Across twenty-one borders
From the red earth of Cameroon to the shores of France, every border crossed demanded a quiet reinvention. This passage was neither a straight line nor an academic experiment; it was a multi-year reckoning with distance, human resilience, and the fragile promises of international crossings.
Through Central and West African waterways, into the blinding heat of the Sahara Desert, across precarious maritime straits, and over European rail networks, Kam Nganssoh Gildas carried an unwritten chronicle. The pages of WHAT NEXT? preserve what remained when the fire of displacement had finished burning.
Departing Douala through equatorial forests, river crossings, and border settlements that tested endurance before the arid north.
Navigating deep dunes, uncharted tracks, and border outposts across Niger and southern Algeria under relentless heat.
Coastal transit through North African ports, maritime crossings across open water, and eventual arrival onto southern European shores.
Overland journeys through Iberian passages and central railways, culminating in sanctuary and literary rebirth in France.
21
Countries
1,400+
Desert Km
1
Destination
An interactive 21-country map is coming to this page
The reality
By the numbers
National borders
Crossed by foot, road, and improvised passage between continents.
Arbitrary detentions
Endured inside transit facilities and closed migration camps.
Maritime crossing
Surviving the open water when the vessel broke apart at sea.
The border trials
Repeated passages through hostile checkpoints until the way opened.