One Shadow on the Wall

On Senegal’s sun-struck coast, eleven-year-old Mor scrapes fish scales from his palms and hears his late father’s voice ride the salt wind, reminding him of a sacred vow: keep your sisters safe, keep the family whole. But when an aunt from Dakar arrives with paperwork that could scatter them and the rough-edged Danka Boys circle like hyenas hungry for his meager earnings, Mor’s promise wobbles between courage and collapse. Each blistering afternoon becomes a duel—deliver peppers to market for a few coins of Economic Justice or grab easy cash with the gang and risk sinking into their shadow. The hot season ticks down, dust swirling over soccer pitches, and the boy must decide whether loyalty to blood outshines the false brotherhood of street hustlers, all while magical whispers from his father spark hope like fireflies at dusk. One question blazes brighter than the West African sun: will Mor’s heart stay true when survival tempts him to break every rule? Tap the blue ➕ to Save to List for later inspiration, or hit the bold arrow to Learn More and connect your classroom, youth group, or congregation to Mor’s high-stakes fight for family and future.