After visiting the Las Raíces reception camp, Pope Francis gained firsthand insight into other realities of migration in the Canary Islands. In the Plaza del Cristo de La Laguna, Mbacke Ndiaye, a 20-year-old Senegalese man, recounted to the pontiff how the Good Samaritan foundation has provided him with a second chance. "It has given me respect, patience, and people who told me: 'you are worth it, you can do it'," he stated, grateful for having received "more than a roof and food".
Mbacke Ndiaye, who has been living at the center for a year awaiting the resolution of his paperwork, expressed his gratitude for having had "a lot of luck," as "other young people, when they turn 18, are left on the street." During his stay, he and his peers have participated in various training activities, including Spanish, cooking, agriculture, carpentry, repair, and sewing. "In my particular case, I have basic Spanish training," he detailed.
The young Senegalese man emphasized the sense of belonging and family he has found in Tenerife, stating that "brotherhood exists beyond blood." He added that "when a person extends a hand without asking for anything in return, fear disappears and hope arrives." His commitment is to "give back what I have received," working with honesty and studying diligently to help his family.
Mbacke Ndiaye concluded his address by asking the Holy Father to "continue reminding the world that behind every migrant there is a dream, a praying mother, and a person who deserves an opportunity." He finished by reciting a poem created by members of the Good Samaritan Foundation's theater group, a collective that seeks to "overcome fear" through artistic expression.
We cross seas, we leave home. We seek dreams, a new place. We are immigrants, with strength and passion, we fight for life for a new corner. The path is hard, but there is hope. Faith lifts us, it never tires. We carry stories, we carry pain, walls rise, but there is determination. The earth belongs to everyone, there is no division. And although they look at us as strangers, we know the world is for . We bring culture, we weave pain. We are seeds of a better world.
