Photo by Eurokinissi/ Γιάννης Παναγόπουλος

A refugee in a Greek school

I migrated to Greece two years ago because I did not have a bright future in Iran. I entered Greece illegally during winter and was taken to a camp near Athens. In this camp, I live with people from all walks of life and of various nationalities. Living with these people was tough for me at first but with the passing of time I have gotten used to it and I have tried to have a positive attitude towards everything. 

I am a 16 year-old boy and I go to a Greek school. I’m in the 9th grade and all my courses are in Greek and so I have to study in this language. At first, the Greek language was very tough for me. It was hard for me to communicate with people and I could not understand them. As time went by, I came across more and more unfamiliar things.

I liked the school I went to in Iran and I felt happy with my friends there. I was in the 7th grade at the time and I was comfortable with my class and its atmosphere. I had many friends in school. Some from Iran and others from Afghanistan. I did not feel there was any difference between us and I was always comfortable with them. There was a special friendship between us even though some of us were from Iran and others from Afghanistan. We never made fun of each other because of our different nationalities. 

It has been two years since I started attending a Greek school. I do not have that feeling of friendship or ease to speak out about my issues here. I have not been able to make friends in this Greek school. Sometimes the students make fun of me because I come from a different country. Some of them are scared of me. This does not make me feel good. I have never been able to play soccer with them or even take part in group activities. 

I would like to become a brain surgeon in the future. I will not allow any of these problems to stand in my way of achieving what I have set out to do.

Mohsen Mirzai

Add comment