VOICES From Migrations | Ani Hamzo's story

“VOICES From Migrations” is a project co-funded by the European Union exploring untold migration. Ani Hamzo is 36 years old and moved from Romania to Italy in 2023. This is her history.

Ani Hamzo

“I arrived in Italy almost two years ago, in August. It wasn’t because I wanted to, but I had no choice. Life in Romania had become impossible. 

Before, I worked in a butcher shop. But there were no opportunities, no future there. I have six children. I raised them all by myself. Their father, my partner at the time, left me. He walked away with another woman and left me alone. I was paralyzed, physically and emotionally. But my children gave me strength. They are everything to me.

I am a mother, and a mother would do anything to provide. And since I could not provide for them back home, I needed to start a new life. Italy was my choice of destination because I know that many Romanians come here for work. So I decided to pack my belongings, take my children, and hop on a bus that took two days to arrive in Rosarno. 

When I arrived, I quickly found a place to stay. It was quiet. My kids could go to school, and that was enough for me to feel okay. I started working, cleaning houses. 

Here, I had no help or guidance. Everything I’ve done, I did with my own strength. But I made it because my kids are everything to me. I have a son over 20 years old now, and two who are 18. They are the oldest, and they supported me all along. 

My 15-year-old daughter already knows how to read and write in Italian, and that brings me so much joy. She knows Romanian, Hungarian, English, French, and Italian. I’m so proud of her and all my children. I'm proud of myself, too. I say it clearly: I did this. I made this happen. 

Of course, I miss my family in Romania. I love them all. But I had to move to grow.

What do I hope for in their future? Work opportunities. A good life. Everything I didn’t have. Everything I dreamed of but couldn’t reach - I want them to have it. 

Today I can say it with pride: I made it on my own. I’m okay. I survived.”

Interview by: Bruna Coimbra, Sarah Fida, Hilal Taha, and Mirzobakhtiyor Mirzoboboev

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Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.