VOICES From Migrations | Mikaela Pretoni's story
- Changemakers
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
“VOICES From Migrations” is a project co-funded by the European Union exploring untold migration. Mikaela Petroni is from Romania, but she has been living in Italy since 2008. This is her history.
“My name is Mikaela Pretoni. I’m Romanian, and I’ve been living here in Italy for 17 years now. I came here with a purpose: to work and support my family. And since then, I have built a life in Rosarno.
I work in agriculture, in the fields. It’s hard work, but I manage. My children are here with me too, and they are enrolled in school. Thankfully, we haven’t had many difficulties integrating. Everything has been okay so far - with the documents, with school, with getting settled.
It wasn’t difficult to adjust for me. I’m the kind of woman who opens every door I need. I can balance work and family life. I take care of both and do what I have to do.
Plus, I’m not alone. I have had support from kind people. There is a teacher, Anna, who helps me with my children. And at work, we have a tutor who helps us. It’s more than our own parents ever did.
My parents still live in Romania, but I’m here now with my husband and our daughters. Yes, we are far from our roots, but we have built something new.
Am I proud to be here in Italy? Yes, I’m proud. But I’m also proud to be Romanian. I gave birth to my daughters here, one is 14, the other is 7. That makes me proud. Italy became the place where I started my family, where I gave my daughters a future.
I’m not ashamed of anything. I’ve worked hard, I’ve raised a family, and I’ve done it with strength and honesty.”
Interview by: Bruna Coimbra, Sarah Fida, Hilal Taha, and Mirzobakhtiyor Mirzoboboev
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.
Comments