The northern Senegalese city of Saint Louis is increasingly becoming a people smuggling hub in the sub-region.

Hundreds of desperate young men from neighboring Gambia, Guinea, Mali and Burkina reportedly visit this city each year in hopes of embarking on the dangerous journey at sea to Europe.

These journeys do not always have happy conclusions. While hundreds of the migrants arrived at their destinations mainly –countries in Europe, others have perished at sea, leaving their families, friends and communities devastated.

 WADR’s Adolphus Mawolo visited the city and spoke to families of some of the Senegalese victims among them a young widow who now has to raise her two children alone.