By Michaella Faith Wright
Despite facing unexpected challenges in a foreign land, 26-year-old Alice Kamara from Sierra Leone has built a small business in The Gambia, turning her struggles into success through hard work and determination.
Alice has lived in The Gambia for the past three years. Her move was not by her own plan but arranged by her aunt, her mother’s sister. “I came here not on my own plan. My aunty was the one who brought me. At first, she said Sierra Leone was better for me, but later changed her mind and brought me here,” Alice explained.
Before moving, Alice worked as a tailor in Sierra Leone, a trade she enjoyed and relied on for her livelihood. Unfortunately, that changed when she arrived in Banjul. “One of the challenges I faced was that I could no longer work as a tailor like I used to in Sierra Leone. All the promises my aunty made to me before coming here never went through,” she said.
But Alice did not let disappointment define her new life. “Yet still, I was able to navigate all those challenges,” she added. Her turning point came when a friend from Sierra Leone, Susan, gave her D1,000 to start a small business. “My first business was selling water and ginger beer because I have a daughter and family back home who depend on me,” she said.
As the business grew, Susan encouraged her to switch to selling sausages and fried chicken. “That’s the business that has enabled me to rent my own place and send money home,” Alice proudly shared.
She advised other women: “Stay focused. Work hard for your future and your children, so they won’t go through the same struggles. Always remember why you left home.”
