Sekou Kaba

The Bridge of Destiny Sekou Kaba

This is the story of a young Guinean student's life and his journey in Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, and the United States of America. Sékou Kaba was born in Kankan, Guinea, and from the steps of his high school in Conakry, Guinea, he decided to go into exile and prepare for his life after the Cultural Revolution of President Ahmed Sékou Touré. Embarking upon his journey, Sékou covertly bought a truck fare, without his parent's knowledge, and set out to continue his schooling in Mali. The truck transporting him had a tarpaulin, or cloth covering, over one third of the body. Like other young passengers, Sékou had to settle for the rear, uncovered part of the truck, which was exposed to the rain and sun. Around dusk, the truck reached a bridge over the Dion River. The bridge was narrow and rickety, and as the driver of the truck made his way across, he managed to reach the end of the bridge, only to slide back to the middle of the bridge and tip to the right. Sékou was projected from his seat into the river. By a miracle, he clung to the branch of a tree that hung over the river and lifted his legs as the truck flipped over. Three people trapped under the covered section of the truck lost their lives. This accident on THE BRIDGE OF DESTINY marked the beginning of the author's journey, the odyssey of his life.