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Desert Sand

An easy read, it gives a dramatic account of a poor, unschooled migrant's journey from Ghana to Europe. Umar's writing style is plain but readable, his account moves quickly and keeps the reader engaged. His travails are certainly eye-opening for anyone unfamiliar with the threats and trials awaiting those seeking to illegally migrate from poorer to richer countries. 
However, if one were to read this with no background on the topic, Umar's account might lead one to a number of false generalizations. There are plane loads of Ghanaians traveling every day from Ghana to Europe, the United States, and elsewhere quite legally. It's not as if the only way to leave the country is through human smuggling routes. There's a whole ECOWAS block that is supposed to permit free travel and encourage free trade, though the terrorism and political instability plaguing parts of that region has certainly diminished its value. Ghana is also one of the less poor and more stable countries in the region, a point that Umar does concede when noting that he could have lived there and never gone hungry, although his opportunity would have also been very limited given his family's situation.
Umar rightly focuses on Ghana's especially poor education system as real limiting factor for many of its citizens, particularly those living outside the big cities. However, he almost completely overlooks political corruption and the fact of government basically seizing everything from everyone without political connections or protection as making individual advancement not only impossible, but pointless. Without first or at least simultaneously reducing corruption, no amount of education will permit people there fulfilling lives capable of advancement. For an example of this, see places like Egypt or Syria that abound with educated people with no real future for themselves where they are.
As an introduction to the horrors facing those that enter the human smuggling system from Africa toward Europe, it's certainly a worthy read. But caution is due that this and related subjects can be complex, and much more reading awaits a person interested in the topic--or better yet, travel and spend time in the region to understand some of these issues in depth, if possible.

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