unwavering commitment to his goal was an inspiration.
This is a very short read and written in quite a matter-of-fact manner, yet the emotions it stirred in me were overwhelming. Please read this memoir!
Trigger/Content Warnings: child labour, death of a parent, forced confinement, death, imprisonment, trafficking, violence, police brutality, misogyny, attempted sexual assault, drowning, homelessness, and more.
You can find me on...
Youtube | Instagram | TikTok
You can join our book club over on Patreon...
PBB Book Club
Ousman’s journey across a continent and then an ocean in search of a life of opportunity was harrowing and horrific, to say the least. The suffering and challenges he faced while still a child were hard to fully grasp, but his unwavering commitment to his goal was an inspiration.
This is a very short read and written in quite a matter-of-fact manner, yet the emotions it stirred in me were overwhelming. Please read this memoir!
Trigger/Content Warnings: child labour, death of a parent, forced confinement, death, imprisonment, trafficking, violence, police brutality, misogyny, attempted sexual assault, drowning, homelessness, and more.
You can find me on...
Youtube | Instagram | TikTok
You can join our book club over on Patreon...
PBB Book Club
April 11, 2021
Las historias reales siempre son duras. Ousman es un niño que huye de su país natal buscando el paraíso soñado y engañado por las mafias prometiéndoles un viaje y lugar de ensueño, y tras perder a mucha gente por el camino, y un viaje durísimo atravesando el desierto y el mar, llegan a un lugar donde no lo tienen nada fácil y nada que ver con el sueño que les prometieron.
Ousman nos cuenta sus vivencias y nos da una lección, que la solución está en el origen y la educación, que con educación y avances ningún niño debería huir de su país en busca de una quimera irreal, porque él al fin y al cabo tuvo suerte.
No le pongo más estrellas porque a pesar de ser una historia dura y emotiva no me ha llegado a transmitir la forma en la que está narrada, un relato breve, sin profundizar demasiado en sentimentalismos.
Ousman nos cuenta sus vivencias y nos da una lección, que la solución está en el origen y la educación, que con educación y avances ningún niño debería huir de su país en busca de una quimera irreal, porque él al fin y al cabo tuvo suerte.
No le pongo más estrellas porque a pesar de ser una historia dura y emotiva no me ha llegado a transmitir la forma en la que está narrada, un relato breve, sin profundizar demasiado en sentimentalismos.
March 18, 2022
In this slim and powerful memoir, Ousman Umar recounts the story of his harrowing journey from his native Ghana to ‘the Land of the Whites’ in search of a better life. Ousman left his village at a very young age to find work in a nearby town and it becomes his dream to emigrate to Europe.
My god, it’s an awful story and I could persevere only because I knew it ended well – otherwise he wouldn’t have lived to tell it. Especially the story of the crossing of the Sahara is chilling. An important reminder of how lucky we are to live in wealth and freedom and also of the importance of human kindness.
My god, it’s an awful story and I could persevere only because I knew it ended well – otherwise he wouldn’t have lived to tell it. Especially the story of the crossing of the Sahara is chilling. An important reminder of how lucky we are to live in wealth and freedom and also of the importance of human kindness.
March 9, 2023
It’s rather hard rating someone’s memoir – feels like rating someone’s lived experience. I think there are mostly two kinds of memoirs out there. Either written by someone who lived through something exceptional, or someone who lived a standard issue life, but someone who can write exceptionally.*
Umar’s memoir is definitely the former. The writing is functional at best, but the story is so engaging and outrageous that makes the reader a lot more forgiving.
It’s a story of the author’s trek from rural Ghana to the ‘North’, which in his cased turned out to be Barcelona, which started when Umar was just 13 years old. It seems a miracle he survived to tell the tale. Even though, his story had a happy ending, it’s hardly an uplifting book. I just couldn’t help but think of all those (a vast majority), whom Umar met along the way, whose fates were much worse. If you are looking for a factual and detailed document of a migrant’s journey, grab a copy.
(Also worth noting Umar wrote this in Spanish, not his first language)
*I know there are some memoirs that talk about exceptional things in an exceptional way, but it is rare.
Umar’s memoir is definitely the former. The writing is functional at best, but the story is so engaging and outrageous that makes the reader a lot more forgiving.
It’s a story of the author’s trek from rural Ghana to the ‘North’, which in his cased turned out to be Barcelona, which started when Umar was just 13 years old. It seems a miracle he survived to tell the tale. Even though, his story had a happy ending, it’s hardly an uplifting book. I just couldn’t help but think of all those (a vast majority), whom Umar met along the way, whose fates were much worse. If you are looking for a factual and detailed document of a migrant’s journey, grab a copy.
(Also worth noting Umar wrote this in Spanish, not his first language)
*I know there are some memoirs that talk about exceptional things in an exceptional way, but it is rare.
March 14, 2025
I found this book on Kindle free books, and the topic was catching, it tells the plight of young Ghanaian boy over 5 years to reach his dream of living in Barcelona.
The book is short, around 150 pages, and not for the lack of material. On the contrary, the book focuses on the important parts of the author's journey with no needless expansion on minute details to fill a book. It was a challenge definitely to put all those years in only 150 pages!
This is a telling of the hardships of thousands who decide to leave everything despite what little they may have, in their homelands, to pursue the dreams of going to the modern world, and the perils they go through to achieve their dreams, even after all the risks and death they go through, to start their lives as illegal migrants or refugees in another country that will (in many cases) refuse to recognize them, or integrate them within their societies, they are forever outsiders.
These communities exist in most north african and european countries, and this book opens your eyes to their tales of suffering, hardships, hopes, and dreams...
MiM
The book is short, around 150 pages, and not for the lack of material. On the contrary, the book focuses on the important parts of the author's journey with no needless expansion on minute details to fill a book. It was a challenge definitely to put all those years in only 150 pages!
This is a telling of the hardships of thousands who decide to leave everything despite what little they may have, in their homelands, to pursue the dreams of going to the modern world, and the perils they go through to achieve their dreams, even after all the risks and death they go through, to start their lives as illegal migrants or refugees in another country that will (in many cases) refuse to recognize them, or integrate them within their societies, they are forever outsiders.
These communities exist in most north african and european countries, and this book opens your eyes to their tales of suffering, hardships, hopes, and dreams...
MiM
June 28, 2023
Memoir of the Ousman Umar’s journey from his home in Ghana through many African countries (Togo, Burkina Faso, Niger, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco), and finally ending up in Spain. He started his journey at age twelve and traveled unaccompanied. He met people who took advantage of his youth and also those who offered to help. He endured many hardships, the most vivid to me was the group of around forty people who paid smugglers to take them through the desert and being abandoned with little water or food. Only six made it. It is structured chronologically, starting with his family’s situation in Ghana and ending when he gets established in Barcelona, at age seventeen. It is written in a straight-forward manner. I admire his determination, especially at such a young age. He almost died a number of times but managed to retain his optimism. Recommended to anyone who wants to learn more about African emigration experiences. I also think high school students would enjoy reading about Umar’s journey at a comparable age.
May 3, 2022
Educational
It’s an absolutely terrific book. It’s about the journey of a man out of Ghana and into Spain.
Once again, by reading a book about migrants I learned so much about their journey, struggles, their pains and how much people try to take advantage of them.
I really enjoyed this book and I recommend it
It’s an absolutely terrific book. It’s about the journey of a man out of Ghana and into Spain.
Once again, by reading a book about migrants I learned so much about their journey, struggles, their pains and how much people try to take advantage of them.
I really enjoyed this book and I recommend it
January 8, 2022
Un viaje durísimo y profundo que te rompe.
Mucha gente debería leer esto cuando hablan de la inmigración.
Mucha gente debería leer esto cuando hablan de la inmigración.
October 5, 2022
לסקירה מפורטת בעברית קישור לבלוג שלי -
https://sivi-the-avid-reader.com/nort...
https://sivi-the-avid-reader.com/nort...
March 12, 2025
Esta es la cruda historia de Ousman, un inmigrante ghanés que narra su periplo hasta llegar a España. Con un estilo sencillo y directo, con el que busca transmitir su viaje sin sentimentalismos, mostrando la crudeza y todo el horror de una experiencia que miles de personas no pueden llegar a contar, Ousman es la cara visible de la vida de tantos niños que buscan alcanzar el ansiado País de los Blancos.
July 30, 2022
North to Paradise is a short memoir by Ousman Umar. Ousman Umar was born in a remote village in Ghana. At the age of perhaps 13 (since he didn’t know which year he was born), he decided to migrate to Europe. The journey took him 5 years. Ousman could have died a dozen of times–died of starvation or thirst in the desert, killed by smugglers, killed by the Libyan or Tunisan police or died in Arabic prisons, drowned in the Mediterranean Sea, or, in the end, after having arrived in Spain, killed by the gangs who took advantages of the new migrants. He suffered greatly but survived. The author attributed his success to sheer luck and the occasional kindness he encountered on the road. I would add his personality too. He seemed so clear-eyed, and the amount of hardship didn’t wash off his compassion and decency. While staying in a brothel in Libyan, he was very sympathetic to the trafficked black African women kept as slaves. The author criticised these Northern African countries for their racial and gender discriminative norms.
Since he was still a minor (determined by x-ray bone age testing), Ousman was allowed to stay. He was adopted by a kind Spanish couple, learned Spanish, finished school and went to college. Today Ousman Umar is the head of a NGO called NASCO Feeding Minds, whose goal is to improve education and provide opportunities for Ghanaian youth so they don’t have to set out for the journey Ousman did.
Why did he decide to leave his home at such a young age? Because of the lack of opportunity, but, I’d say, his wanderlust too.
The book is written in a matter of fact way, without much description. Many lessons can be learned from this book. From different angles, many arguments can be made. It reminds of the chapter about Immigration in Yuval Noah Harari’s 21 Lessons for the 21st Century.
Since he was still a minor (determined by x-ray bone age testing), Ousman was allowed to stay. He was adopted by a kind Spanish couple, learned Spanish, finished school and went to college. Today Ousman Umar is the head of a NGO called NASCO Feeding Minds, whose goal is to improve education and provide opportunities for Ghanaian youth so they don’t have to set out for the journey Ousman did.
Why did he decide to leave his home at such a young age? Because of the lack of opportunity, but, I’d say, his wanderlust too.
The book is written in a matter of fact way, without much description. Many lessons can be learned from this book. From different angles, many arguments can be made. It reminds of the chapter about Immigration in Yuval Noah Harari’s 21 Lessons for the 21st Century.
April 2, 2021
Duro pero MARAVILLOSO. Ousman nos invita a conocer su país de origen, su tribu y su cultura. Y nos hace acompañarle en su duro viaje desde Ghana hasta esa Tierra Prometido que sería el país de los blancos.
En el camino viviremos en nuestra propia piel las miserias y el dolor que pasan tanto Ousman como otra muchísima gente para intentar llegar a lo que consideran un mundo nuevo y mejor. Ousman es una afortunado, consiguió llegar. Pero mucha otra gente no llega, se queda por el camino, y es que hay demasiadas piedras en el mismo.
Desde Ghana a Barcelona pasando por Burkina, Níger, Libia, Mauritania y Formentera, entre otros lugares. Una historia de supervivencia, para que otras personas no tengan que vivir esta historia.
En la reseña de su segundo libro os contaré mucho más de la organización (NASCO) y proyectos que tiene entre manos. El 21 de abril además lo tendremos aquí en directo en las entrevistas.
¿Conocéis la historia de Ousman? ¿Habías oído hablar de su organización NASCO feedings Minds? ¿Seríais capaz de dejar toda vuestra vida y familia atrás para intentar llegar a la Tierra Prometida?
En el camino viviremos en nuestra propia piel las miserias y el dolor que pasan tanto Ousman como otra muchísima gente para intentar llegar a lo que consideran un mundo nuevo y mejor. Ousman es una afortunado, consiguió llegar. Pero mucha otra gente no llega, se queda por el camino, y es que hay demasiadas piedras en el mismo.
Desde Ghana a Barcelona pasando por Burkina, Níger, Libia, Mauritania y Formentera, entre otros lugares. Una historia de supervivencia, para que otras personas no tengan que vivir esta historia.
En la reseña de su segundo libro os contaré mucho más de la organización (NASCO) y proyectos que tiene entre manos. El 21 de abril además lo tendremos aquí en directo en las entrevistas.
¿Conocéis la historia de Ousman? ¿Habías oído hablar de su organización NASCO feedings Minds? ¿Seríais capaz de dejar toda vuestra vida y familia atrás para intentar llegar a la Tierra Prometida?
May 28, 2022
2.5 stars. It’s incredible what this author went through and his journey was extremely difficult, and I don’t diminish that at all with my rating. I just was not a fan of the writing- it was so short, just one sentence after another of “this happened, then this happened”. Although he went through so many struggles I didn’t feel connected to the narrator, never got to really be inside his head even though it was first person POV, and there weren’t descriptions of the places so it was hard to picture anything.
May 11, 2022
Fascinating
Just fascinating. Scary, sad and beautiful at the same time. Appreciate Ousman sharing his story. Love the photos at the end!
Just fascinating. Scary, sad and beautiful at the same time. Appreciate Ousman sharing his story. Love the photos at the end!
February 15, 2022
Harrowing and heartfelt story
This was a truly inspiring and motivating book and long journey. Ousman has been through a bell of a lot from his home in Ghana through the Sahara desert and Libya to his now home of Barcelona. I'm so glad he made it and it made me think a lot. I've had my troubles in life but they pale in comparison to ousmans life. Just to think he was so fortunate in his arduous journey where many bad things can happen and actually did happen. From the sands of the Sahara to the choppy seas in a dinghy one thing that ousman has in abundance is resilience. He will never quit or lie down he will fight for life. This is truly admirable as he must of had moments where he thought I'm now exhausted leave me in peace! It's a truly inspiring book and who knows where the next chapter in the author's life will take him. We do live in an uncertain world, a dangerous world too at times but I feel ousman is well equipped to withstand the battle. My problems seem so small to the author. There is a saying that life is what you make it! To me this is so true. The obstacles put in the author's way were so tough to deal with. Nobody should have these experiences. But unfortunately they do everyday. Everyday migrants put their lives on the line to seek a better life and world. It is so easy to reject this notion with a smattering of arrogance and ignorance but put yourself in their shoes. To walk one mile in ousman or any other migrants shoes is a mile of hell. I applaud this book to the rafters. For all its sadness ,like losing his great friend musa, witnessing such horrors and seeing such hatred and ignorance,greed and exploitation, ousman has come out the other side. I for one would welcome him to my home for a cup of tea his journey has been more interesting than mine, yet I see he would smile and be curious of my life too! His character and personality shine through the book from beginning to end. More books please ousman!
This was a truly inspiring and motivating book and long journey. Ousman has been through a bell of a lot from his home in Ghana through the Sahara desert and Libya to his now home of Barcelona. I'm so glad he made it and it made me think a lot. I've had my troubles in life but they pale in comparison to ousmans life. Just to think he was so fortunate in his arduous journey where many bad things can happen and actually did happen. From the sands of the Sahara to the choppy seas in a dinghy one thing that ousman has in abundance is resilience. He will never quit or lie down he will fight for life. This is truly admirable as he must of had moments where he thought I'm now exhausted leave me in peace! It's a truly inspiring book and who knows where the next chapter in the author's life will take him. We do live in an uncertain world, a dangerous world too at times but I feel ousman is well equipped to withstand the battle. My problems seem so small to the author. There is a saying that life is what you make it! To me this is so true. The obstacles put in the author's way were so tough to deal with. Nobody should have these experiences. But unfortunately they do everyday. Everyday migrants put their lives on the line to seek a better life and world. It is so easy to reject this notion with a smattering of arrogance and ignorance but put yourself in their shoes. To walk one mile in ousman or any other migrants shoes is a mile of hell. I applaud this book to the rafters. For all its sadness ,like losing his great friend musa, witnessing such horrors and seeing such hatred and ignorance,greed and exploitation, ousman has come out the other side. I for one would welcome him to my home for a cup of tea his journey has been more interesting than mine, yet I see he would smile and be curious of my life too! His character and personality shine through the book from beginning to end. More books please ousman!
April 24, 2022
North to Paradise is the memoir of Ousman Umar, a Ghanaian immigrant to Spain. On the first leg of his journey (Ghana to Libya – across the Sahara), he was one of six people who survived the journey from his group; the remaining 40 died in the desert. He was likely the only one of the original 46 to make it to Europe, as at least one of the remaining five died attempting to cross from Mauritania. His route was, at best circuitous, as he crossed to the Canary Islands, then Spain, from the western coast of Africa, after traveling to the northeast coast.
Map of northern Africa, US Library of Congress
In Umar's tribe, you knew the day of the week you were born on, but not the year. He was likely 17 when he made it to Europe (based on bone age), probably 12 when he started. Much of his journey was with his best friend, none with his family.
Umar described considerable abuses in this short memoir: "One of the saddest things I learned on my journey is that in this life, no one gives you anything for free. They always want something in exchange: it’s human nature. Or at least, it’s the nature of the system that humans live in" (p. 44). He also described considerable kindnesses:
I saw so many people behaving worse than animals, motivated by such greed that they had no humanity. But then a person who was more vulnerable and exploited than I was reached out and shared what little she had. These are the moments that I try to remember, moments of our shared humanity. (p. 55)
He described his faith making his journey bearable, but attributed his success to luck, pluck and naïve optimism, and his ongoing attempts to befriend older, friendly men – some of whom took advantage of him, but others of whom protected him .
North to Paradise is not great literature, but it is an inspiring read.
Umar has founded NASCO Feeding Minds, "an NGO dedicated to the principle that the most effective way to prevent migrants from leaving Ghana for Europe is to provide top-notch opportunities for education and advancement in Ghana" (p. 149).
Map of northern Africa, US Library of Congress
In Umar's tribe, you knew the day of the week you were born on, but not the year. He was likely 17 when he made it to Europe (based on bone age), probably 12 when he started. Much of his journey was with his best friend, none with his family.
Umar described considerable abuses in this short memoir: "One of the saddest things I learned on my journey is that in this life, no one gives you anything for free. They always want something in exchange: it’s human nature. Or at least, it’s the nature of the system that humans live in" (p. 44). He also described considerable kindnesses:
I saw so many people behaving worse than animals, motivated by such greed that they had no humanity. But then a person who was more vulnerable and exploited than I was reached out and shared what little she had. These are the moments that I try to remember, moments of our shared humanity. (p. 55)
He described his faith making his journey bearable, but attributed his success to luck, pluck and naïve optimism, and his ongoing attempts to befriend older, friendly men – some of whom took advantage of him, but others of whom protected him .
North to Paradise is not great literature, but it is an inspiring read.
Umar has founded NASCO Feeding Minds, "an NGO dedicated to the principle that the most effective way to prevent migrants from leaving Ghana for Europe is to provide top-notch opportunities for education and advancement in Ghana" (p. 149).
July 7, 2022
Ich bin kein grosser Leser von (Auto-)Biographien, Memoiren und Lebensgeschichten. Jaja, jeder hat es schwer im Leben, und um es mit Anna Karenina zu sagen: «Alle glücklichen Familien gleichen einander, jede unglückliche Familie ist auf ihre eigene Weise unglücklich.»
Und trotzdem, um die Welt zu verstehen, ist es unabdinglich, dass man auch versucht, sich in andere Situationen zu versetzen, Empathie zu empfinden, um einerseits die Wertschätzung für das eigene Leben einzuordnen und andererseits ansatzweise nachvollziehen zu können, wie es anderen geht.
Ousman Umars Geschichte ist diejenige eines Buben, der auszieht um «in the Land of the Whites» das Paradies zu finden. Obwohl er keine tief unglückliche Kindheit erlebt und kein Krieg um ihn herum tobt, treibt ihn bereits mit 9 Jahren die Neugierde nach einem besseren Leben in die nächste Stadt. Und von dort ist es nicht weit, sich ein paar Jahre später einer Schmugglerbande anzuschliessen, die ihm und 45 anderen versprechen, den Weg ins Paradies, nach Spanien, so einfach wie möglich zu machen. Dass von diesen 46 am Schluss nur 6 ankommen und alle anderen in der heissen Sahara, im Gefängnis, als «Sinker» in einer verkommenen Stadt oder auf dem wilden Meer in einem kleinen gekenterten Boot umkommen, ist herzzerreissend.
Trotzdem ist Ousmans Erzählung nie anklagend, jammernd oder lamentierend. Er erzählt wie es ist, beschreibend, ohne grosse Ausschweifungen und schafft es damit, eine Ehrlichkeit zu erzeugen, die weitaus packender ist, als eine weinerliche, selbstbemitleidende Geschichte. Sie ist kein Mahnfinger an die westliche Welt und erreicht doch, dass man sich Gedanken macht, wie man selber mit diesem Thema umgeht, und wie man reagieren würde, wenn man vor der Situation ist, Flüchtende oder Asylsuchende zu unterstützen.
Eine kurze Geschichte, die nachhaltig im Gedächtnis bleibt, weil sie unaufgeregt eine Welt beschreibt, die man erahnt und doch nicht erfassen kann. Die einfachen Sätze erzeugen klare Bilder, die sich im Kopf festsetzen. Gut so!
«Given all the hardship I’ve experienced, it would be easy to think that the world is full of bad people, but I prefer to think that most people are good. It’s just that the good people make less noise.»
Und trotzdem, um die Welt zu verstehen, ist es unabdinglich, dass man auch versucht, sich in andere Situationen zu versetzen, Empathie zu empfinden, um einerseits die Wertschätzung für das eigene Leben einzuordnen und andererseits ansatzweise nachvollziehen zu können, wie es anderen geht.
Ousman Umars Geschichte ist diejenige eines Buben, der auszieht um «in the Land of the Whites» das Paradies zu finden. Obwohl er keine tief unglückliche Kindheit erlebt und kein Krieg um ihn herum tobt, treibt ihn bereits mit 9 Jahren die Neugierde nach einem besseren Leben in die nächste Stadt. Und von dort ist es nicht weit, sich ein paar Jahre später einer Schmugglerbande anzuschliessen, die ihm und 45 anderen versprechen, den Weg ins Paradies, nach Spanien, so einfach wie möglich zu machen. Dass von diesen 46 am Schluss nur 6 ankommen und alle anderen in der heissen Sahara, im Gefängnis, als «Sinker» in einer verkommenen Stadt oder auf dem wilden Meer in einem kleinen gekenterten Boot umkommen, ist herzzerreissend.
Trotzdem ist Ousmans Erzählung nie anklagend, jammernd oder lamentierend. Er erzählt wie es ist, beschreibend, ohne grosse Ausschweifungen und schafft es damit, eine Ehrlichkeit zu erzeugen, die weitaus packender ist, als eine weinerliche, selbstbemitleidende Geschichte. Sie ist kein Mahnfinger an die westliche Welt und erreicht doch, dass man sich Gedanken macht, wie man selber mit diesem Thema umgeht, und wie man reagieren würde, wenn man vor der Situation ist, Flüchtende oder Asylsuchende zu unterstützen.
Eine kurze Geschichte, die nachhaltig im Gedächtnis bleibt, weil sie unaufgeregt eine Welt beschreibt, die man erahnt und doch nicht erfassen kann. Die einfachen Sätze erzeugen klare Bilder, die sich im Kopf festsetzen. Gut so!
«Given all the hardship I’ve experienced, it would be easy to think that the world is full of bad people, but I prefer to think that most people are good. It’s just that the good people make less noise.»
November 27, 2019
La historia de una larga travesía hasta Europa. No es un libro literario, ni pretende serlo. El autor nos cuenta de una forma corta y simple su aventura para sacar a la luz el tema de la inmigración ilegal y contarnos el proyecto de su ONG en Ghana, su país de origen, para evitar que otros niños pasen lo que él paso.
No hacen falta muchas más palabras para que podamos vivir el infierno que es semejante viaje y por el que pasan muchísimas personas, entre ellas mujeres embarazadas y menores de edad, y de las cuales muchas mueren de forma trágica y anónima por el camino.
.
Como punto flojo o quizás a tener en cuenta: no todas las personas viajan a Europa por decisión propia como Ousman, muchas huyen de la guerra y no les queda más alternativa. Como en todo, este libro es un testimonio personal y hay que evitar caer en los prejuicios y en los absolutos. El trabajo de la ONG del autor es precisamente romper con los falsos ideales del paraíso blanco y evitar que los niños dejen una vida estable en su país en concreto por el sueño europeo. Pero recordemos que no todos los inmigrantes que intentan cruzar el Mediterráneo son procedentes de Ghana, en África hay muchos países con diferentes circunstancias. Aunque sea por lo que sea que intenten llegar aquí nadie tendría que pasar ese infierno.
No hacen falta muchas más palabras para que podamos vivir el infierno que es semejante viaje y por el que pasan muchísimas personas, entre ellas mujeres embarazadas y menores de edad, y de las cuales muchas mueren de forma trágica y anónima por el camino.
.
Como punto flojo o quizás a tener en cuenta: no todas las personas viajan a Europa por decisión propia como Ousman, muchas huyen de la guerra y no les queda más alternativa. Como en todo, este libro es un testimonio personal y hay que evitar caer en los prejuicios y en los absolutos. El trabajo de la ONG del autor es precisamente romper con los falsos ideales del paraíso blanco y evitar que los niños dejen una vida estable en su país en concreto por el sueño europeo. Pero recordemos que no todos los inmigrantes que intentan cruzar el Mediterráneo son procedentes de Ghana, en África hay muchos países con diferentes circunstancias. Aunque sea por lo que sea que intenten llegar aquí nadie tendría que pasar ese infierno.
June 26, 2019
Sensacional relato del viaje de los inmigrantes africanos a Europa contado en primera persona.
January 8, 2024
This book has been sitting on my TBR for only two years, but I keep seeing it every time I open my kindle (or rather, any of my kindles lol) and I figured that it would be a short and easy read to start off the new year. Well... yes and no. It is short, and in terms of complexity, this was pretty low on the scale, but I don't actually READ much these days, and so despite it being just over 150 pages long, it still took me a week to get through. Partly that's because I was mostly reading it on my phone. Despite my having TWO full-size kindles in my possession, ebooks generally end up being read on my kindle app on my phone. Simply because that's what I actually have with me. (I'm not a purse/bag carrier as a rule.) So, yeah, this took me a bit longer than I had anticipated, but that wasn't the book's fault, is what I'm trying to say.
As far as the book goes, it both was and wasn't what I expected. For some reason, this book's title just won't STICK in my brain. I keep wanting to call it "North to Freedom", because in my mind, that's how I thought of it for the last two years. I thought it was a refugee memoir, and so that title made more sense to me. Of course, now I know better - this was the story of a boy looking for opportunity in "The Land of the Whites", which he assumed would be paradise, and his journey to get there.
I am completely in awe of his initiative and drive, and the frank and direct way he told his story. And I'm very glad that he found his paradise. I'm not religious or spiritual in any way, but it DOES seem as though there were a lot of really fortunate coincidences in his life, and a hell of a lot of determination and perseverance on his part helping it along.
I really like that he has taken his experiences and put them to work to help others so that they wouldn't need to struggle the way that he did in order to find opportunities to better their lives. This is the second book I've read lately with young (to me, she who remembers the dinosaurs) people creating NGO/charitable organizations to help with a cause they believe in. I love it. If you're interested, here's the one Ousman started: https://nascoict.org/en/
As far as the book goes, it both was and wasn't what I expected. For some reason, this book's title just won't STICK in my brain. I keep wanting to call it "North to Freedom", because in my mind, that's how I thought of it for the last two years. I thought it was a refugee memoir, and so that title made more sense to me. Of course, now I know better - this was the story of a boy looking for opportunity in "The Land of the Whites", which he assumed would be paradise, and his journey to get there.
I am completely in awe of his initiative and drive, and the frank and direct way he told his story. And I'm very glad that he found his paradise. I'm not religious or spiritual in any way, but it DOES seem as though there were a lot of really fortunate coincidences in his life, and a hell of a lot of determination and perseverance on his part helping it along.
I really like that he has taken his experiences and put them to work to help others so that they wouldn't need to struggle the way that he did in order to find opportunities to better their lives. This is the second book I've read lately with young (to me, she who remembers the dinosaurs) people creating NGO/charitable organizations to help with a cause they believe in. I love it. If you're interested, here's the one Ousman started: https://nascoict.org/en/
September 29, 2022
Truly a story of incredible perseverance as Ousman Umar relates how he travelled from Ghana to Europe, braving the brutal desert, criminals (traffickers, pimps, thieves, etc.), racism and violence.
It’s a fascinating and informative, and pretty horrifying in parts. But also inspiring.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Amazon Crossing for this ARC in exchange for my review.
It’s a fascinating and informative, and pretty horrifying in parts. But also inspiring.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Amazon Crossing for this ARC in exchange for my review.
February 11, 2025
Es un libro que todos deberíamos leer en algún momento porque desgraciadamente es una historia que ocurre todos los días.
Mientras que los países abordan el "problema" de la inmigración, el mar y el desierto se convierten en un cementerio lleno de hombres, mujeres y niños que no sobrevivieron a las mafias que trafican con aquellos que solo quieren una vida mejor.
Se lee bastante rápido aunque a veces te quedas con ganas de profundizar algunas cosas.
Mientras que los países abordan el "problema" de la inmigración, el mar y el desierto se convierten en un cementerio lleno de hombres, mujeres y niños que no sobrevivieron a las mafias que trafican con aquellos que solo quieren una vida mejor.
Se lee bastante rápido aunque a veces te quedas con ganas de profundizar algunas cosas.
May 12, 2025
El libro es una historia muy interesante de una persona que emigro. Me ha gustado conocer una historia real, con todos sus matices.
Es un libro fácil de leer pero muy interesante.
Es un libro fácil de leer pero muy interesante.
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