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Galina (aged 37) left the Republic of Moldova in 2004 to Romania.
After graduating from high school she decided to apply for a scholarship the Romanian government offered to ethnic Romanians in Moldova who wanted to come to study in the country. She chose the city of Galați because it was close to her home town Cahul, located in the south of Moldova.
She came to Romania to get her college diploma, she was also looking for better opportunities. Even though it was not a smooth transition, she was determined to settle in Romania, and after graduating from the University of Galați, the Faculty of Geodetic Engineering on Land Measurements and Cadaster, she then moved to Constanța and got her Master ʼs degree in Economic Studies; in 2011 she came to Bucharest where she now works as a freelancer, in collaboration with a company in Belgium. She said that all the hardship she faced being in a different country, without her family, helped her become resilient and kept her on her track towards settling in Romania, as she knew exactly why she had left Moldova.
During her interview, she declares that “Each success made me more confident in the future and to say ‘Yes, I can, it is not that bad’, because I have encountered wonderful people who helped me ».
For her, the object that best represents her migration experience is a photo album.
Interview conducted by Camelia Zavarache on 29 May 2023 in Bucharest via Zoom
To cite this interview, Zavarache, Camelia (29 of May 2023). Interview of Galina (from the Republic of Moldova to Romania). Bucharest, Romania (4:08 min)