Their Voice Must Be Heard

Matty is a determined, flexible, and accountable senior undergraduate student at the University of The Gambia (UTG) School of Journalism and Digital Media (SJDM). She has achieved measurable success in student leadership and community engagement, particularly in raising awareness about the dangers of illegal migration. Her career goal is to become a dependable, productive, and respectful team member in a communication-related field within a prestigious organization. She aims to apply her technical and professional knowledge to contribute to the organization's philosophy and goals.

Mr. Ousman Gaku is from Bakadaji Village, Jimara URR. He holds a Higher Teacher Certificate from the Gambia College, Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from the University of the Gambia and a Master of Public Policy from KDI School of Public Policy and Managenent in South Korea. Mr. Gaku has extensive work experience. He started his career as Teacher, then worked at the International Open University as a Program Developer and Planner, he also worked at Smart Technologies as Entrepreneurship and Business Development Manager, as Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Assistant at IOM, as Migration Project Analyst at the UNDP and as a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at the International IDEA. In addition to his work, Mr. Gaku is a Public Policy Analyst who writes about various societal issues.

Aissata D. DIA is an environmental biologist who has worked in marine conservation in the West African sub-region for over 15 years. She has been involved in creating and strengthening several Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in countries such as Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Republic of Guinea, Sierra Leone, Cabo Verde, and Benin. She has also played a key role in establishing a system of co-management between the state and communities, and in setting up a regional network of Marine Protected Areas. She strongly believes in the importance of involving and putting communities at the forefront of conservation efforts, emphasizing the effectiveness of advocacy through practical action. Aissata holds a master's degree in Protected Area Management and recently graduated with an MBA in Project Management, which she pursued through an online course.

Omar AJ Saho is an Environmentalist and Social Policy Analyst. He is dedicated to driving change in climate adaptation, environmental restoration, social justice, and sustainable development sphere. Mr. Saho’s experience includes providing insightful policy recommendations on livelihood diversification, climate change adaptation, and community mobilization for ecological conservation, sea turtle conservation, ecotourism development, and environmental restoration. Over the past nine years, Mr. Saho has led transformative environmental restoration initiatives along the Southern coastline of The Gambia. He researched sea turtle nesting and governance of the southern coastline of Gambia. From 2016 to present, Mr. Saho coordinated the organization, planning, and implementation of the annual Gunjur International Bird Fair & Ecotourism Conference; an event that brought together over 750 conservationists and stakeholders to tackle the pressing environmental and ecotourism challenges facing The Gambia. Mr. Saho’s expertise is centered on policy issues relating to Climate Change Adaptation & Resilience, Environmental Restoration, Sea Turtle Conservation, Social Justice, Ecotourism Development, Sustainable Development, and Research.

Natalie Chwalisz (she/her) is an expert in human rights, migration and conflict. She’s a Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science at Dickinson College. Her research focuses on human smuggling, mixed migration and forced displacement. Her work asks a simple question with far-reaching consequences: what do people do to stay safe when the state cannot, or will not, protect them? Through multi-method research across Africa, Europe, and the U.S., she highlights the informal systems that govern mobility and security in these fraught environments. What makes someone choose a smuggler? What explains why migrants have such different experiences with them? Natalie’s research seeks to better understand the realities of undocumented and clandestine migration. In communities that are criminalized and forced into the shadows, where people hide, and often do not want to be identified, qualitative methods are crucial for documenting lived experiences and illuminating how people navigate danger. Her work shows how institutions, formal and informal alike, can foster cooperation or escalate violence, shaping the outcomes for both migrants and the actors around them. Dr. Chwalisz’s interest in migration politics is shaped by her own family history. She grew up in Germany as the daughter of Polish migrants, with the Iron Curtain separating her from much of her extended family. This early experience made questions of mobility, borders, and rights deeply personal. Before entering academia, she worked with human rights organizations and supported civil-rights legislation in both the United States and Europe. She later consulted for the World Bank on security and development and served as the Africa Associate at the Center for International Policy. She was a Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science at Middlebury College. Her goal is for her research to contribute to more humane and evidence-based migration policy. She earned her PhD in Justice, Law, and Criminology from American University, where her fieldwork in West Africa was supported by the National Science Foundation. She examined the clandestine migration dynamics of smugglers, migrants, and policing. She also holds an MA in Conflict and Human Rights from Utrecht University and a BA in International Relations and Comparative Literature from Beloit College. She previously taught at Middlebury College.