(17, Oranienburg, Germany) Valeriia - From Ukraine to Germany

Hi everyone! My name is Valeriia Svystun, I’m Ukrainian and I would like to tell you about my forced move to a new country and how it changed my life.

Because of the terrible reality of war, I was forced to leave Ukraine in order to provide for myself and my family; with the hope for security and for the future.

I had to deal with the issues of organising a big move and being able to provide basic needs for our new life. In addition, facing the unknown, I had to prepare myself psychologically for a big change. The difficulties with documents remained relevant when I arrived in Germany, affecting my adaptation. Despite this, my father immediately found a job and my brother and I were able to attend good schools.

Adaptation at school was the first major stage where I tried to figure out a new education system, make new friends and immerse myself in a culture that was unfamiliar to me. Learning difficulties and overcoming the language barrier was a challenge, but with each passing day I became more confident and began to fit into a new society. Being exposed to a variety of cultures, I learnt to appreciate and understand differences, which helped me integrate myself into German life.

Despite all the good things, in my experience I have faced uncomfortable situations because of my nationality. It could be insults, stereotyping or even physical manifestations of intolerance. Such moments took a toll on my well-being and made me feel isolated and treated unfairly. But it was all temporary and I was able to seek help in time.

I have officially finished my studies in Ukraine, and now I need to finish my studies in Germany and then go to work. According to German laws I have to study until I am 18 years old, and if it were not for these laws, I would have worked a long time ago. 

Leaving my country because of the war brought me many challenges, but this experience not only changed my life, but made me stronger, more open-minded and ready for new feats in my journey.