𝐌𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 – 𝐀 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐁𝐨𝐲 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐚 - 𝐉𝐚𝐤𝐨𝐛 𝐒𝐲𝐤𝐞𝐬

People often ask me where I'm from. The answer is simple—I was born in the UK to British parents. But the place that truly made me who I am is The Gambia.

When I was very young, my family moved to The Gambia. I grew up in Sukuta, the home of the Mandinka language. At first, I couldn't speak a word of Mandinka, but I was determined to fit in. Every time my friends said something I didn't understand, I'd ask what it meant. Little by little, word by word, I learnt the language until it became part of me.

I was the only white kid in the village, but I was never treated differently. I wasn't the "white boy"—I was just one of the boys. We played football from morning until sunset, climbed mango trees, picked fresh mangoes, collected cashew nuts, lit fires and roasted them in old tin pots. Those are memories that money could never buy.

School wasn't exactly my strong point. To be honest, I was stubborn and got kicked out of several schools. Instead of sitting in classrooms, I wanted to work. I became an apprentice on vans, worked as a labourer, and took on whatever local jobs I could find.

One of the hardest jobs I ever did was filling water tanks. I'd push a heavy donkey cart—without the donkey—by hand to the local tap, fill over twenty drums with water, and push it all the way back for just 200 dalasi. Looking back now, it was hard work, but it taught me that nothing worth having comes easy.

I also loved the bush. Hunting for drimos and other bush meat became a passion of mine, and because of that, I always had dogs.

One day, one of my dogs disappeared. I searched everywhere until I found him tied up in a man's compound. That man had tried to steal my dog... but instead of becoming enemies, we became brothers.

We realised we both shared the same love for the bush and hunting. He introduced me to his family, and from the very first day, his father told me, "You are one of my children now."

Those words changed my life.

Every morning, I'd visit their compound to greet the elders, just as Gambian culture teaches. His father treated me exactly like one of his own children. He guided me, advised me, and taught me right from wrong. Sadly, he has now passed away, my Gambian mother is still alive but the love they gave me will stay with me forever. We weren't related by blood, but family isn't always about blood. Sometimes it's about love, loyalty and respect.

My grandmother also built a life in The Gambia. She owned a nightclub, a guest house and a hotel. If you knew me back then, you'd know I turned the compound into my own little zoo! I had pigeons, rabbits, small rats, dogs, and even a monkey.

Life was simple, but it was the happiest time of my life.

Then one day everything changed.

My family decided we were moving back to England.

I remember thinking about running away because I didn't want to leave my friends, my Gambian family, or the life I'd built. But I had no choice.

I'll never forget that flight.

As the plane landed in England and the doors opened, the freezing cold hit me. I remember thinking to myself, "Why didn't I run away?"

For the first six months, I woke up every single day feeling lost. I missed sitting under the mango trees drinking attaya (green tea) with my friends. I missed the laughter, the football, the village life, and the people who had become my family.

Eventually, I found work in England as a hotel porter.

When I received my very first monthly wage of £1,300, I honestly thought I was rich. Back in The Gambia, I'd worked all day for the equivalent of £1.50 or £2. I phoned my brothers back home, excited, thinking I'd become a millionaire.

Then reality hit.

After paying rent, bills and everything else in the UK, I realised there wasn't much left after all!

But I kept working hard.

Everything The Gambia had taught me—hard work, respect, kindness and gratitude—stayed with me.

Today, I'm proud to say I've built one house back home in The Gambia, and I'm currently building another. No matter where life takes me, I return to The Gambia at least once every year because that's where my heart feels at home.

The Gambia didn't just give me memories.

It gave me values.

It taught me to work hard, to respect people, to appreciate the little things, and to treat everyone like family.

I may have been born in Britain...

But The Gambia raised me.

And for that, I will be forever grateful.

❤️🇬🇲 Thank you, The Gambia, for making me the man I am today. 🇬🇲❤️”