The importance of helping others

When and why did you leave your country?

I left my Country in 2016 for political and family problems together. I was a boy abandoned by everything. So many friends were being killed or put in jail even if they were innocent (just so they would have to pay the ransom). I was afraid they would arrest me just to ask me for money and my mother would not be able to pay.

Where did you start your journey?

Guinea Conakry

Which countries did you travel through?

Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Algeria, Morocco, Algeria, Libya

Why did you choose this country rather than another country?

I wanted a place to be peaceful and help my mum.

What was your principal difficulty once you arrived in the host country?

Finding someone to help me, someone to say ‘look he is a minor, you have to send him to school’. I was a minor when I arrived but then I was called to the Commission after a year and I was over 18, they didn’t explain to me legally how it worked. I was not informed.

Do you have a job?

Yes, I work at COOP (i.e. an Italian supermarket)

Do you have local friends

Yes

What do you like most in the host country?

My friends.

What do you do in your spare time?

I volunteer at the Red Cross. Now I’m studying for my driving licence. Every Tuesday and Friday I help out at home and take out the rubbish.

What do you want to do in host city?

Integrating well, working and studying together (I would like to be a doctor). I am now attending the second year at high school.

What do you think will help newcomers?

They need to be informed about what is here, what is to be done, how it works, the laws to be respected, the importance of studying and helping others.

What do you miss about your country?

My mom.