By Sainabou Sambou
In the heart of The Gambia, where dreams often clash with hardship, Buba Saidykhan’s story shines like a beacon. A decade ago, he was one of thousands of young Gambians who risked everything on the perilous “backway” to Europe, chasing a better life. Today, he’s a trailblazer, the first migrant returnee to found a skills academy, turning despair into opportunity for the nation’s youth.
Buba’s journey began in 2015 when a shattered dream pushed him toward the unknown. Shortlisted to study public health nursing at The Gambia College, he faced a crushing reality: no one could pay his tuition. “That’s why I took the backway,” he recalls, his voice steady but heavy with memory. The road led him to Libya, where he endured hardships that left scars—physical and emotional. By 2017, he was back in The Gambia, traumatized and unskilled but unyielding in his resolve to rebuild.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that between 2014 and 2018, over 35,000 Gambians braved irregular routes to Europe, many facing abuse, detention, or death. Buba refused to let his story end in defeat. “I didn’t want to be like some returnees who lost their minds or turned to crime,” he says. Instead, he found salvation in skills—painting, wallpaper installation, and crafting furniture from discarded car tires. What began as survival became a vision.
In 2020, Buba founded Saidykhan Decoration and Design, a modest training center that has since grown into the Saidykhan Decoration and Designs Skills Academy—the first of its kind established by a backway returnee. Starting with informal workshops, the academy now certifies its trainees, equipping them with practical skills to thrive in a country where opportunities are scarce. According to the Gambia Bureau of Statistics’ 2022 report, youth unemployment hovers at a staggering 41%, making Buba’s work a lifeline for many.
In just one year, Buba trained 75 to 80 young people in recycling, painting, and wallpaper installation. “Right now, I’m working with 60 students, mostly from the North Bank, Upper River, and Lower River Regions,” he says, his pride evident. “Skills are the only way to move this country forward.” His trainees, many from impoverished backgrounds, pay just D500 for an application form—Buba covers the rest despite his financial struggles. Rent is a constant burden, and funding is scarce. “Some students come from families with nothing,” he explains. “I can’t turn them away.”
The academy operates on ingenuity, collecting recyclable waste from dumpsites, community clean-ups, and beach sweeps to use as raw materials. Classes are held in borrowed public school classrooms, but practical sessions are often disrupted when the spaces are needed. “My dream is to secure land and build a permanent center,” Buba says, his eyes alight with ambition.
The impact is already transformative. Many of Buba’s graduates are now self-employed, some even training others or funding their education at The Gambia College or the University of The Gambia. One former student, once set on the backway, now mentors youth as a skilled professional. “That’s what keeps me going,” Buba says.
His vision extends beyond the academy’s walls. Buba is now reaching out to nursery school students to introduce skills training early. He dreams of partnering with the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education to weave vocational learning into the national curriculum. “If kids grow up with these skills, they can be self-employed by the time they finish school,” he says. With coordinators in every region, he’s building a network to train local leaders who can spread his model nationwide.
Support has been sparse—Buba has relied on a single benefactor—but his determination is unwavering. “If we invest in skills, we can save lives and build a better Gambia,” he insists. His academy isn’t just a training ground; it’s a testament to what’s possible when resilience meets purpose.
Buba Saidykhan’s journey—from a backway survivor to a champion of skills—proves that Gambian youth don’t need to risk their lives abroad to succeed. In every tire, he transforms, every wall he paints, and every student he trains, Buba is crafting a future where hope, not desperation, defines The Gambia’s next generation.
