SU_T_38

[i] Hello [name]!

[r] Hello

[i] How are you?

[r] Are you all right?

[i] Thank you enough. Would you like to tell us who [name] is?

[r] So my name is [name] I’m from Gambia I’ve been in Italy for 4 years now and I’m pretty good now, I’m working so I say thank God.

[i] Thank God. What were you doing in your country of origin before coming to Italy?

[r] So before I came to Italy I was doing some of that in my own country. I was working as a bricklayer, I also worked for a restaurant a little bit, then I thought of making a trip because I wanted to learn more for many jobs because you never know for the future.

So your desire to learn and learn about other places you decided to immigrate to Italy

[r] I thought so because I wanted to get to know other cultures for the future because jobs in Africa are a bit different from here, working life in Africa and here is different. Here you work well and earn enough money, that’s what brought me to travel here in Italy.

[i] To build a future. Can I ask you [name] how old are you?

[r] I’m 24 now.

[i] You are young

[r] Yes. I’m still a little young

[i]Is it that you want to know about learning to open up to new cultures?

[r] Yes, of course I want these things.

i] When you came to Italy for the first time, how was the first impact, how did you see this reality, which is totally different from yours?

[r] When I first came to Italy, I arrived in Lampedusa, I didn’t understand the way things work in Europe, I was a bit scared.

[i]Is it because you were in Lampedusa?

[r] Because I arrived in Lampedusa by boat.

[i] So you came by sea?

[r] I arrived by sea. I made the desert trip to Libya. After Libya we arrived in Lampedusa.

[i]Is it how was this trip?

[r] This trip was very very difficult, because there are people who die on this road, it is risky this road for everyone. Then die in every second

[i] In spite of this awareness of the fact that it is a risky journey you did the same, but that it pushed you towards this deadly journey, do you also risk your life?

[i]It’s my heart, if you want to do something, nobody can stop me. Then there are also other reasons that there were in the village, I could not stay there

[i]To improve your situation?

[r] Yes, I know that the situation is very dangerous and risky, but I took that risk.

[i] And if the time went back, you would make this journey,

[[r] Of course I’d do it again. Yes, I would.

[i] Are you determined?

[r] Yes, I will. No one can stop me

[i]When did you arrive in Lampedusa for how long did you stay there?

[r] We were only there for a week. There anhce I was looking at how the situation works. after two weeks we moved to Sicily, also there for a week And there things are a bit difficult, they give you some clothes the food stuff is true that things are changing slowly. Because when we arrived we only had a pair of pants and a shirt, we didn’t even have shoes.

[i]Mamma mia! and how many people were you in this boat for?

[r] We were 135.

[i]How many people can the boat hold?

[r] Let’s say 50 people.

[i]So can we imagine how you were there?

[r] Yes

[i]Did any of you lose your lives on this trip?

[r] None of us lost our lives in the boat, but the cases were very difficult on this trip. Why do some people get scared when they see the sea?

[i]They were agitated.

[r] Yeah, they do a lot of things on the boat.

[i] After Sicily?

[r] After Sicily I was there for a week, then after that we came to Turin here.

[i] Who did you come to Turin from? Did you come through some association organization or did you decide to come here to Turin yourself?

[r] If you came by sea there are international organizations that I take the immigrants, to bring them from all sides. In the projects of reception. That welcome immigrants who come by sea. So this person led us to the C.R.I.

[i] Did you go to this place here or did you go immediately on your behalf?

[r] When I arrived in C.R.I. I was there for 2, 3 days, then they sent us to another city called Alpignano to a cooperative I was there 3 years.

[i] Are you now established there?

[r] Yes. There are people who help you explain things to you how it works. It is a cooperative that helps you to find work documents everything etc.

[i]And as you did for the Italian language you see that you speak quite well since you’ve been here for 4 years

[r] When I arrived in this city, I immediately began to study because I wanted to understand the language, to learn for the future. Because if you want to stay here in Italy you have to learn the language, you also have to understand. If you go to work when someone takes you, it is very difficult to communicate if not

[i] So we can say for [name] is very difficult language for integration with society

[i]When I arrived the first thing I thought was language, then I thought about the work because you can’t do everything together at once. So I learned a little bit and then I immediately started looking for work.

[i]Is it time for you to work, thank God, how do you feel?

[r] I work in a restaurant so I feel good, I went around a lot of restaurants before finding this job with the contract, I worked without the contract, I did 2 years of internship and I paid less, I thought the time may not have come, when I tried a little work I did not find that I like it. I like to work in the kitchen, however, where I have been before it was a bit difficult. Finally I found a job with contract

[i]So [name] are you happy because you’re working a job you like?

[r] Yes, I’m very happy with the work.

[i]I’m happy for you too. Your family is down in the village, as it took this decision of yours to travel, risking your life with the boat.

[i]These things my family does not know these things. Because when I left my country I didn’t tell anyone I was going to Italy. I did everything myself when I arrived here I called him

[i]So it was a surprise for them?

[r] Yes It was a surprise.

[i] Afterwards they were happy

[[r] It’s been acknowledged that I got here without a hitch.

[i]Do you have contact with them now?

[r] Yes, sometimes I talk to them but not so much. We don’t hear much.

[i] How do you live your country’s culture here, did you manage to bring that too? For example, how do you live your culture, your food, your music, here every day?

[r] So there are so many things about my culture that I brought here, I have so many things with the project where I used to live. There I did many things like African cooking. Sometimes they make me cook for almost 150 people, and they eat everything, then when they have an event, they ask me to cook for them 30 to 150 people. I have done so many things against meals

[i]Of your country?

[r] I used ingredients from my country to do it.

[i]Did they open your kitchen?

[R] Yes there are many people he likes, they tell me it’s very good and it was perfect.

[i] [name] Do you think one day to return to your country of origin?

[r] I hope so, you never know for the future. If I feel comfortable here I can stay here in Italy. But for now I have not made a decision to return to my country.

[i]To these young people who come here with boats, what message can I then give you? Here in Italy it’s not because I’m strong, it was God who helped them to arrive here in Italy, and those who died at sea it’s not because they did something wrong. For them I am very sorry, every now and then I think there are people who are still arriving by sea makes me think a lot. In Italy here if I see my brothers and sisters this makes me think a lot, even if I’m pretty good, if I see them it makes me think a lot. I would like their lives to change.

[i]If you migrate, you leave your land, you risk your life because you had no choice. He has been forced and wants a better future. What do you dream about the future, how do you see yourself in the future? Do you have any plans or objectives that you want to achieve?

I’m doing some things right now, because I’ve studied before. Now I’m doing my driving school for my driver’s license, and I hope it will be fine for the future. I’m thinking of doing so many things for the future, you never know in life is not that I like to make the kitchen I can continue later, I would like to do other activities to learn other things So now I’m working in restaurants, study I do some things for my future. I see that for the future everything will be fine everything will be fine

[i]And I wish you a good future. Do you have friends from your country meet you spend some time together, parties?

[r] Yes there are my friends here, some I met in my country, some we met on this trip here, we devoured friends, sometimes we see each other talking about some things of my country, we do some things like the feast of Muslims. We all meet to have the party. Now here is not my fault, but I see my

[i]you have a good relationship.

[r] Yes, yes, I am happy with this.

[i]You made some friends with some Italian people.

[r] Yes, I have some friends. Pretty much.

[i] And how do you find yourself?

[r] I feel very comfortable with them too, so they love me and treat me well. So I’m also very happy with the friends I have here in Italy who are all good.

[i]I have no doubt I met a friend of yours who told me very well about you. She told me you’re a very polite and respectful guy in a camba, we’re glad to have these quality people here. Do you want to add something else?

[r] I’d say we’re good now.

[i] So thank you, thank you for your availability, thank you for answering my questions.

[r] Thanks to you.