A few months ago the magazine Aosta Evening told a story that today, more than ever, deserves to be known and valued: that of Amadou Baldeh, a man arrived from Gambia who turned a dream into reality, overcoming the difficulties of a journey that many only know through dramatic images.
Amadou Baldeh's difficult journey from Gambia to Italy
Son of a Gambian farmer, Amadou worked in Libya before crossing the Mediterranean on a large boat, disembarking at Lampedusa. “I worked in Libya and came to Italy on boats, I landed in Lampedusa,” he says simply, but behind these words lies a complex and painful story that often remains invisible to the eyes of the world.
After arriving in Italy, Amadou lived in Milanand then ad Pleasant, on Lake Orta, before moving to Valle d'Aosta. Here he met his wife Annalisa, originally from the Gressoney valley, who works in agriculture. “We are very close and we have a six-year-old daughter. Without her support I don't know if I would have made it,” Amadou confides. Together they worked with animals and in the fields, until the young man, driven by passion and determination, decided to start a company all his own. “When we arrived in Valle d’Aosta, I started working in a green area, pruning and cutting grass. It was a job I liked and I wanted to make it my own path,” he explains.
From small seedlings to a thriving farm in Hône
From thirty-six seedlings of blueberries cultivated with care, today Amadou's company in Hône has over four hundred plants. Together with Annalisa he runs a business that offers an ever-widening selection: strawberries, shelled and toasted walnuts, caramelized hazelnuts, dried and liqueur genepy, potatoes and other local products. In 2022 he joined Campagna Amica, initially taking part in local events until arriving at the covered market of the regional capital.
Not only cultivation: Amadou has expanded his business by moving to the processing of fruit, producing jams and sweet creams, thus enriching the offer of his farm.
In an increasingly connected but often divided world, Amadou's journey reminds us how much it can be the value of those who choose to invest is precious and grow in a new territory, bringing with them experiences, cultures and a desire to contribute.
