Country of origin: guinea
Year of settlement: 2016
Age on arrival: 23
City: turin
Gender: male
Language of the interview: French
[i] Good afternoon [name] !
[r] Good afternoon.
[i] Would you like to introduce yourself, please?
[r] Thank you. My name [name] I’m 26 years old, I’m from Guinea COnakry, I came to Italy 3 years ago I’ve lived in many cities in Italy. But before telling about my life in Italy I would like to start my journey as I finally arrived in Italy. I left Guinea on January 1, 2016 to go to Senegal, where I stayed for a week, because the idea of coming to Italy came to me when I arrived in Morocco when I left Guinea my intention was not to come to Europe and go underground I left with a passport, I said I finished my studies, I try to change places to improve my life to have an experience of life abroad, then I arrived in Senegal I saw the difference between Guinea and Senegal I did not like then I had no one, I went to Mauritania, where I stayed for a while life was not easy, I did not know anyone, without accompaniment, I went on, I arrived in Maroco, then I met many Guineans, who come from all over the region, Mamou, Labé, Conakry were all there with the aim of entering Spain, then I was with a friend who told me a few things that was not easy to live in Morocco there is no job. Then we tried to come to Algeria, where we stayed for 3 months, because we didn’t have the money to work, prepare, contact the traffickers, at the end we arrived in Libya then we arrived in Italy after 10 months of travel. It was not easy, we are here for luck, it was a great fortune for us because so many people failed to arrive, some are in Libya, some have died, some have returned to their country. And we who have arrived here so far are with the integration process now is the third year that is ending. I can say that Italy wasn’t my destination, it wasn’t a country I dreamed of because I didn’t know Italian language, culture or history at all. My goal was to arrive in Switzerland or in a French-speaking country where the language I understand is spoken. But I did not arrive in Sicily, I arrived in Cagliari, an island of Italy in Sardinia Where I could not travel, I did not have the documents that allowed to travel, to go to France or Switzerland so I stayed, I said the first thing I do is to have a goal, my goal was to learn the language I set myself this goal, through the projects (Accolienza) I began to study the Italian language the procedure of documents all things administration, to do a training course after 3 4 months I was called to do the commission, fortunately my entire team because we were ahead with entrepreneurship of the Italian language, then we did the volunteers in common to help them make the archives, they saw that we were on the right track they gave us the documents, which allowed us now to find work, to travel to do some things everywhere Once we took the documents I decided to leave from the island, I was curious to discover Europe because I was on the island I said now I go to the big part of Italy in the center, I arrived in Marche in the center of Italy I was there for a while, I was in a small village, I said I have not yet found what I’m looking for I like big cities and mixed where there is all cultures all origins, then after I decided to parire of Italy I went to Switzerland because I have a brother there, I went to join him where I stayed for a year I did not have a communication problem because they speak Frencese I stayed for a year with Italian projects I worked together to get a job a home and everything, but the contratum was over so I could not stay, because I had no job, saw this situation I escaped if I can say so After I met some associations, the time I was in Switzerland I wasn’t sitting to do anything but since I didn’t have my passport I couldn’t have a contract or write to me in a Swiss university so I tried all possible ways so luckily I met an association in Geneva that takes care of young people from 18 to 30 years old, to accompany them, for example when they refuse you the request for asylum they make you return from the Dublin country with them we have prepared my return to Italy they asked me to choose a city and I chose Turin immediately after 5 months of research with their contacts they agreed with the Waldensian Diakonie then we organized my return since I came back now 9 months ago. in a few years. Now I can’t say that everything is fine so many things have improved. Since I came back I did the professional training for communication for the technician of video editing, that I liked so much that I already did from my country before arriving here then I did a course of integration C.I.P.I.A. I took this diploma. Now I’m doing a voluntary service For a year to help children, I’m happy because if he had known a project like this now I would be very forward.
[i] I’d like to go back a little bit, the fact that you come from Guinea do you have a family like you went through your inactivity? how did you get to university to do what, I would like you to go back to report this path.
[r] I was born in Labé, when I was 8 years old they sent me to the village to study the Koranic school at the same time I was a primary school, I stayed for 6 years, for the school cilco and when I had to do the middle school they moved me to Labé where I did the middle school then high school, after graduation I went to Conakry to do university, I lived with my parents and I have 4 brothers, who are all there in Labé I did the University of Countia, higher university of journalists of Guinea, I did there 4 years I worked a little with international NGOs such as Hirondelle Guinée. an NGO that trains young journalists who just pretend the university that they are in the private or public media or the press that they have gained again of the experience that speaks of the elections, that they go to universities to give guidance to students to know how to take it during the elections, because in Guinea the problems after the elections always have negative things In 2014 when Guinea experienced the EBOLA epidemic that made so many deaths, I did a volonatriate with the Red Cross, we organized a sensitization with young people how to do to avoid how to behave in this period then after I worked the Doctors without Borders for a period of 6 months until 2015 and in 2016 I left the country.
[i] Now tell me what are your life’s goals, do you have childhood dreams that you want to realize now?
[r] Then I can say that some of my dreams are already realized, and I am on the way to do other things because the human being is always like that when you have one thing you still want to have something else, every day you have new dreams I when I was a child my dream was to become a journalist, I have my diploma as a journalist I have also worked a little, even if I do not practice it now it is something that I am very interested in at the moment I am thinking about given the situation of immigrants in Europe, it is like a problem, there are many people who are immigrants here but now we have understood that Europe is also in crisis. We have integration problems of having a family and making our dreams come true. I now aim to study, I am looking for ways to study and do the masterful do a few internships create a project and return to serve my country.
[i] Do you have anything else to tell me that maybe I forgot to ask you?
[r] I can say that I have already said a lot that I don’t remember everything, but one thing I would like to say to all the migrants who are mainly Senegalese and Guineans all the Sud-Saharan people who are here in Europe is to take corrage – Europe is not easy to tighten their belts again as they did during the journey that was not easy, I know a lot of people who don’t take advantage of the centers to do training, because there are many here who have done high school some have done the university, have no experience, and others do not even have a small job to look for a job so at the time they are here to take advantage of, do training, the integration school look for a lot of knowledge before going out in the project, to stand up to succeed their lives and all this thanks to have answered our questions thanks to you.