14/11/2025
Greetings Gambia, greetings Africa.
My name is Musa Banja, a proud Borabanka, from the heart of CRR to the soul of WCR.
Today, I stand before you with deep humility and immense pride as I officially unveil my debut novel. This moment is not just the fulfilment of a personal dream, but a testament to resilience, hope, and unwavering determination.
For over twenty years, I have lived with keratoconus, a condition that severely affects vision. Along the way, I was told I might lose my sight. I was advised to give up on reading, discouraged from learning, and often doubted for dreaming too far.
Yet, I chose not to relent.
Today, despite my visual impairment, and while still in my final year at The Gambia College, I have written my first novel, a story of isolation, justice, and reconciliation.
Allow me to share a glimpse of what this book holds:
A child taken in the dead of night. A family shattered by lies and betrayal. As long-buried secrets begin to unravel, trust becomes a dangerous gamble. In the shadows of past sins, who will rise, and who will fall? When justice feels out of reach, how far will they go to reclaim what was lost? The answers lie buried in this novel, but the truth has a way of breaking free.
This book is more than literature. It is my voice. It is a reminder that challenges do not define us, our choices do.
I thank everyone who believed in me, and even those who didn’t, you pushed me to rise.
Thank you.
Regards,
Musa Banja,
5197288.
