I was born in Iran and I had a good life. I remember my parents did not like living in Iran, but we could not go back to Afghanistan because our country was not safe. On top of that, we were not welcome in Iran. There were no opportunities for Afghans to move forward and succeed in Iran, so my family decided to return to Afghanistan. In the beginning, it was very difficult to get used to things there, because I had got used to life in Iran and so I wasn’t enjoying myself. But slowly, I started school and I found good friends, so days went by and I acquired good and bad memories.
Our biggest problem was that there was no security in Afghanistan. My mother always worried about us and never let us out of her sight. As for me, I always worried about my future, whether I could chase my dreams, because I knew there were many obstacles for women in Afghanistan. It is very difficult for women to make progress and succeed. Farhonte was an example of a woman killed because of Afghan men’s indifference, who took her dreams to the grave. Like Farhonte, thousands of young women have lost their lives in Afghanistan. Despite all this, I loved my country, but my parents decided to come to Europe. I did not want to make this journey. If my country had been safe, my parents would never have taken this decision. Even now, I hope that things will settle down in Afghanistan so that we can go back.
We initially went to Turkey, where we stayed for 3 months and then we came to Greece. Our intention was to leave from here too, but we ended up staying. Before I arrived in Greece, I had a different impression of it, but then I liked it and it seemed to me like nice country with many sights and very kind people. Here they look after and respect immigrants.
I go to school and have very good friends. I also have great dreams about my future that I hope will someday be realised. I couldn’t succeed in Iran due to my nationality, or in Afghanistan because of my gender. In Afghanistan, they have the impression that a woman must only sit at home and be a housewife, but I want to be successful in order to repay at least some of the things that my mother has done for me. My family has always supported my attempts to reach my goals. Especially my mother whom I love dearly and regard her as my role model in life, because she is very patient and resourceful and I always ask for her advice. My mother says that in order to reach my goals I have to try very hard and not to be afraid of difficulties that might lie ahead.
I have been through some difficult and some beautiful days in my life. I have tried to learn a lesson from the difficult days and keep good memories of the good ones. Problems and difficulties are a part of life, they teach us patience and make us stronger.
My goal of living in Europe is not a just for a better life, but it is also to study. As time passes, I become more accustomed to Greece and I like living here. I hope that one day the situation in my country will calm down and we will be able to return there safely.
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