Nessuno è più di nessuno

The story of Youssif Bamba, 30 years old, originally from Ghana, is that of a person who has been able to get up and reinvent himself every time. Faced with life’s obstacles, interrupted paths, dreams that have suddenly vanished, Youssif finds the strength to start over in his curiosity, in the desire to know, listen, open his head and his heart to the world he encounters. Even in the hardest and most painful circumstances, where there seems to be no room for hope.

Youssif arrived in Italy in 2008 with the dream of becoming a doctor. But his dreams soon collided with reality. He ended up at the Pista di Borgo Mezzanone, after his request for international protection was rejected and he ended up outside the reception circuit. There he learned about exploitative work in the countryside and understood that he had to find a way to independence and autonomy. And the only way was to study, even as a self-taught person. In the meantime, he did everything he could to avoid being exploited in the fields again: he worked as a computer scientist, an English teacher in an after-school program, a singer, a DJ, and a football coach for Real Mezzanone, a team made up of immigrants and Italians. He is now a cultural mediator and photographer for Lucera Calcio, after having worked as a radio technician for “Radio Ghetto”, a radio with (for and of) immigrants, he is president of AIIMS (Association of Immigrants for Integration and Social Motivation) and founded the Ghana Union Association Of Puglia (GUAP).