SU_A_36

[i] [name] can you introduce yourself?
[r] Yes, I am [name] I came from Afghanistan. I lived in Russia for 20 years Then I came here from Russia I have been here for 4 years My parents live in Belgium, Antwerp. I have 3 brothers They are in Holland I have a sister My sister is in Russia I came here. When I was a child I was very happy. Nothing was bad. I was happy. I was happy I was happy to be here.
[i] Where are you from?
[r] I am from Kabul I was born there I was 9 years old I have been living there.
[i] What does Afghanistan mean to you?
[r] I remember my childhood I also remember my childhood I lived with my brothers and sisters. And I stayed with them for more years Then we fought and we lived like this . I remember that time that we lived in front of my house. And we played together and stayed in front of our block. We went to school and I remember it. My school name was I remember that I was in the 12th grade when my name was changed. Unfortunately, they changed the name. I remember the name very well and I remember the name very well. I remember my mother. We used to go to her house. Each of us lived in a small village in Kabul. We went to visit her. I remember all these things very well. I remember the first times when I got out of the hospital. My mother was sick and so was my brother. We were all in the hospital at the time. My sister was out, my sister was ill and she was sick. There was a time when we were in the hospital. I was very little, I didn’t feel sick. I think everything was normal for me, but I don’t know how much I feel the war and the death. I am not a child anymore.
[i] How many years did it take you to leave Kabul?
[r] I left Kabul when I was 9 years old.
[i] Was it difficult for you?
[r] I remember how we left the country. We wore our clothes and packed our bags. We came back home in the morning. We didn’t know if we were going to leave or not. We didn’t go back to Afghanistan until we came back. I remember it was dark and it was dark. We went to the service. I remember it was dark and it was dark. We went to the service. I don’t really remember. I don’t really remember. I don’t remember anything. I’m just a little scared. I’m not sure where to go. I don’t know if we’re going to leave in the morning.
[i] You don’t remember what you were wearing and what you did?
[r] No, I don’t remember what I was wearing.
[i] Is there anything from Afghanistan that you remember from the past? Yes, there are a few things. I remember the streets, the houses, the streets, the roads, the school. We would sit together and laugh and talk. My mother would ask me to wear a big scarf. When I was little, I would wear a big scarf. When I was young, I had a big scarf, but I didn’t wear anything. When I was older, I had to wear a big scarf. It was interesting for me. When I was a child, I was interested in things. I remember one classmate of mine. Her name was [name]. She was my neighbor. Her house was upstairs. Her name was [name]. We were in school. I don’t remember what it was. There was a bomb and a sound. It was a very bad time. I had to come back from school. There was a sound when I came back. Boom! Boom! My friend, [name], was there. She was listening to me. It was hard for her to hear me. When she heard the sound, I could have never undoubtedly began. I couldn’t understand the problem. This means the sound. She closed her ears and whipped the house. I gasped at the thought that it was really a different kind of room so that I could smell it. I gotta go home. That didn’t mean anything to me. There wasn’t anything happened. Nothing. In general, it was a different situation. I suggest that I should run home. I have a mom. We are mom and daughter. I was gasping at the thought. Then I came home and my mother asked me what happened to [name]. I told her that she was at school and didn’t come home. She told me that I should take her with me. Her mother was fine. I don’t remember what happened after that. I think his brother was with her. She had two brothers. I don’t remember what happened after that. I went to Takavi a few days later. My mother told me that we should go to Takavi. We all went to Takavi. It was very interesting. Takavi was in a dark place. There were walls. All the women were wearing dresses. There were other women. I don’t remember the men. There were women and girls. I don’t remember the men. My mother told me a story. She told me a story. I will tell it to you on Facebook. I can’t remember what happened. I can remember it from my mother’s perspective. There was a block. There were no high-rise blocks. There were only high-rise blocks. It was really dark. There were two blocks in front of us. One of the blocks was damaged. People from that block came to our block. They were all crying. They said their house was damaged. I asked them where they came from and who they were. They told me that their house was damaged and they needed our help. Then they came to our block. I don’t remember what happened next. I can only remember what happened.
[i] How long did it take you to go to Russia when you were nine?
[r] I don’t remember much. I remember that I was on the train. I was on the train. I came from a village with my family. We crossed Tashkent. We were three Russians. We crossed Tashkent and there was a family with us. There were a few little girls who were with them. One of them had a flat tire. They were playing with her. I don’t remember what happened next. I remember that we played together. It was a long way. It took us four days. It was very long. We were there for four days and four nights. We arrived at a place. We didn’t go to Moscow yet. It was in another city. We arrived very cold. It was cold in Moscow. I think Moscow is really cold. I remember that everyone was cold. There was a room. It was a room of a woman and a child. and that was the only place where she could go with her child and her husband was not there, so she had to find a place and we had to wait for the next train to go to the place where we planned to go to Moscow and when the train arrived in the morning I was eating my food and we came out of the truck and we were putting some special things I was so cold that my feet were cold. I was so hot that I was shaking. My father was cold too. He gave me a towel and told me to take it off. He told me to take it off so that I could be warm. I remember this room. I was very cold there. I remember the room where my mother and I were. When we came back to Moscow, we were a family of Afghans who were my father friends. We went home and he gave us a place for a few days. In their house, they had eggs. I was one of those big chickens. Do you know what they call it in straus [ostrich]? No, I don’t know.
[i] Did you eat them?
[r] Yes, I ate them. They were so cute. They were so funny. I ate them in the morning and I was like, what are these eggs? I remember how many of us were in that house. After that, we went to another place in Moscow. It was called Vidne. We lived there for a few days and stayed at my school. We didn’t have much clothes at that time. We were in a hurry. My mother found a military coat for us. It was very warm and warm. My mother was wearing it. My mother was also wearing it. My sister was wearing it. We were wearing it, and my sister told me to go to school. She was very modest, but she didn’t want to say what we were wearing. I remember that. I remember going to school there. In Vidne, the school wasn’t bad. Although, there were some foreigners there, but that was not that bad. I suppose that some foreigners were not really friendly. It was good in general.
[i] There were others who had been here, since you were in a foreign place.
[r] I didn’t know that there were people from other places.
[i] Was it difficult for you to go to school?
[r] Yes, it was difficult. It was good, but not bad.
[i] Did you learn the language in school?
[r] Yes, I learned the language in school. I didn’t know the language very well, but there was a teacher who was a very good woman. My mother wanted to take me to school, but I don’t know what it is. She told me that I will have to attend school after At School 2 and 3, it would be the same subject for a particular grade. So we would have two subjects in each category. When the 3rd grade students appeared and helped me I understood graduated and that is how it all began. I was with my daughter and she was in pain. After the lessons, I got better. It is very good for children, they learn the language quickly. If they are in the environment, they learn it quickly. I learned it very well. Then we moved to another place. I was in […] and moved from one house to another. A little further from there. After […], we went to Moscow. We moved to another place in Moscow. What was the name of the place? I don’t remember. It was in Vilsalats. Then we moved to […]. […] is a technical university. It is a chemical university.
[i] It is a chemical university.
[r] It is a chemical university. My father was studying there at that time. His friends told him to come to us. We will help you to finish your studies. Then we will take you to […]. He helped us a lot. Then we went to […]. I was there for many years. I remember […] for many years. Then I went to his school. His students were not good at school. They were very bad. It was very difficult. Especially in the early years. I was in group C. There were three groups. There were three groups. It is called ABB. When I was in group C, I saw what the students were like. They were very good. But they were not educated. They were not educated. They did not have good grades.
[i] Were they educated?
[r] No. They were not. They were in the last group. A,B and C are the last groups. The children of the families are not that good. Then, about two or three years later, I went to B. In the second grade. I went to B. In that grade, I was not good at all. Then I was not good at all. My hands were empty.
[i] What was the biggest problem?
[r] I did not have contact with the students. They were shouting and I was not paying attention to them. I was trapped. I did not have anything. I did not know how to speak.
[i] Were there any other people from Afghanistan?
[r] close to us there was also other Afghan family. The man was a friend of my father. His son and daughter were at the same school. We became friends. Then the daughter said I could go to category B. Half a year later the family went to another country in Europe as a migrant. It was difficult for me again. She was my only girlfriend and I had no other contact with the rest.
[i] Immigration is not easy. Even when you were a child, what did you think about immigration?
[r] When I was little, in Moscow.
[i] Yes, you were an immigrant. You had an immigrant life.
[r] Yes.
[i] What did you think about immigration?
[r] Well, I saw that immigration is different in different countries. You see that in one country you are different from the other. In the other country, you are not higher, you are lower. I could feel that. When I found a job, it was not difficult. People would look at me and look at my face. They would talk to me. When I found a job, it was okay. They would talk to me without any language. When I grew up, they would talk to me. They would ask me how I was doing and why I was doing it.
[i] How did your parents find a job? How did your parents find work?
[r] It was difficult for my mother because she had to take care of her family. She made her own money. She would go to the children and get money as the children were rich. It was difficult for her because she had to take care of her family. She would go to work and get money for her work. She worked. My mother worked there as a volunteer with a very small fee. For her it was nice to help the children of her countrymen. It was also fun for her to do the same work as her education as a teacher. So she did that with pleasure and for a little bit of money. It was a pleasure She took over this work and made some money. She was busy with this work. It was good. But she didn’t have much money left. It was very difficult to find a job there. You can find a job by doing these things. If you have the necessary tools, you can find a job there. You can stay at home. In the other part, I finished my studies.
[i] What did you do?
[r] History. But then I…
[i] At the university?
[r] Yes, at the University of Rodin, Rassi School of University of Durar Ben Arad. I studied there. But it was difficult to find a job.
[i] Why did you become interested in history?
[r] I was choosing a book when I had to choose what to read and where to go. I didn’t see which books were good. I liked history. I thought I would take that history and move on. I like both good and bad. I like both history and politics. I studied political science. When I came here, I was admitted to the faculty. I was studying political science.
[i] What did you study here?
[r] Fashion.
[i] Did you eat food?
[r] Yes, I ate simple food. [little break in the interview]
[i] Again. What was your first impression of the history of Russia?
[r] About the connection between Afghanistan and Russia in the years of war, 1979 and 1989. About the war and the connection between Russia and Afghanistan. Not only the connection, but also about the historiography. What do you mean by historiography? You mean the books, the sources? Yes, the sources of history. What did they write about. There was a book that was not mentioned, so I took it. It was a good book.
[i] What made you come to Belgium?
[r] What made me come? My family was here, and I felt very uncomfortable there. I felt very uncomfortable there. I went to the doctor there, and I felt very uncomfortable. So, what did I do? I decided to stay with my family for one night, and I came here. I decided to come here to study, to live my life, and to stay with my family. That’s why I came here. I feel very comfortable here. I feel like I’m in Belgium, where my parents are. I feel like I’m in another world. I feel like I’m in another country.
[i] Your parents came here before you.
[r] Yes, they came here a few years ago. I don’t know how many years ago. My father came here 13 or 14 years ago, and my mother came here 5 years later.
[i] So, your father came to Belgium, and then your mother came here.
[r] Yes.
[i] You couldn’t come here right away?
[r] No. I was in a convalescence. I had applied for family reunification. Unfortunately, they told me not to come here. They said, why not? Because you are older, you are 18 years old. That’s why you cannot come to this case. That’s why I didn’t come here.
[i] Were you there with your siblings?
[r] Yes. No. When my mother came here, there was no one else there, except my brothers. My brothers were not there, but my mother and father were not there. My sister and I were there.
[i] Was it difficult?
[r] It was difficult, I was alone, I was depressed.
[i] After being in Russia for a long time, how did your culture change? How much did you know about Russia and Afghanistan?
[r] I think that since I have a Russian cultural mentality, I have an Afghan culture mentality. I think so. In my opinion, I think I am a little bit more Russian. I think I have more the Russian mentality.
[i] What language do you speak? For example, what do you know in Russian?
[r] For example, the mentality. For example, the mentality of the Russians. For example, the Russians are like… They don’t want to say anything behind their back. They say things behind their back. I like it always. I have the same opinion.
[i] What language do you speak? What do you think about your religious beliefs? Excuse me.
[r] I’ll get you some water.
[i] What do you think about your religious beliefs? How much did you hate religion?
[r] Religion? I’ve seen so many difficulties about religion. I don’t think about religion. I think about who I am. For example, at school they say, you’re a black girl. They say that I was a black girl at school. I think about who I am.
[i] How was your life in Russia in terms of religion?
[r] I don’t think about religion at all. I don’t remember anything about religion. I remember nothing, but I was a girl. It was like it wasn’t there.
[i] How was it for you in school?
[r] It was very difficult. Some students would deal with someone who was black, and some students wouldn’t be educated. They were like, They used to call me black.
[i] They called you black?
[r] Yeah, but not black. They called me that.
[i] They never loved you?
[r] Yeah, they called me that. It was a Russian film about the East. There were seven women in the film. It is a very good film from the Soviet era. There were several women in the film. One of them was young and the other was old. I didn’t like them at all. They were bad for me. I used to ask them why they called me that. I didn’t like them.
[i] Did you ever have a Russian friend?
[r] No. No. I never had some friends a Russian friend. A girl from Armenia came to me. I liked her. But I didn’t have a Russian friend. I didn’t like them. My friends and I had a girl friend. She was from Russia. She was very nice. But we didn’t have a good friendship. I didn’t like her. When I had another girl friend, she was very nice. She was three or four years old. She was a good girl. Her name was [name]. But she was not my friend. She was a very good girl. Her name was [name] and she was my friend.
[i] And now you want to move to Belgium. How long have you lived in Russia?
[r] About 22 years.
[i] 22 years. Then you came to Belgium four years ago. When did you come to Belgium? In 2014.
[r] I came here in 2014.
[i] Do you remember that you came with a plane?
[r] Yes.
[i] Do you remember what you felt when you got off the plane?
[r] I had a feeling that my life had changed. That a new positive thing had come into my life. A new life. Because I had a new family and I had a new hope. I had new hope. I remember when I got off the plane, I had one of my friends staying with me. My family came too. My little brother and his family. My three sisters and her family. My mother and my father, and we were all together. I was a student at the time. I graduated and studied with the college. It was good. I remember the first year of my studies. I liked the faculty. I liked the classes, the lessons, the new atmosphere. Everything was good. I remember it very well. The first year was very nice. The writing was good, but the grammar was special.
[i] When you came here, did you start learning the language?
[r] Yes, I started when I was in the language institute. I started in the language department and then I finished it. After a few days, I started learning the language.
[i] How was the Dutch language?
[r] I studied it in Russia for two years. When I found out that I was coming here, I went with my sister somewhere. There is not much talent there. We had to learn a lot. Then we found an academy in Russia. One of the academies was called Banandol. It was related to Banandol. They had a course there. We found it and studied it. It was very good. We went there twice a week for two years. We went there twice a week. Yes, for two hours. We went there for two hours. It was very good. It was interesting. We sat and sang. It was late at night. We had a lot of fun. We wanted to sing songs. We sang when we were working. We sang books. We had very good books. We sang at home. We sang extra lessons. We sang a lot. Then we came here in Belgium. We came here again. But it was very hard. Netherlands, it was very hard to learn. We advanced, but it was interesting. Learning.
[i] How long has it been for you since you learned Dutch?
[r] Netherlands, I have learned it for about one and a half year. I learned it after one year of teaching, and then I learned it for another half year.
[i] In the meantime, What other languages did you speak?
[r] Dutch? I don’t know what other languages I spoke.
[i] What other languages did you speak?
[r] I talked to my mother in Dari and my family in Dari. I also spoke some English with my family.
[i] Could you speak Russian here?
[r] Yes, I can speak Russian. We had two girls in our faculty. One of them is from Kyrgyzstan and the other is from Ukraine. We are connected to each other. I wanted to talk to her about it, but it didn’t work out. We see each other, but sometimes we don’t see each other. But we are connected. My friends are both from Ukraine. [name] and [name]. We used to talk to each other in the Netherlands. Most of the time we speak Russian.
[i] Did you speak Russian? Did you also study at the political science faculty?
[r] Yes, I did. But I didn’t know how to speak it. I didn’t know how to speak it. But I knew how to speak it. I had patience. I used to learn it. I also had a little bit of money. I used to spend it. I used to spend it and I would start studying. But I found a way to do it. And I decided that it’s enough. I found a job and started working. And I got my job back.
[i] Did you work in Russia? Yes, I did. I went to a school in Russia. It was a good school. It was a very good school. I went to a school where the children were studying, I don’t remember the name of the school, I don’t know what it was, it was a middle-class school. I went there. First, I searched on the internet where I could find work for them. I searched for work near my house and then I went there. I searched for work where I could find work. Then I found a place a little further from my house. I called and we made an appointment and it went well. In September I called back and they said I could get started. She was my director, my director’s wife. The manager called me and told me to come. Then I started to say that I wanted to find another person. I had my diploma as well After a while I had to stop because I didn’t have the right diploma as a teacher. As a stranger it was really difficult to find work. For example, when I went there, the doctor told me that I should change my name to Russian. They checked my phone number and my name. They told me that I should change my name to Russian. I said okay, it’s fine. I had a lot of work to do. Did you change your family name? Yes, I changed it. For example, I changed it to another name.
[i] What was your name? My name was [name].
[i] How long did you work there?
[r] I worked there for a year. I worked in a place where a woman went to work. It was a hospital there. It was one year later and I was left there for another two years. I could only work there for two years. I worked there for a year and never went back. It was very hard for me. I couldn’t control it. I was very sad. I didn’t want to come back. I didn’t go to school.
[i] What was your favorite job at that time? What did you like to do?
[r] What did I like to do? I liked to teach. It’s good to be in the university. I did a semester in the university. I also taught in the university. In our own university. In the preparatory year. I taught history in general. History of young people and history of Russia in general. I taught that. I taught a lot of things to adults. And also to foreigners. The best thing about being a foreigner is that… It’s something that stays with you. One thing and another thing. And another thing. One and another thing. It’s something that you like. I taught that in the university. It wasn’t before. My contract was for one semester. I taught a lot. It was very good. It was very peaceful. There was no one to torture or do anything. Everything was very peaceful. I mean, you would learn in the university. But, I was the only one.
[i] When you came to Belgium, what were your dreams and goals for the future of your work?
[r] First I wanted to do my master studies and then find work. It was also important for me to have my own family. I wanted to find a job and get a job. I wanted to start a family.
[i] Are you missing Afghanistan more or Russia?
[r] Afghanistan. I grew up in Afghanistan and came here. At first I thought I was going to leave. I had a belief that I was going to leave. I knew that whatever I did was useless. I couldn’t go anywhere. But now I have stopped hoping that I would be able to leave. Now I have another hope. I can go and see my family. I can’t stay there for long. My mentality has changed. I can’t stay there. I can’t go to my family for a few days. I can’t. I can’t see them. I can’t stay there. I have two families. One is my mother and one is my aunt. My aunt passed away a year ago. My aunt passed away a few years later. My childhood is there. I can’t see them. I can’t see the place where I used to live. I can’t see my house. I can’t see the house that has grown up. I can’t see my family. I can’t see my family. I am so sad. A few weeks ago, my husband showed me a program that shows the areas and places in the city of Kabul. Some people can ask me to show them this place. And they will tell me what it is. They are creating a program. They make a program and show that this is where you were and now you are living here. I liked it very much, and I am trying to do the program now. It is a very good program. I wanted to go. I have a wish. If it is possible or not, I will go. In a few days, in a few days, I will go and see where I want to go.
[i] What is the difference between being an immigrant in Belgium and being an immigrant in Russia?
[r] In Russia, immigration was not a pleasure. In Russia, in the 90s, a system was changed. Other systems came, but everything was not good. People’s lives were very difficult. Especially for parents, who have to raise and control their children. It was difficult for me. I had a wish for a few hours, but it was not a pleasure. I remember it was not a pleasure. I never had any adventure. I say, from the beginning, everything was good. I saw my family and I am with them now. I like the water and the weather. Everything is beautiful. I like the greenery. It is very beautiful. It is always warm. I like the rain. I like rainy days. Everything is beautiful.
[i] What do you do for a living?
[r] I am working in a company in Afghanistan. My boss is a very good person. He always answers my questions. He is very kind. It is easier for me to work there. It is not difficult. I have learned everything there. I have been working there for a few months. It is good. I like working there.
[i] What do you do for a living?
[r] I work as an administrator. It is good for me to work there. I register people for studying and exams. I see the classes that have changed. I change the time of the classes. I contact the teachers.
[i] Do you like your job?
[r] I am good. I work from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sometimes from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sometimes from 2 a.m. to 6 p.m. If there are Afghan customers I speak with them in the Dari. We also have Russian customers and I can speak with them in Russian. Sometimes also in English or French.
[i] What do you have in mind for your future work here in Belgium?
[r] I am very happy with the work I am doing. If I find another job in the future, I want to buy a house and raise my children. I hope to have a family so that I can raise my children well.
[i] Here, with the help of the local government, Do you know any Afghan community?
[r] Afghan community? I don’t know. Sometimes we go to concerts. Sometimes we go, sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we get a New Year’s card or the Aldaar night. Then we go to get our jewelry They take care of us and we go there. We sit down and talk to the women and see them. That’s it.
[i] Thank you.
[r] That’s it. That’s all I can say.
[i] Do you have any friends in Belgium? Do you have any Belgian friends?
[r] I don’t really have a Belgian friend. I always wanted to have a Belgian friend when I was in school. Because my language is good and I remember their mentality. But I don’t know.
[i] Why?
[r] I don’t know. I don’t know if they are good or bad. I’m in contact with them and they are good. I talk to them and they are good. And they are open. But I don’t know if they are nice or not. We can be nice to each other.
[i] Have you ever experienced discrimination in Belgium?
[r] No. I have never experienced it. No, I didn’t see anything. I don’t know. I didn’t see anything.
[i] How did you get to know your husband?
[r] There was a course in Atlas. There was a person who worked for me. He was a social worker. He told me that I could take this course. My husband told me that there was another person. He told me that I could take this course. I took the course. My husband and I got married. We texted each other once. We didn’t have contact. We met again about a year and a half later.
[i] What course did you take?
[r] StressCop. It was a good course. It was a good course. I liked it. I learned a lot from it. The people were nice. They talked about themselves. They listened to each other. It was interesting. Then we got married. Then he decided for himself. We made a decision. I made a decision. Then I met my mother. We talked about it. Then we got married.
[i] Did you have kids?
[r] No.
[i] Do you have any plans to have a child?
[r] Sure.
[i] When the children come to the world, what culture would you like to teach them?
[r] Culture… I would like to have our own culture. Because there should be a modern culture. It is necessary to take a first step. It is a human trait that must be followed. The culture here is self-evident, because it is in this environment. It is a good culture. I like this culture very much. I like its system very much. It is a democratic system. I like it very much. I like it very much. I am very happy to be born here. I like that my new children have this culture, this culture and this mentality. I am proud to have learned from them. I wish to have more.
[i] What culture do you want to teach children? What culture do you want to teach children? My culture, for example, gastvrij [hospitality], for example, and, for example,
[i] Merman Paziri
[r] Merman Paziri, yes, Merman Paziri and being close to the culture, to the history, to be interesting and to learn a little, to move forward, to learn. I hope that he will learn a little by himself. I talk to him about my language, and I am not afraid that he will not learn it well. Because he is in his environment, in school, everywhere, he learns his language. He learns by himself. Especially children. And I also like his language. I talk to him about my own language. So that everyone remembers my own language.
[i] What are your hobbies? What do you do in your free time?
[r] Well, now that I have time, when I have free time, I study, I go to work, I go to work. I go to school. I go to work. I read a little English, I practice. For example, sometimes I watch a movie with English subtitles. I do a lot of these things. In the past, what did I do? I didn’t do much of these things. But I liked to do these things. This is good for me. But now there is more pain and things like this. Because now I have free time. What do we call it? Free time. I don’t have much free time. Because I work every day. But what am I? On holidays or after work, for example. Sometimes I study.
[i] What do I study?
[r] Literature.
[i] When you came here to Belgium, as an immigrant, what qualifications did you get from the government to be able to return to your country?
[r] From the government? When I came here, what did I want from the government?
[i] How did the government help you to open your way in society?
[r] Well, the government is an example. I was able to study. I had the chance to read a book. And also, I was able to work in some… For example, in Atlas. I worked in Atlas as a volunteer. They gave me some money for my work in Atlas. I worked there a little. I was able to take a five-year internship. It is done through the government. And… What else? But I was able to grow. With the help of God, I was able to grow from a poor person to a little. And… I also worked as a volunteer. They took me and said, Come here, you can do anything, come and work here. You will get experience. And then, little by little, from everywhere, I gained experience. Some of the things that I have been able to grow, God made me grow. I was able to grow, little by little, from everywhere.
[i] What is the most important thing in life for you?
[r] Well, first of all, family. Family is the most important thing for me. Whatever you do, whatever you do, you should never forget your family. Your mother and father. Take your family with you. Stay together. Spend some days together. That is important to me. And… If you don’t start a new life, you can’t be with your husband or children. You have to think about yourself. Focus on yourself. So that a new, good life can start. And… My mother is my mother. Do you understand? The new family. That is the most important thing for me.
[i] What is your opinion about building a family in Belgium?
[r] What is your opinion about building a family in Belgium? In Belgium… Well… Building a family in Belgium is the same everywhere. But in Belgium, there is one thing that changes here. It is one thing that… There is a law here. It is legal. Like, if you have a husband, there is a law. So, yes, I don’t know if it is bad or not. Everyone wants their own way. Everyone has their own way.
[i] What is your opinion about women’s rights here in Belgium?
[r] Women’s rights… Women’s rights in Afghanistan are very different.
[i] How do you see it?
[r] Well… As long as the country has not risen, and as long as the people have not risen, they should be a little… What do they say? They should be open-minded. That is why… There are women here who have no authority. And the poor women who cannot have any power, and they have no rights… What do they see in the past? What do they see in the children? What do they see in the family? Right…
[i] In terms of women’s rights… As a women, could you. .. Do you want to reach the place where you want to reach, without any limits?
[r] Women’s rights are here. There are a lot of people here who have a lot of work to do. They can give you a lot of opportunities to study. For example, if you want to study, they can provide you with a place to live. What is the biggest challenge for you? When you say you have a job, you must be OK. You have to work and be to where you can. You should not be confined somewhere and think they won’t allow this or that. No, your path is clear. You have so much power. You can go forward with your power until you reach your destination. I have heard that people see who you are and where you are from when they ask you to find a job. The only thing I have heard here is that if you are looking for a job, your nationality, your name, etc. you can reduce your chance. You can find that everywhere. There are always people who are not so open-minded to think objectively. There are many people who are the case.
[i] Have you experienced something like that that you had no equal opportunities through your country of origin? And you are deprived of your opportunities?
[r] I don’t know. I was working a lot at that time. I couldn’t find a job. I was told that it wouldn’t work. I thought about it and I thought why it wouldn’t work. I was told that it would be unpassable for us. I don’t think I can do it.
[i] That you were not fit for the job?
[r] Yes, yes. It’s not good. But it happens. For example, I like to do social work. But I didn’t have a diploma. Sometimes they get a diploma, right? For example, they get it in Atlas. I tried everything I could but I didn’t succeed. How did I get to know this job? A girl worked there. She was my sister’s… sister… sister of my husband. No, she was my mother’s name. She told me that my sister said that When I went there, I understood that this is a job that can be completed in a few days, so I asked if it was possible for me to work for you, and they told me that it was possible for me to work for you, and then they took me. It is possible that this job has become difficult, but it is really difficult to find a job. The work I want to do is difficult for a person who has not come here for four years. You have to learn the language. And then you have to learn French. Many people who work in the administration don’t know that French is also a job. I asked them what I wanted to do. I asked them and I told them what I wanted to do. I told them that it is important for us to learn French. They see the language and think that it is not good enough. They understand my language and think that it is not good enough and I have to work on it. Some people learn French and when they work, they stay away from it. For example, I wanted to go to a reception center and work there. But the reception centres are far away. Some people don’t have the opportunity to go there. Or they don’t have the experience. They don’t have the experience to work there. Or they don’t have the diploma.
[i] Did you pass the integration course?
[r] What did I do there? I didn’t study there. I only did a vrijstellingstoets [exemption test]. Then I learned it.
[i] What is it?
[r] Vrijstellingstoets [exemption test]. For example, your teacher sees that you are a social worker. He sees that you can give a test. Then what does he do? He will give you a test and a few people will come to give you a test. Then you will come to the test. And the test will have a few questions. You will answer the questions and you will find the right answer.
[i] What is your opinion about immigrants who come to Belgium from various countries? From Iraq, Syria, Albania, Africa, Iran. What do you think about the migration that has happened lately? Many people come to Belgium or other countries for war. What do you think about this migration?
[r] When they come to Belgium or Europe or America, they migrate. But in their countries, it is very difficult for women and children. They can’t get a proper life there. For example, there are women in Afghanistan who marry their husbands. If they don’t want to do something, they force them to do it. They can’t do it. And then, they can’t do anything. And then, their families, their people, their wives, they can’t do anything. Because it is a shame for their parents. And they can’t say that because their parents tell them, you spoiled us or insulted us. You say things or do things. That’s why they are forced to move forward with their lives. It’s very difficult for a woman. That’s why some women migrate from there. In Syria, for example, there is a lot of unrest because of the war and how many children die in Kabul. Women want to live a peaceful life because they want to give birth to their children. That is why they don’t pay to get married.
[i] Do you think this is a good or bad thing for the society?
[r] Do you think that they can be a refugee?
[i] No, for the Belgian society, these refugees are coming.
[r] Yes, I think the Belgians and Europeans see that many of us are coming from abroad. They say that we are coming from abroad because our population is increasing. But that is not true. They don’t have the means to help the refugees. What can I say?
[i] What are the main problems of the Afghan society here in Belgium?
[r] What problems?
[i] Yes.
[r] What problems do the refugees in Belgium have?
[i] The Afghan refugees.
[r] The Afghan refugees. What problems do they have? Well, first of all, it’s difficult to find a job. It’s difficult to find a job. And then, we can have problems, like being alone. There are no families, only young people, young girls. There is no one to support you. It’s difficult. Um… Well… It’s good that some things happen. Some parties don’t have these things and the Afghans gather. They don’t feel like they’re away from their culture and their people. When the parties gather and see each other, they feel closer to their culture and their people. They don’t know what to do. Sometimes, people from other countries come to this place to get married with us. For example, the greats and greats of the Arab world come here. And also, the greats and greats of Germany come here to this place. They come here to spend time with us, to become friends with their culture and people.
[i] What is your feeling of being here? What do you feel here?
[r] A sense of distance.
[i] A sense of heimwee [homesick].
[r] For example, Afghanistan. For Afghanistan.
[i] Or Russia.
[r] For Afghanistan, I remember my childhood. I remember why I can’t go there when it’s not day time. I remember the good night. That’s one thing. It’s another thing. In Russia, I remember the places where I used to study. I used to study and work there. I used to like it so much that I didn’t see those places anymore. Now I remember what I used to see.
[i] What about your brothers? Were they able to open the door for you?
[r] Yes, they did. My brothers are very good. My younger brother came and learned the language. He took the language test and went to school. Now he is an anesthesiologist. Anesthesiologist. He also opened a boxing club with a friend. He opened it with a friend and a few others. He opened a boxing club. He is very busy. He is busy with his mother. His brother is my little brother. My older brother is also in the hospital. He is a doctor. He is a gerontologist. My older brothers learn the language. They told us how hard it was to be there and how bad it was. About his remnant in the reception center and the challenges then. Sometimes he had to go on foot to the shelter until midnight. Or when he had to leave the shelter and find a house. He had nowhere to sleep. So he worked at McDonald’s until late. But after that was closed, he had to find a place to sleep and back to work in the morning. One of them told me to go inside the house. Everyone was sleeping in Al-Aida’s place. I went to my own place and asked for money. He told me that he didn’t take money from me. I went to the place where the boy was. He told me to go there. Then he fell asleep in that place. Everyone had a difficult life. Even my brothers had a hard time. Now he is a doctor. He has a good life. He has a family and two daughters. He is living a good life. My brother is half of the family. They came from Russia. Now he has two children. It is very difficult for me to give him money. Everything is over. My brother is three years older. I have three brothers. He says that when he is married, I can find another job for myself. I will get a job to take care of the children. Now he is left with me. When he is done, I will go to him. His wife is a master’s student. She is a master’s student and she has a right. She has rights and works. She is working, she is studying, and has children. It is very difficult. But she is pursuing her life.
[i] When you decided to find a house here, how was it? What is your experience?
[r] When I came here, my parents had a home. My husband’s house was very bad. Before, the house was very bad. After that, it became onbewoonbaar [uninhabitable]. He wanted to find a house. He found a house here, but it was very bad. When he found this house, he came here. When I came here, my husband came to me. He said, you are a very good person. I want you to stay here. We will live here. He lived here and I went to his house. We got married. We got married and then we came here. We came here. It is a very peaceful place. Our neighbor is also very good. We are very peaceful here.
[i] How does Afghani marriage differ from Belgian marriage?
[r] Afghani marriage is different. Afghani marriage is very formal. It is a process. I don’t prefer Belgian marriage.
[i] Didn’t it have to be so that your marriage is here? Because this is a civil marriage. You can go to Town Hall and need to arrange your marriage.
[r] Yes.
[i] But you didn’t do this?
[r] No.
[i] You just arranged Afghani marriage and married your husband.
[i] I don’t have any other questions, but do you have any other words that you would like to say? Any other experiences, memories, as a migrant, as a person who has lived in three different countries?
[r] I have had the opportunity to live here, but I didn’t have the means. I missed it.
[r] No, I’m glad I had the chance to get here and stay close to my family. Fortunately we are here to have so many nice people in our society who helped us in difficult times. I hope there will be a time where nobody is forced around his country, to leave his family and parents. I hope we have less violence and war in the future in the world. I hope that the people who live in other countries will have a better life and will have a better life. And it would be easier for them. There would be no need for them to leave their country, their homeland, their family, their parents. And they would be forced to leave their country, their homeland, their mother and family. I hope in the future in our world, these things will be reduced. Thank you.
[i] You said very nice things. Thank you for coming.
[r] Thank you. Thank you for listening.
[i] Thank you for telling the story.
[r] Thank you very much.