Senegalese mother turns grief into advocacy for missing migrants

Senegalese mother Aminata Boye has become a leading advocate for families of missing migrants after her eldest son disappeared following a shipwreck, turning her personal grief into a public campaign. Boye, 48, founded the Collective of Victims of Irregular Emigration in Senegal (Coves) in 2020, the year her son Waly vanished. The group now supports over 100 women who lost relatives, offering food, sewing workshops, and psychological assistance. In Mbour, a major departure point for the perilous Atlantic route to Europe, Boye visits grieving families like Anna Diop, who lost two sons and four other relatives in 2024. She criticizes Senegal's repressive approach and European visa restrictions, urging authorities to create youth opportunities.