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Imagen de Omar Ndiaye

Omar Ndiaye

Made suits and dresses with his brother in Saint-Louis, Senegal. Those dresses had many colours: yellow, green, orange… However, after 19 years, Omar did not find those colours beyond the clothes: the economic hardships he was going through cast a shadow over the rest. Sewing clothes was not enough, although he had left his studies to work when he was 15. He has five siblings and only the oldest of them continues his studies to become a teacher.

The debts they face are really high and, even having high numbers in sales, the money they earn is not enough. Before Omar was born, his mother and his father did not have a house and they were forced to rent a small flat to give their children a roof. The problem is that they do not always sell enough clothes, so the debts get even worse. As he was aware of his impossibility to pay off his debts, he talked to a friend who lent him the money to travel on a dinghy. One more debt. He wishes it was the last one.

The journey was difficult, but in order to face the fear, the thirst and the hunger he went through, he always thought of his parents. Omar expects to find one of his friends in Valencia, and to work as much as he can to send his parents some money. The most important thing for him is to help them. Maybe in doing so, he will bring back the colours to their lives.

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Omar Ndiaye

Imagen de Omar Ndiaye

Confeccionaba vestidos con su hermano en Saint-Louis, Senegal. Esos trajes tenían muchos colores: amarillos, verdes, anaranjados… Sin embargo, a sus 19 años, Omar no encontraba esos colores más allá de las telas: las dificultades económicas que atravesaba su familia ensombrecían el resto. Coser ropa no era suficiente, aunque hubiera dejado los estudios a sus 15 años para ello. Son seis hermanxs y sólo el mayor continúa su formación para convertirse en maestro.

Las deudas que afrontan son altas y por mucha ropa que vendan en el mercado, no alcanza. Antes de que naciera Omar, su madre y su padre no tenían casa y se vieron en la obligación de alquilar una para darle un techo a sus descendientes. El problema es que no siempre ganan lo suficiente con sus ventas, por lo que las deudas aumentan. Consciente de que no encuentran forma de saldarlas, habló con un amigo que puso el dinero para que él viajara en una patera. Una deuda más. Ojalá fuera la última.

El trayecto fue difícil, pero pensaba en sus padres para afrontar el miedo, la sed y el hambre que vivió. Omar proyecta reunirse con un amigo en Valencia, trabajar todo lo posible y enviar dinero a sus padres. Ayudarles es lo primero para él. Así, les devolverá los colores a sus vidas.