Help Youssouf Fulfill His Dream: A Journey to Mecca

I met Youssouf on the streets of Paris during my street photography series. He works as a street cleaner — humble, quiet, and full of dignity. Originally from The Gambia , he’s been working hard to support his family and live an honest life.

When I asked him what his biggest dream was, he said something that left me speechless:

“One day, I want to go to Mecca.”

This simple wish struck a chord with thousands. After posting the video, I received hundreds of messages from people asking how they could help make this dream come true.

So here we are.

With Youssouf’s full permission, I’m launching this GoFundMe to help him fulfill his lifelong dream of making the pilgrimage to Mecca (Umrah or Hajj, depending on timing and availability).

Every donation — big or small — will go directly towards:

• His travel and accommodation costs

• Visa and pilgrimage fees

• Any required support or assistance along the journey

✨ I’ll be documenting the journey with full transparency, and sharing updates with all of you who’ve made this possible.

Let’s come together and do something beautiful.

Thank you for helping Youssouf get one step closer to Mecca.

– Jamal

@jamal_madeit