Ana's story
The biggest transition of Ana’s life wasn’t fueled by politics, war, or money. It was driven by love. I married my Dutch boyfriend and moved to Amsterdam. ’m excited about my future here. I can’t wait to see what comes next.
Ana is used to transitions. As a little girl growing up in Georgia shortly after communism fell, she remembers the days when there was no electricity and the family huddled together over candlelight in the living room. She watched her father struggle after his government job as a transportation minister disintegrated; she marveled at her mother, a music teacher, who would bring home her students in order to feed them.
But the biggest transition of her life wasn’t fueled by politics, war, or money. It was driven by love. In April, 2018. Ana married her Dutch boyfriend and moved to Amsterdam.
“We met in graduate school seven years ago in Berlin. But after we received our master’s degrees, our lives took different paths. He went off to work in Canada and I went back to Georgia, where I started my career as a brand manager for Henkel, a global beauty care company. I was responsible for the Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan region.
I loved my work and I think I was pretty good at it too. So, leaving it wasn’t easy. But at some point, my boyfriend and I decided that we should give our relationship a real shot.
Moving to a new country is arguably one of the most difficult things you can do. I left my family, my job, my friends, everything that was familiar to me. But the one thing I never anticipated was how much my love for him would grow. I think I am more I in love with him now than ever before. He’s the most amazing man and sharing this new adventure with him keeps getting better and better. I’m excited about my future here. I can’t wait to see what comes next.”
Rawan's story
“Life is very difficult now in Syria. I am so grateful to be in a place where I know I can feed my daughter, where I know she is safe. I feel so blessed.”
When Rawan talks about Damascus, her eyes light up. She especially loves to recall Thursdays, when her large extended family would gather in the garden of her father’s home for a huge meal and hours of laughter and conversation. But Thursdays took on a different meaning during the height of the war, when soldiers interrupted one of their sacred family gatherings and arrested Rawan’s husband.
“My husband was on leave from the army, so he could attend his brother’s funeral. Soldiers mistook him for a different man. They held guns up to our faces and took my husband away. They threw him in prison without realizing they had the wrong person. For weeks, none of us knew what was going on. It was horrible. Finally, four months later, they let him go. That’s when my husband said it was no longer safe for us to stay in our country.
My husband left before I did and made arrangements for me to join him in Amsterdam. On the way to the airport, we got in to a car accident and my mom wound up in the hospital. I was torn. Do I go to Amsterdam or stay with my mother? But mom said to me, “You have to go. I will be okay. You have to take this chance. “
So, I went to join my husband. Luckily, my mother recovered and is okay. Both she and I are very glad I made it out. Eight months ago, I gave birth to a little girl named Jouri, which means red flower in Syrian.
I miss my family back home. But we have met some wonderful Syrian refugees living here. We eat together, visit one another, help each other out. They have become my new second family.
“Life is very difficult now in Syria. I am so grateful to be in a place where I know I can feed my daughter, where I know she is safe. I feel so blessed.”
Minas' story
“My dreams are simple: Learn Dutch. Have a family. And be myself. Who could ask for more? “
Alex loves color. His clothes, accessories, and even the highlights in his hair are a celebration of vibrant hues. But he wasn’t always able to express himself so confidently. Growing up in Yerevan, Armenia, Alex could never fully be himself.
“My mother still doesn’t know I am gay. I can’t tell her. It’s still such a stigma in my country. If you live a very private life it’s ok, you can survive. But to live openly as a gay man, life is horrible.
Until 2003, homosexuality was against the law. You could be beaten in the street for it. Kicked off your job. Jailed. It was simply not tolerated.
I got involved with the LGBT community. My ex- boyfriend and I became activists, producing an online site, speaking out in the media, organizing events. That’s when the threats began to happen. Our house was robbed several times; we got horrible phone calls at all hours of the night. We tried to stay in Armenia as long as we could. But when the government military service threatened us if we didn’t stop what we were doing, we knew it was time to get out.
We chose the Netherlands, since it was one of the first countries to legalize gay marriages. Life here is really good. People are much more open, more tolerant. The nature is so beautiful too. My new hobby is bike riding. I love it. I often ride to Marken or along the canals. I ride everywhere.
My dreams are simple: Learn Dutch. Have a family. And be myself. Who could ask for more?