VOICES From Migrations | Inga Kavelasvili's story

“VOICES From Migrations” is a project co-funded by the European Union exploring untold migration stories. Inga Kavelasvili moved from Georgia to Greece in 2002 to lead a better life. This is her story:

Inga Kavelasvili | VOICES From Migrations

“I left Georgia when I was 23, hoping to build a better life. I had studied to become a lawyer, but my salary was barely the equivalent of fifty euros a month. It wasn’t enough to live, let alone to dream about a future. So my husband and I made the difficult decision to leave. 

We chose Greece because I had two cousins living here. That made the first steps easier. Still, those first years were very hard. I didn’t speak the language, I didn’t have the right papers, and I was constantly afraid. No job, no friends, no idea how to start over. For twelve years, I lived without a Greek ID or any legal documentation because of bureaucratic obstacles. I was scared to even walk down the street, worried that the police might stop me and take me away. 

At the beginning, I told myself it would only be for a year or two. That we would work, save some money, and go back home.  But life doesn’t always go as planned. I started my very first job as a babysitter. Then, slowly, I learned the language on my own and worked hard to build a life here. I never allowed myself to feel beneath anyone. Even in the hardest moments, I held onto my confidence. 

Now, after twenty-three years, I feel part of this community. I even wrote a cookbook filled with traditional Georgian recipes, which is a piece of my home that I wanted to share with others. Life changed again after my husband and I separated. Seven or eight years after we came to Greece, we divorced. He left, and I raised our two children alone. He never sent any money, never helped us. It was incredibly tough, but I survived. 

Today, my eldest daughter is about to enter university, and she speaks five languages. I am so proud of her, of both my children, and of how far we’ve come.”

Interview by: Melanie Azetmüller, Jonathan Bender, Simone Cerino, Mariam Mertzami, Agnieszka Tujko, and Bence Sándor

Inga Kavelasvili's interview, excerpt

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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.