Country of origin: guinea
Year of settlement: 2008
Age on arrival: 14
City: bochum
Gender: male
Language of the interview: German
[i] Welcome dear viewers! My name is [name]. We are fieldworkers for the project “Specially Unknown”. We are here in the premises of Guinee-Coop. My task is to introduce ten people from our community Guinea. The guests will tell us their story. Today Mr [name] will introduce himself to you. Have fun with his story. We welcome you warmly! Please introduce yourself.
[r] [name] is my name. I come from Guinea. I am 25 years old and have been living in Germany since 2008.
[i] Good, thank you very much. You come from Guinea. Could you please introduce Guinea to the audience?
[r] Guinea is a West African country with 13 million inhabitants. The country is divided into four regions. In Maritime Guinea, Fouta Djallon, Upper Guinea and Forest Guinea. These are the 4 regions of Guinea.
[i] How large is Guinea in terms of area?
[r] Guinea is 245,857 sqm large.
Thank you very much for the information about the country. They live in the project city Bochum. What is your relationship to the city of Bochum?
I actually come from Dortmund. I have been living in Dortmund since 2008, but I have many colleagues here in Bochum. That’s why I’m often in Bochum. Bochum is a city where I deal with a lot of integrated people. That’s why I’m very often in Bochum.
[i] Thanks for the information. Now we move on to the topic of integration and your own history. We would like to know more about your past. How were your youth and childhood? Do you have memories that you would like to share with us? Do you have a memento you brought for us?
Yes, I did. I brought my childhood pass with me. With my passport I was able to play football in Guinea for the club. Everyone had this ID card. I had the number 88. This is the third team. We had teenagers who were divided into groups. We did a lot of positive things together. For example, playing football. We swam together in the sea. We went to school. We went to the French school together and did a lot.
[i] Thank you. Now we come to everyday life, family and friends. First to the family.
I belong to a polygamous family. That means my father has two wives. I am the third child.
[i] From the maternal side?
From the maternal side, I am the third. I still have two sisters. We’ve always done a lot of things that I can’t forget so quickly. We did very good things.
[i] How was the contact with the siblings? Did you all live together or separately?
We lived in a house. With both mothers and our father. We lived together and the children had their own room. And every woman had her own room. The man was in between. That’s why we did all things together. We were many people and did exciting things together.
[i] What was it like in the circle of friends on the subject of education? How did that work out? Was there anything before school?
I went to primary school. It was very, very difficult to find education. My father is an Immam. He wanted me to be his successor. I didn’t like that very much. That’s when I learned how important time is. After reading the Koran I had to go to school. I always had to go from A to B. There was no free time.
[i] But you still played in the soccer team? How did you arrange this? Was that tolerated by the family?
That was difficult. We trained with the team every weekend after school. The French school starts at 7pm and ends at 1pm. Or sometimes at 12:00. From 12:00 to 13:00 we had one hour. In that hour we played football. Or before we played with friends in the garden. And from 13 to 14 o’clock one had to stay at home. To eat lunch and prepare things for the next lesson.
That was on the subject of school and school rhythm. What did you do in everyday life when you were at home? In the morning you got up, went to school, took a break? And then they went back to school. What did you do then?
When I was at home, I repeated what I learned at school. In French this is called Révision.
[i] You mean homework?
Exactly, I had homework to do. When we had finished everything, we sat down and ate and played. And then one of us would always tell something. Either the teenagers or an older person. We told each other a lot of exciting stories. A lot of history… Or how to deal with other people.
[i] What experiences have you had with your friends?
With friends we played together outside. When you were a child, you didn’t think so much. You only thought about the moment. We thought: Let’s play football! And then we did that… Of course, as with all children, there was a fight between them. Sometimes there were bad children, sometimes sweet children, who were very pleasant.
[i] If there was an argument, how did you end it? Between friends in school and family. What was that like?
If there was a conflict at school, it was settled by the teachers. The teacher said, “It wasn’t good what you did there. Then, for example, we got a little slap in the hand.
[i] As punishment?
Exactly as punishment when we did a lot of nonsense. After the small blow to the hand, we stopped. Children think, “If I do that again, I’ll get another punishment. And that’s what we were all afraid of. That’s why most children behaved well. Then we did no more nonsense.
[i] What was it like during the holiday season?
If there was a holiday, we spent the time with our parents. When they had time, we went to the village. We spent every holiday in the jungle. Our village is in central Guinea. In Mamou. This is our region. Mamou is a big city and our village is only 25 km away. From there we went to the village. We lived there with our parents and read the Koran. In the middle we made a fire and sweets were distributed to the children. And then we got something to eat. And then we told each other fairy tales. And then the fairy tales were passed on orally. Some children almost fell asleep. Those who fell asleep were brought into the apartment. Then the story continued until everyone was tired and went to bed. And the next day the story was told. We did a lot of nice things. For example the telling of fairy tales. And that was very, very exciting.
What’s different there than in the capital? Did you have electricity? How did you feed and finance yourselves? How did everyday life go? In the village compared to your everyday life in the big city. Could you please tell us that?
[r] Yes, of course. If someone lives here in Bochum’s city centre, it’s not like in Dortmund. In Dortmund you notice directly that you don’t know everyone. But everyone in the village knows each other. Every family knows the other families. It’s like a big family. The families in the villages live together. And they belong together. We have all done things together. On one side lived the uncle, on the other the aunt. This is a big family and everyone knows each other. Everyone knows the other people.
[i] Was there a division of labour? How was it organized? Was there agricultural work?
There was no electricity in the village. Life in the village is very different from life in the capital. We didn’t sell the food in the village, but exchanged it with each other. Like the farmers, we exchanged goods for goods. They took some of their goods to give to the others. These are beautiful things you can experience in the village. There is no quarrel. The women alternated with cooking and all ate together. The whole big family sat and ate together. We ate from a big pot and had fun, lived and laughed. We did a lot of things together.
[i] How did you take a shower? You had no electricity, no running water, and you ate in nature. How was that for you?
We had a river. We could take a shower in the river.
[i] Take a shower or swim?
After we were in the river, we weren’t showered again.
When you were in the villages, what did you miss?
[r] Yes, the electricity. Television, especially electricity. Because we didn’t have electricity in the village.
Was it very loud in the capital?
Yes, it was always much louder than in the village. In the villages it was always very quiet and you could hear the birds chirping. As you would say in my language: “The birds sing so beautifully in the morning”. Those were very exciting things.
Were there certain times or days of the week when a wholesale market took place and people all met? What do the young people do then? Is there something the youth does?
We had a big market once a week. Once a week there was a flea market. People from us sold something. There were a lot of customers who were interested.
Hello. My name is Alpha Bassy from Guinee-Coop. I am feedworker for our community from Guinea. My job is to interview ten people. Today I have a guest. He comes from Guinea. Guinea is a country which belongs to South West Africa. The country of Guinea is divided geographically into four regions: In Maritime Guinea, Fouta Djallon, Upper Guinea and Forest Guinea. Guinea has approximately 13 million inhabitants and an area of 245,857 square meters. Mr [name] is our guest today. We have chosen you because we find your story very, very interesting. Would you please introduce yourself?
Thank you very much. My name is [name] I come from Dortmund, originally from Guinea. I have been living in Germany since 2008.
[i] How are you connected from Dormund to Bochum?
There is a good connection between me and others. Young people from Bochum and Dortmund and the Guinee-Coop association. We are very active together. I know many people with whom I enjoy working together.
[i] Since when do you live in Dortmund?
I have been living in Dortmund since 2008. But I’m often in Bochum. Dortmund and Bochum are only about 20 minutes apart.
[i] What are you doing at the moment?
I have completed an apprenticeship and work as a specialist for warehouse logistics. I am a full-time employee.
Do you continue to work in the same company where you completed your training?
Exactly, I work in the same company.
[i] We would like to know more about your past. Can you tell us something about your youth and childhood?
I come from a polygamous family. My father had two wives and I am the third child. The atmosphere was good at home. I can remember a lot from the past. I grew up in the capital of Guinea, Conakry.
Did you bring us something from your past?
My ID card. That’s the badge for the football team. We were a street team and we played against the other teams.
A team from the neighborhood where you lived?
Exactly, only one team from the neighbourhood. And everyone got their passport.
[i] So that every player had a passport. So much for football. So that was your passion. Did you like playing football?
Yes, very much. I like to play football very much. But that’s the end of my football career. Now I have to work full time and don’t have that much time for football. That’s why I don’t have so much to do with football at the moment.
Was that at any time your dream to become a footballer?
Yes, that was my dream. Yes, my dream. I also played football at a very high level in Dortmund. I played in the Westfalenliga and invested a lot of time. It didn’t work out and then I tried to find work.
[i] They played football in Guinea and here. Let’s stay in Guinea. How was your everyday life in Guinea? In the family, with friends, what was the atmosphere like?
The atmosphere in the family was mediocre. Neither good nor bad. Just like in any family. Sometimes there were quarrels among each other. That’s how we experienced it. For our parents we children were very exhausting. We did many things together. During the holidays we went to our village.
Where did you grow up in Guinea?
I lived in Conakry and grew up there.
[i] Conakry is the capital?
Exactly, Conakry is the capital. During the holidays, when we didn’t have school, we went to the villages. Here in Central Guinea our big city is called Mamou. From there we drive about 25 km to the village.
[i] Is this a forest area?
[r] Yes, exactly.
[i] What is the stop called?
[r] Its name is Legiom????
[i] That’s the name of a tree.
[r] Yes, an ancient tree.
[i] Is there a story about this tree?
Yes, there is a nice story about this strong tree. People tried to cut down the tree. But the humans didn’t make it. They tried everything. With the tractor and other tools, but the machines all broke and the tree was still there.
[i] So a bit mystical?
[r] Exactly. Nobody can explain it properly. But the tree is still there.
[i] How did your everyday life go there, in the village?
Every now and then I was there. I wasn’t there often, but when I was there, it was very, very beautiful. Because there is a big difference between Conakry and the village. In the interior we didn’t have electricity yet. No TV either.
What did you have in the village?
We had nature. And natural food from agriculture.
[i] Food from nature?
[r] Yes. It wasn’t loud, it was very quiet. You could hear the birds singing. Everything is of purely biological origin from nature. No chemistry at all. We have mangos, oranges, potatoes, sweet potatoes, bananas. We have many things. Our speciality from the village are the sweet potatoes.
So your village is known for the sweet potato?
[r] Exactly. In the village we concentrated on our own cultivation. People produce the vegetables and fruit and then sell them at the wholesale market. We also have a flea market. Once a week. Every Thursday the flea market takes place. Everything is sold at the flea market. It is sold and exchanged. This is how people live together there. One has this, the other needs that. Then you can exchange. That is how I experienced it. We also went swimming together with the children.
Does that refer to the wholesale market or to everyday life?
That refers to everyday life in the village. We always played football with the children and went swimming. In a river where everyone can swim. Everyone can go there and swim. Although the water was not clean, we called it “our swimming pool”. The one who wanted to take a shower could also take a shower there. These are things that I really liked. I was happy to do that.
[i] Did you do that during the day? Were there certain things you did in the morning, at noon, and in the evening?
We always had breakfast in the morning and then we were supposed to study. We read and learned the Koran from 7am to 10am. From 10 to 16 o’clock there was play time and the children could do something with their parents. Walking or collecting wood.
[i] Why collect wood?
[r] For cooking, for example. And for our evening campfire. In the evening we sit together in a circle. Then we tell each other stories about our families or about the region. About our ancestors. How they lived. Or fairy tales were told. We told each other animal stories and fairy tales. A few children fell asleep. Some of them got stuck. It was told until everyone was tired and we all went to bed. It was like a routine in daily life in the village.
Are there any acquaintances you remember well? From the neighbourhood?
[r] Yes. Everyone in the village knew everyone. Everyone knew each other. Everyone knows everyone. All relatives were there, all were together. The whole big family did it all together. Everyone had their own house. But everything belonged together. We had a nice life together in the village.
[i] That was during the holidays in the village?
Exactly when we were on vacation. When you arrived, you had to greet the whole family directly. You could go anywhere because we were a big family. Everyone came together to make a campfire and hear stories.
What did you do when the holidays were over?
Then we went back to Conakry. After Conakry, to the third largest commune of Conakry. There I have a lot of colleagues from my team. Everyone goes to them. Holidays in the villages. And then we all meet again after the holidays in Conakry. Then we start again with ours. Activities: sports, school and work.
What exactly did your everyday life with friends look like? How was life in Conakry? Was it possible to live in Conakry with the time in. Village compare? Or was it more strenuous?
You can’t compare that. In the village we had no electricity and no television. In Conakry we had electricity and a television. Not every day, but from time to time. When we had electricity, we watched a nice movie together. Or we listened to a story. We also listened to the radio. In the morning we went to school. After that we went home, ate, did homework and played together. And we did some homework with them. Parents talked and they did it together. Until 17 or 18 o’clock we played football together with friends. At 19 o’clock we were all at home and watched TV together. Until we went to bed.
[i] What did your parents do for a living?
My parents are salesmen.
[i] What do your parents sell?
My parents sell food. And that’s how we lived. It’s not so nice, but we were able to finance our lives that way.
[i] How was the upbringing of your parents? What role did religion play in your parents’ upbringing?
We are a Muslim family. As Muslims we had to read the Koran. That was a duty. That was what happened. After reading the Koran we had to keep to prayer times and pray five times a day. If Ramadan was, we had to fast. During Ramadan people should not be treated badly. And there were many things we were not allowed to do. When there was a dispute between me and my brothers and sisters, our father settled it. If the father was not there, the mother did that. Then they told us how to behave correctly and so we all lived together and held together as brothers and sisters. No matter what problem came, we kept together.
What is your most beautiful childhood memory?
The soccer game in Guinea. That was what did me good. You didn’t have to be afraid. That was the best time of my childhood. And going to school with my friends. Together we played in the playground and walked back and forth. That was the best time!
[i] What role did the neighborhood play for you?
The neighbourhood played an important role. When my parents weren’t there, the parents of the neighborhood kids decided for us.
[i] In case of dispute?
Yes, in a dispute, for example. The neighbours were responsible for us when our parents were not there. It all belongs together with us. The neighbours were like parents to us.
[i] How did you perceive the society of the country? Now you are here in Germany, in Dortmund. Looking back, how did you perceive your own country? What did you like there? What wasn’t good and made you leave the country? Did you love the country? What was the social situation like there?
Guinea is a country where you can do anything you want to do. It’s a country without rules. You can’t compare Guinea with Germany because everything is structured here in Germany. All the people here are well-groomed. There are clear rules about what you have to do and what you are not allowed to do. In Guinea you do everything you want to do, although you can be oppressed. For example, there is no perspective in Guinea. There is no future for the children. The children have no future because there is a group that controls the whole country. And the children should be the ones to take over Guinea’s policy. The government is in charge.
Are there quasi laws against the weaker ones?
Those who have passed the laws can change the laws the way they want.
Do they pass the laws the way they want?
Exactly how they want it. It was arranged this way in Guinea, but I was very young then, I can’t remember exactly when and how everything was decided. That’s why I don’t see any perspectives for children.
[i] Are there no protests against politics?
Yes, there are always protests. People will always protest. But that doesn’t help so much. Young people will even be killed. Policemen fired at the demonstrators. That’s dangerous when there’s shooting and all people out. Fear runs in all directions and everyone looks for a hiding place. Nevertheless, demonstrations continue to this day. Demonstrations have been taking place for 10 years. I recently heard that 103 people were killed in Guinea. 103 people. In other words, the situation there has still not improved.
[i] A lot of unrest.
Exactly, too many riots. It hasn’t got better, it’s got worse.
Did you suffer from it? You personally or acquaintances of yours? Do you know people who were directly affected or who heard or saw something?
At that time many of my friends were killed. Now I don’t know anyone because I don’t have so much contact with them anymore. Since I’ve been here in Germany, I don’t have any contact anymore. I only inform myself via the Internet and the radio. I get to know everything about the people who are interviewed there. Otherwise I have no information.
[i] Were there certain professions you would have liked to pursue?
[r] Yes.
[i] What kind of profession would that have been? You work in warehouse logistics, right?
[r] Yes. I always thought, why didn’t I become a civil servant? I would have liked to work for the government. To change anything unfair.
[i] And the logistics branch?
No, that wasn’t mine. Plan. I wanted to study economics and social studies. At that time logistics was not my plan. But when I came to Germany I saw that logistics was also good. Logistics is everywhere. Everything has something to do with logistics. These. On the order side, what you have to do now, for example, is logistics. How to prepare everything for a sale… We also demonstrated in Guinea back then. That was once a very dangerous demonstration, we were all persecuted. And then I flew to the Czech Republic and from. In the Czech Republic I went to Germany.
[i] Before you left the country, what hopes or hopes. Did your fears come with the decision to flee?
I was very afraid because I was persecuted. The newspaper published a picture of me. My uncle discovered the picture. My uncle then said that it was too dangerous for me and that I should leave the country. And he arranged it for me because I didn’t know how to do it all. And then I was taken to the Czech Republic.
When you left your familiar surroundings and went to a foreign country, what were the difficulties in saying goodbye? You had many friends, you played football and suddenly everything was different. How did friends and family react to your decision? Was the situation tacitly accepted?
No, my family didn’t notice. My uncle and I planned it. It stayed between us. And then I slowly understood what it would all mean. Then I flew to Europe without knowing what it would all mean in the end. My uncle said that Germany was a safe country. And I saw for myself that the people here are all right. No one talks to his neighbor, everyone does his own things and lives his life. And then I thought, nobody can recognize me here. And so I lived here. From that time until today I have no contact at all with my former mates, with whom I had a lot to do before. I don’t know where they are and how they are doing. Maybe even some of them died. I do not know what happened during the said. Demonstration everything happened. Maybe they were lucky and escaped the oppression of the police.
[i] Thereupon you went via Eastern Europe to…
Exactly after I arrived in the Czech Republic I came directly to Dortmund.
What were your first impressions of Germany, the Ruhr area and Bochum and Dortmund?
At the beginning I didn’t know where what was located. I was on the bus and got off in Dortmund. At Dortmund station I went directly to the police officers. I showed them my ID and they told me they had to accompany me to a home. Then they accompanied me directly to the Bonifazius home. I made my application there and stayed in the Bonifazius Home. I then began to attend and complete language courses.
You then experienced the support of the good structures that exist here?
Exactly, the Bonifazius Home of Caritas supported me.
[i] Was there still contact with your family?
No, I have no contact with my family.
Did you find any friends here?
Slowly, yes.
How did your integration go here? Have you had any positive or negative experiences at the language school?
I was allowed to gain more positive experiences in the integration courses.
And in the Dortmund team, in which you continued to play football?
I didn’t have any problems at all with the team. I wasn’t being played by anyone in mine. Football team offended. I did at school. Of course there is discrimination when people are angry. Then things are said that you don’t have to take seriously. People who were in stressful situations or had a bad upbringing have sometimes been discriminated against.
[i] Nevertheless, you have always looked ahead?
[r] Exactly. And then I went on to school and made everything reasonable. I went to school regularly and have mine. I took the language course and the 9th grade. After the 10th grade I graduated from the Wirtschaftsgymnasium. Then I completed my Fachabi. Then I completed 3 years of training as a specialist for warehouse logistics.
[i] If you had had the choice, would you have preferred to go to university instead? To get better chances for your residence status? Did a counselling centre advise you that training was better? Quasi a tactical decision?
After graduating from a university of applied sciences, I went to my lawyer with my teacher. We asked him what the prospects were. The best. The best perspective would be to look for a job as soon as possible. Then I thought I’d put the studies aside for the time being and go to work. So that I could get a residence permit. I was advised that I should look for a training place in order to be able to become a permanent employee afterwards. I was told that this would give me the residence title, so I decided to go this way. That’s why I decided against the university and for the education.
Are you happy with your decision?
I am happy with this decision. I have now completed my three years of training and I am full of employees. I feel quite comfortable with the employees. Them. The atmosphere is not always good, but mostly it is. The people are correct and good.
[i] That’s life.
Yes, that’s how it is.
[i] What’s your housing situation? What about your neighbors? Since you come from a different culture, what is it like for you?
If you came to Germany as a very young person, it’s not as dramatic as it is for those who are older. It was easier for me because I always had a lot to do with other young people. I have always done a lot of things with other young people. We were together on the sports field. That helped me so much for my integration. We played football together. There was no African. Nobody with whom I could speak my mother tongue. I had to make an effort and speak German.
[i] When you’re here in the country, you should have a lot to do with German or German-speaking people. That’s better for integration. Was that helpful for you?
[r] Yes, very helpful. In the Bonofazius home the carers have always confirmed this to me. They have always said that they are proud of me because I have always given everything. I learned a lot there with them. We did a lot together. There we had a lot of contact with each other. My goals were: Learning and playing football. I always did the two things.
[i] How is your everyday life in Germany?
[r] There is a big difference. I’ve changed a lot. I am a quiet person. Sometimes I go for walks in the city with friends. After work, of course. In the past, during my time in the home, we spent the day after school in the Bonifazius home. Bonifazius was my home and we lived together in one room. After school we had lunch at home. And then I did my homework. After the homework my free time started at 16 o’clock. Either I went to sports with friends in a sports hall. Because behind the house we had a small hall where we could play football. We always played football. With the other flatmates and flatmates. Sometimes we also went to the zoo. There we visited the animals. To see what it was like. We also went to Phantasialand together. We did so much in our spare time. In the spare time and holiday time we did a lot. We went to the Sauerland or to Holland on vacation. Then we pitched our tent. That was the best time. These are the most beautiful memories from my youth here in Germany. We spent a lot of time together. We also spent time at the lake and built something together with what we could drive on the lake. A kind of boat with paddles.
[i] Do you mean a canoe?
[r] Exactly. We did a lot of canoeing. With paddling. We did a lot of things.
[i] That means you’ve settled in well here.
[r] Yes.
There have also been activities that you have done with yours. Connect culture? Or was there a lack of such activities?
We also did a lot with Guinee-Coop. Both in Dortmund and in Bochum. We also did a lot together in the city centre. With the other children and young people. We prepared a lot together in the city. We really did a lot together.
They were always active in the clubs and travelled a lot. We did a lot of things together.
I was very active here from the beginning. We always tried to do everything that didn’t work out so well. Now I am also very active here at Guinee-Coop. There are many activities where I can get involved.
[i] Are you very committed to the association? What about bureaucracy? What experiences have you had there?
[r] Here in Germany?
[i] Yes, exactly, in Germany. What were or are the hurdles you have to overcome?
Here in Germany there is a lot of bureaucracy. Everything is written. Everything must be proven in writing to the authorities. I had to prove everything I did. For example, when I went to school. I had to go to the authorities with my certificate. They copied everything and put it in my file. Everything you do in Germany must be documented. When I was at the Foreigners Authority, I also received a certificate. For my employer. It works step by step. You have to prove what you have done between A and B. That’s a good thing.
[i] What role does religion play for you?
[r] I am a Muslim. As I said at the beginning. Religion plays a very big role for me. It makes me feel good. Because religion helps me. Religion forbids me to do bad things. It helps me to be a better person. My religion shows me how to be a good person. I must not insult anyone. I must not treat others badly.
[i] What do you like about Bochum, Dortmund and Germany? Or what do you not like? In Dortmund I actually like everything on the whole. I have many friends there. That’s one of the positive things about Dortmund. Here in Bochum I also have many good connections. Bochum is a beautiful, quiet city. A student city. I think it’s all great. Maybe what I don’t like is waiting for the bus. Or if the tram can’t go on. Just like in Dortmund. I don’t like the extreme right-wing radicalism in Germany. The demonstrations of Nazis. I don’t like that and it makes me a little afraid. Who knows where you can meet these people. I don’t want anything to do with them. These are unnecessary things.
[i] What do you like about Germany? What does society do? How did you experience that? Are there any groups or movements in society that oppose what frightens you? Last week I heard on the radio that there were protests against the Nazis.
[i] The Left?
Not the left, but the punks demonstrated against the Nazis. I don’t know exactly how many people were there. In general I don’t like demonstrations so much. I don’t like the Nazis at all. The left shows us that everyone should feel comfortable here in Germany. When someone has work, pays taxes and is fully integrated. The left is against the Nazis. The Nazis fight for foreigners to get no work at all. But there are very bad jobs that the Nazis would not do: Cleaning, cleaning, garbage collection. That’s what the foreigners do. As long as you pay taxes, I think everything is fine.
Does it reassure you that it. Movements against right-wing radicalism? The people who say: “Stop! We’re not all like that. We don’t represent the side of right-wing radicalism”. “We are against right-wing radicalism, we are for integration, for the people who want to use it as an alibi”. What is this feeling? Soothing or frightening?
I find that very reassuring. Because when we protest as foreigners, people say we should stop. But we are also at home here, like them. We give everything the Germans give. We pay our taxes. We work sensibly. We do all our work. We do it just like everyone else. We should all fight against racism together. We should also work together as foreigners. To overcome fears.
[i] How long have you lived in Germany?
[r] For 10 years.
What does home mean to you? Is Germany or Guinea your home?
First, I would like to give a definition of what home means to me. For me and for every person, home is the place where you are and where you feel comfortable. Originally I come from Guinea. Guinea was also my home. I was adopted by Germany. And raised by Germany. Everything I learned, I learned only from Germany. In other words, Germany is my second home country. Actually, I come from a French country. Colony. But France is not my home. Because I’ve never been to France before. The country doesn’t interest me either. I decided for Germany, I now live in Germany.
[i] You are coloured, you can see directly that you are not German.
But I work here, I feel German and I feel at home here. I feel very comfortable.
[i] That concludes our interview. Thank you so much for coming. Germany is our home.
[r] Exactly. I feel comfortable here.
[i] They should unfold here in a positive sense. I wish you all the best. Thank you very much for joining in.
Thank you also for this interview. I am very grateful that I was allowed to participate. Thank you very much!