eStories

The stories published in this section are based on stories collected during workshops held as part of the JeS project. However, they have been modified using storytelling techniques to protect the identity and privacy of the participants.

All Stories
Spain
Slovenia
Italy
Finland
Belgium

eStories, Italy

Tina

I was abandoned as a baby in a rural orphanage in Brazil. There were no hugs, no warmth—just discipline, chores, and silence. I wasn’t allowed to be the girl I knew I was.

eStories, Italy

Rex

Meet Rex, a Nigerian man who works as a food delivery rider in Turin. Labour exploitation is part of his daily experience.

eStories, Italy

Princess

Meet Princess, who arrived in Italy in 1999 from Nigeria. Deceived by her smugglers, she was forced into sexual exploitation and trafficking.

eStories, Italy

Kato

Meet Kato, a young woman who moved to Italy when she was a teenager. Her experience as a foreigner deeply influenced her career choices and not only.

eStories, Italy

Hadija

Meet Kadija , a Georgian woman who has moved to Italy with her teenager daughter. Moving to Italy has meant relearning everything.

A couple consoles each other in dismay, with an empty pram out of focus in the background. Black and white photojournalism style.

eStories, Slovenia

Nadja and Peter

After several years of trying to have a child, Nadja and Peter realised they would be unable to have biological children. As a result, they decided to adopt.

Aerial shot, distant, as if taken from the roof of a nearby building; we see a car surrounded by three Croatian police cars, with ‘POLICIJA’ written on the cars and uniforms. A young man, looking like a pimp, is being handcuffed. A very young girl with a suitcase in her hand has her back against the wall and looks distressed. The scene is realistic, in black and white.

eStories, Slovenia

Ines

Ines was a shy 16-year-old high school girl from an economically deprived family. One day, she met Miloš at a local mall. He was confident, handsome, and drove a flashy car.

A 30-year-old man from Bosnia and Herzegovina, exhausted, wearing dirty clothes from working in construction, surrounded by rubble in a half-demolished room, black and white photograph.

eStories, Slovenia

Mirsad

A colleague from the village informed Mirsad about an excellent job opportunity in Slovenia within the construction industry. An agency would arrange for a bus to pick him up and take him to his job in Slovenia.

Woman from Moldova, aged 34, sitting alone at a table in a seedy nightclub.

eStories, Slovenia

Verona

A girl from her town reached out to Verona and shared some information about a waitressing job opportunity abroad...

eStories, Slovenia

Milena

At the age of 13, Milena was sold by her father to another family in exchange for money. In her new home, she endured psychological, physical, economic and sexual violence.

The word “Irregular” written on a dumpster.

eStories, Finland

My co-worker, an irregular

Last summer, one of my workplace employees suddenly became irregular. She had come to Finland from Africa to study and also had a working permit.

eStories, Finland

Moussa

"Given my situation, I've never been at peace, never since I've been here. You never know in case of a check... As long as you don't have the documents, you are always in fear... Always.“

eStories, Finland

Mothers’ stories

Before coming to this country, I tried to get pregnant many times, but it just didn´t happened, after a year in Finland I became pregnant, and I was the happiest I have ever been.

eStories, Finland

Bob

This is a story about a person who fled from Uganda to Kenya because of the current rights of sexual minorities in Uganda are violating human rights. Let me call him Bob.

Rwandan girl at school: Created with artificial intelligence

eStories, Finland

Ayesa

Join me on a visual journey as I share a heartfelt tale about someone dear to me.

Belgium, eStories

Aylin and Elif

Elif and Aylin are sisters from Hatay, Turkey, who were forced to leave their home due to political and social oppression following the 2016 coup attempt in Turkey.

Belgium, eStories

Aysun

After the coup attempt in Turkey on July 15, 2016, approximately 600,000 people were detained, and more than 100,000 were arrested,

Belgium, eStories

Luke

For Luke, this picture from the hallway of UCLL tells a story of how we all belong to or come from different parts of the world,

Belgium, eStories

Edward

Edward’s story about the apple tree and a sense of belonging

Belgium, eStories

Lucy

One thing I noticed when I started studying here as an international student is that the teachers are very approachable and are there for many people.

eStories, Spain

Rashid

His journey highlights resilience, determination, and the power of human connection.

eStories, Spain

Rafiq

Meet Rafiq, a young man from Bangladesh who recently moved to Europe in search of new opportunities. Rafiq has a hearing and speech disability, making communication a unique challenge.

eStories, Spain

Mohammed

Mohammed, a migrant from Senegal, lost his mobile phone during the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean to Spain.

eStories, Spain

Lost in Silence

A 16-year-old girl from West Africa, arrived in Spain alone, seeking refuge and safety after a long and dangerous journey.

eStories, Spain

Amina

Meet Amina, a newcomer from Africa who recently arrived in Spain seeking better opportunities and a new life.