By Michaella Faith Wright
Coming from a poor rural background and losing his father at an early age, Edrisa Sankareh’s story is one of resilience, determination, and service. Today, he stands as a beacon of hope for the deaf community in The Gambia, turning his painful beginnings into a purpose-driven life.
Growing up in the rural part of The Gambia, Sankareh faced the harsh realities of poverty. “I knew life would not be easy,” he recalled. “During my schooling at Sifoe Senior Secondary, I fetched firewood, made charcoal, and sold it to support my lunch money.”
After completing school, peer pressure pushed him to take the backway journey to Europe in 2013, a decision that changed his life forever. “I was arrested and detained in Libya for two months and two weeks,” he said. “We spent nine days in the desert without a bath before reaching Agadez.”
Upon his return in 2014, Sankareh chose education as his new path, enrolling at The Gambia College School of Education, where he completed his PTC and HTC, and is now pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology.
In 2015, he began working at the Gambia Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (GADHOH) in Brikama, where he learned sign language and started teaching deaf pupils. “Through the support of my mentors, I became passionate about helping the deaf community,” he said.
Together with the school board, he has led home visits and radio sensitizations across the West Coast Region to promote early deaf education. “I always tell the youth to believe in themselves and never allow their background to stop them from chasing their dreams,” he advised.
By Michaella Faith Wright Coming from a poor rural background and losing his father at an early age, Edrisa Sankareh’s story is one of resilience, determination, and service. Today, he stands as a beacon of hope for the deaf community in The Gambia, turning his painful beginnings into a purpose-driven life. Growing up in the The Fatu Network
