Aliou

One African's migration to Europe turns into a saga of slavery and living hell

Local soccer favorite "Aliou Messi" is the portrait of talent...but this, alone is not enough. The Arab Spring has ushered in a dark age for anyone seeking a way out of poverty. The chances are slim and every peril borders every path. Diaspora could crush much more than dreams of gaming glory.

When Aliou's father passes away, he's left to carry the family--a burden that makes dropping out of school a no-brainer. Aliou too must weigh a pressing marriage engagement. Pursuing ones' sustenance means risking it all--including at the expense of himself.

There does exist a bastion of order, but getting there is the dilemma. Known to fellow Gambians as 'The Backway', a daunting trek by foot across the sands of the Sahara represents Aliou's only hope. Can this teen, but yesterday a boy, find financial security in a land unknown except by colonization? Barely could a crossroads represent more inner-strife.