“The idea is simple: to guarantee the migrant control over what he earns and his family plan.” Thus was born Baluwo (a word that means “basic needs” in the Mandinka language), the first company that allows those who migrate from sub-Saharan Africa to Europe to understand how the money sent to family members in their countries of origin is spent.
The project was launched in 2017 by a small community of African expatriates in Spainand was presented by Abdoulaye Fall, Retail Manager of the company, during the SEOC (Social Enterprise Open Camp), the main social enterprise summit, promoted by the Opes-Lcef Foundation in collaboration with the CGM Consortium, which took place from 28 to 30 November between Turin, Cuneo and Pollenzo. Fall, a Senegalese native who now lives in Barcelona, knows the relationship between diaspora and families of origin well. «I lived for two years without documents, then I worked as a waiter and finally I had the opportunity to start studying again». At the Catalan university he managed to obtain first a master’s degree and then a doctorate in demography, and today he deals with migration. Before starting to work at Baluwo he was a customer.
«Those like me who arrive in Europe from the other side of the Mediterranean not only have a personal project, but a family one» he explains. Which can be summed up like this: reach a European capital, work, make money for yourself and for those who remained at home, send it. According to the World Bank, the volume of money that follows this route is around 53 million dollars. Among the countries where the most resources land are Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mali. «But it happens that this money is not used for food, electricity or school – continues Fall – and the most recent studies say so: 82% of migrants fall victim to this phenomenon». The money, in fact, can be used by brothers, wives or parents to cover other non-essential expenses at the expense of the relative living in Europe. Here Baluwo intervenes: «Instead of sending the money, the person can directly purchase the asset he wants to allocate to the family» continues Fall. Baluwo operates in eighteen African countries through an app that offers products that can be purchased through agreements with shops or service providers. In Italy and Spain, then, there are also a thousand shops where you can access the purchase. The latter service is designed above all for those who “arrive in Europe with a very low level of education and without documents – explains Fall – and is forced to work in grueling sectors. Above all, our goal is to make their life plan easier.”
