My name is Kadija, and for 27 years, I lived a lie.

I was raised to believe my father didn’t exist. My mother kept the truth from me — and after he fought for custody and won, she had him deported to Guinea, West Africa. I grew up with only one photo of him holding me as a baby—no other memories or stories, just that one image and a lot of silence.

What I didn’t know was that my father and his family had been searching for me for over 20 years. I was his little girl, and he never gave up hope of finding me again.

When I shared my story on Facebook and TikTok, it went viral. His family saw it, they remembered me, and I finally found my father.

Now, I’ve relocated to a safer environment closer to family, and I’m planning to travel to Guinea in January to finally hug my dad, meet the woman he married, my two little brothers, and my entire Guinean family. I’ll also be discovering my roots and my history.

This GoFundMe is helping me with that journey:

• To finally travel to Africa and embrace the family I never knew I had, and to reconnect with my heritage

This isn’t just a reunion—it’s about truth, identity, and generational healing. I’m not asking for sympathy, just support from those who’ve followed my journey. Every share, message, or donation brings me one step closer to peace.

Thank you for believing in me and being part of this incredible journey.