"I never imagined that I would live anywhere other than Kramatorsk. For eighteen years, I taught at the university, interpreted Chinese, and accompanied delegations to places that ordinary tourists would never see. I loved my job—the constant interaction with people and the new experiences it brought. And then the war came."

"Memories of my first year in Slovakia feel like a fog. All I remember is the uncertainty, the fear for my children, and the fatigue from the unknown. We came to Nitra, a city I had only known through a former colleague. At first, everything felt difficult—the language barrier, the struggle to find a kindergarten for my daughter, and constant worries about the future."

"It took two years before my daughter was accepted into kindergarten. Two years during which I felt trapped in my own helplessness. Fortunately, my son adapted more quickly; the school helped him find new friends and settle in. During this challenging time, the Migration Information Center (MIC) lent me a helping hand. They helped me not only with practical things, such as financial contribution for the recognition of my education, or a Slovak language course, but also with the most important thing - finding support and the feeling that I was not alone.

Thanks to the Slovak language course, I was able to find a job at an elementary school, teaching English while immersing myself in the language and culture. My students, eighth and ninth graders, did not want to speak English, they wanted me to explain everything to them in Slovak. This pushed me to learn Slovak alongside them.

Now, I am preparing for the state language exam thanks to the program for the Support of Pedagogical and Professional Staff, implemented by MIC in cooperation with Studia Academica Slovaca—the center for Slovak as a foreign language. I hope that I will be included in the register of translators. I’ve made new friends in Nitra, my daughter has become a "Slovak child," and I am slowly beginning to feel at home. It is not a home I chose, but it’s one I am building, step by step, with the help of people to whom I am deeply grateful."

This story is part of the campaign by the IOM Migration Information Center Slovakia, "Together We Make Slovakia."

Find more information about the campaign here: INTERNATIONAL MIGRANTS DAY: IOM LAUNCHES NEW CAMPAIGN - International Organization for Migration (IOM) Slovakia

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