VOICES From Migrations | Valbona Hystuna's story
- Changemakers
- Dec 29, 2025
- 2 min read
“VOICES From Migrations" is a project co-funded by the European Union exploring untold migration stories. Valbona Hystuna is from Albania, and she moved to Greece in 1997. This is her story:
“My name is Valbona, I’m 53 years old. I migrated to Greece with my husband two weeks after our wedding. We hoped that moving would give us the opportunities that we didn’t have at home. Even six more relatives left with us, two of them were 5 and 7 years old. Our journey was tough - we had to go through North Macedonia -, it was emotionally challenging and very long, but I will never forget the feeling of crossing the border.
Some years later, a civil war broke out in Albania. We wanted to go back for a visit, at least, but it was too risky, although I loved and missed my family so much. At that time, I remember that my parents watched the Yugoslavian television on mute and with closed curtains, afraid that somebody would recognize it.
The first years were challenging for me since I could not find jobs that I liked. I was a cleaner even though I graduated as a teacher back in Albania, and worked in every factory near Thessaloniki, even for a short time. Fortunately, my husband quickly found a job, but even with that, we had to share a flat with twelve people at the beginning. All in all, it took me 8 years to find a job I really loved: I now work in an NGO that helps children.
We frequently visit my sister and her family in Albania, and all our other relatives. It is very important for us. My daughter also migrated to Denmark to get a Master’s degree. Now she got her dream job in Copenhagen, for an energy company. So, I think we can claim as a family that success will come if you are willing to put in a lot of effort for it.”
Interview by: Botond Divéki, Francesco Casciano, Elisabetta Taverna, Yan Fei Zhao, Caoilinn Moran and Claudia Castel Gallart.
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.
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