By: Bakary Ceesay in Germany
Omar Marong, a Gambian refugee, arrived on a boat in Italy as a minor has graduated with a degree from Federico II University in Naples, Italy, in political science.
In 2014, he fled his country, the Gambia, at 16 without telling his parents.
On 22nd December, at 25, he graduated in Political Science at the Federico II University of Naples. So it is the story of Omar Marong, who now dreams of a career as a diplomat or minister of his country of origin: it is not a simple ambition, but a possible hope only if the dictatorship ends in The Gambia.
Omar Marong has always been ambitious, and on 22nd December 2022, he graduated in Political Science from Federico II University with a thesis on the historical aspects of his country: an achievement that rewards his tenacity against all prejudice.
“My dream is to become a diplomat or a minister. But for the Gambia: I want to be a citizen, not an Italian”
He explained while preparing the graduation party at the Filangieri kindergarten.
Omar Marong came to Italy in 2014 as a migrant at the age of sixteen; since that day, Omar has been one of the most outspoken activists in Napoli for his fellow migrants.
He became the senior correspondent for the what’s on Italy platform for refugees and migrants.
Omar starts to build interest in politics to raise his voice for the voiceless. In 2019 Omar decided to improve his language skills to begin his political science career at the University. Omar’s main interests in Political Science are international relations and comparative politics, focusing on migration politics in general.
He said: “the education I received at University and the voluntary work have prepared me exceptionally well for my future. Through my classes in Political Science and other disciplines, I was exposed to a wide range of theories and ideas that gave me a strong intellectual foundation to understand complex national and global issues about migration politics. Besides, I learned to think critically and polish my writing, research, and communication skills, which will be essential to succeed at graduate school and the future policy jobs I want to pursue.”
