At home, I helped my family by working with my father as a carpenter. When I arrived in the new place, my role within my family didn’t have the same importance. I decided to tell people about my skills as a carpenter, which gave me extra opportunities for my future that otherwise would not have been considered. Remembering what I am good at helped me feel important as a person in the new place where no-one knew me. I also tried to make people understand who I am and what I am good at. I noted that this helped people to look at me with different eyes and to value me as a member of the community. Being confident about what I can do and what I would like to achieve has opened new opportunities for me.

Value and share your personal experiences, skills, priorities and aspirations to open greater opportunities in the new country.

At home I lived within a community, where my personal bonds with different people such as my family and my friends were very important because I could trust them and share my worries and feelings. When I first arrived in the new country, people’s faces were strange and unknown to me and I missed the sense of security that my family and friends provided. Even if it was not always easy and I had to choose well my real new friends, I started establishing new relations with different people, which was very important because now I have expanded my social network and this has brought me closer to the host country.

Make new friends whom you feel can trust and rely on and be open to engage in new positive relations with other people.

I come from a country very far from here where I lived with my family in a large community with lots of friends.

I went to school, I enjoyed playing football but I also worked to provide some support to my parents: I used to spend the afternoon helping my father with his activity. We had a small field where we used to grow up vegetables.My mom is very good at cooking them with rice and, sometimes, chicken.

The moment I liked more in my home was the time to go to bed; I had my own room. It was small but it was my own place. There I was free to think and dream about my future.....

CASA Resiland TRATTO

At home I had well-known points of reference: I knew where to go, what to do and I was familiar with many people. This gave me a sense of security and belonging. When I left, I lost that. I sometimes had the impression to have less control over my situation. I felt a little bit lost because at the beginning all the places and people were new to me. Little by little I gained confidence and orientation again: I became familiar with the places, the persons around me, the customs or the rules in the new place, what made me feel more secure and oriented me in building my life in a new place.

Reconstruct your map of the new place that responds to your different needs.

Welcome, here you can read the story of Resil together with some ideas and suggestions from Resil for you.

"Resils' story" has been developed by  children and youngsters on the move in Greece, Italy, France and Portugal.

Resil’s story is addressed primarily to other children and youngsters on the move. It can also be used as a tool to enable and support the exchange and the interaction among children on the move and professionals and/or officials working with and for them.

The story and the reflections of Resil provide an overview of what children and youngsters on the move identified as important to feel better and stronger during the various phases of their migration cycle: home, decision to leave, departure, travel, arrival and settlement. These phases represent also the 6 chapters of the story. 

We hope you will enjoy :)

 

The "Resil'Story" is available in the following languages:

 

 

  1. Resil' Story