Little by little, different people that I have come to know since my arrival became real friends and are now like a new community for me, like a second family. Above all at the beginning I felt alone and having new friends helped me at getting over this sad feeling. It was not easy because in some occasions I found racist and discriminatory attitudes towards foreigners, but I also meet very good people. With them I felt accompanied and happy, which was key to start to feel like at home in the new country. This new community made me feel protected because I knew I could count on them in case of necessity. At the same time, I became a reference for other people.

 

Creating new social relationships and friendships allow reconstructing points of references and a social network that make you feel at ease.

When I arrived in the new country it took me a while to open myself to unfamiliar people, in particular adults, also because sometimes they did not seem to have a real interest in me. Having a guardian helped me to enter into relationship with older people. However, when I turned 18 the guardianship finished and I decided to fill this vacuum in order to be further supported. In particular I established a very close relationship with a person that became a support person for me. With her I could talk about my present and future situation, spend my free time doing different things, improve my knowledge about the new place, etc. I am very grateful to this person who accompanied and guided me during a very crucial moment for my future.

 

Establishing a relationship with a trustful and well-intentioned person may result in developing a good point of reference for guidance and support.

When I was about to turn 18 years I realised that it would have brought me great consequences affecting many elements of my life. For example, I would have had to leave the residential care facility and find another place to live. I understood that it was important to keep this in mind and to try to be prepared for this change in advance. I did it with my guardian and other reference persons; we defined a plan together that could continue over time so as to be ready and well organized in order to avoid emergency situations.

 

Take into consideration that the shift towards adulthood may be different in Europe. Try your best to ensure that you will be able to continue your personal project even when you turn 18 by talking about that before you turn 18 and asking about the support that is available and how to get it.

I have always tried, even in the most difficult circumstances, to protect myself and my dignity by taking care of my body and of the environment where I was hosted. I used to go for a run to stay healthy and I always tried to avoid dirt. I have realized that living in a pleasant and healthy environment helps to lift the spirit and be in a better mood, and shows respect for oneself.

 

Always take care of your health, your body and of the environment where you live despite the difficulties you may encounter.

Even if after some time from my arrival I felt ready to work because I learnt the language and I had become familiar with the new context, I faced some obstacles related with bureaucracy and the fact of being a minor. In the country where I arrived, children are not allowed to work by law and most of them study until they are 18. I thus tried not to waste time during this period by engaging in initiatives useful for my future including training courses. I have seen a lot of youngsters that got very stressed over these waiting periods; they needed to send money home but the pocket money they received was insufficient. This uncertainty made them feel demotivated. Hence the importance of keeping busy with things that are useful for the personal wellbeing.

 

Take advantage of waiting periods by engaging in activities useful for your present and your future.
  1. Settlement
  2. Keeping connected with your origins
  3. Assessing work or economic proposals
  4. Constructing your project