Rise from Within: A Call for Senegal’s Youth to Shape Their Destiny

My Reality, My Resolve I am a young Senegalese man, born into a world where opportunities are scarce. I have no diploma, no office job, and no wealthy family to lean on. My parents’ struggles mean I can’t dress like my well-off friends or indulge in the pleasures others take for granted. Fortune hasn’t smiled on me—yet. But I am alive, and that is enough. As long as I breathe, hope remains. I refuse to let despair define me. Choosing Dignity Over Desperation I will not set myself ablaze, for that would rob me of both this life and the hereafter. I will not steal or harm others, as they are not the cause of my struggles—I am the architect of my own destiny. I will not sell my body, for my future children deserve a father they can look up to, not one labeled a gigolo. I will not beg, for my country deserves better than to see its youth reduced to outstretched hands. I will not burden my brother in Italy, who is building his own life. His dreams are not mine to hinder. Nor will I waste hours gossiping over tea, for that time is too precious—it’s time I could use to transform my life. Building My Future, Step by Step I don’t need money to start; I already possess the greatest wealth: my hands, my legs, my eyes, my ears, my tongue, and my mind. With these, I will carve my path. I’ll begin small. I’ll find a tamarind tree, cut its branches, and craft them into toothpicks to sell at the market. The coins I earn will feed me, and I’ll save a portion. With those savings, I’ll buy coff