On The Ground

ON THE GROUND WITH JANA + SARAH ASHTON-CIRILLO

I had a long conversation with Jana, who I came across on Twitter a couple of weeks after the invasion started. Jana had been interviewed by someone where she talked about having to flee the Russian Army for a second time now. Jana is from Syria. She moved to Ukraine to study medicine with the desire to live life like any other young person, away from war. Now, Jana is in Germany, which is the third country she’s lived in since she left Syria. Though happy she escaped missiles and rockets yet again, she’s living in uncertainty. Her biggest dream is to become a doctor, however, the German education system is incredibly strict and the only option for her would be to start from scratch again. Read my interview with Jana, or scan the QR code to listen to the audio interview.

Interview by Johanna Urbancik

“Some international students went back to continue their studies in their home countries. But what about me, where will I go back to?”

Can you tell me a little bit about your journey?

Jana: I'm originally from Syria. So, I lived and studied in Syria when the war started. Soon after, I decided to leave and continue my studies somewhere else. First, I went to Lebanon because you can just go there as a Syrian national. I continued my studies there for a while, and then applied to a university in Ukraine. They accepted me, so I got a student visa and moved there.

How long were you in Ukraine before you had to flee?

Jana: I have been staying in Ukraine for four years. Everything was fine there until this war started.

When did you decide to leave Ukraine?

Jana: I left Ukraine on my own when I realised that no one was coming to rescue us.

I lived in Sumy, right by the Russian border. When the invasion began, we heard rumours that the Red Cross would send busses to evacuate us, so we packed everything – but no one ever came. Many of my friends and people I knew started to leave by themselves by sharing a taxi. That’s what I then decided to do, too.

How long was your journey?

Jana: I spent two or three days on the road until I got to the Polish border. I stayed in Poland for a night and then took a train to Berlin.

How's everything going now? Are you studying at university again?

Jana: My life is not easy at all at this moment. I'm still at my university, I didn't drop out. And that’s mainly because it isn’t easy to transfer from one university to another, especially in the European Union. It’s either super expensive, or I have to start from the beginning again. Those aren’t viable options for me.

I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about your treatment in Germany. As you might have heard, there is a lot of criticism that Europeans are accepting Ukrainians with open arms, but aren’t that welcoming towards other refugees.

Jana: I can talk as a Syrian person only because I don't know about others. For me, they didn't treat me badly. I felt that I was treated almost the same. I think everything is quite similar. But I know that Africans get treated very different.

In terms of everything you've experienced, fleeing one war to another. How are you coping? Or are you suppressing everything?

Jana: I'm doing both. I am a two-time refugee. Having been born a Syrian woman, I always wanted to become a doctor. I had my fair share of challenges. In the last five years, I had to escape from Russia’s aggression against Syria and became a refugee. I then worked hard to enrol at the Sumy State Medical University in Ukraine, where I had to escape from another Russian aggression and became a refugee again. So now It's very hard for me to be in a country I don't know much about. I left my two homes in an unbelievable way. I’m still traumatised and stressed. I feel fear inside me all the time, fear from the future and everything else.

How do you cope with the information war and the Russian army committing such atrocities based on lies?

Jana: I met an old person here in Germany. I don't know if he's German or not. He was defending what the Russians are doing in Ukraine. He told me they didn’t allow people to speak Russian. Then I told him I was there and that that is not true, because I speak Ukrainian as a foreigner and 99% of Ukrainian citizens speak Russian everywhere within Ukraine, such as in offices, on the street or universities, for example. Then he started telling me I should go back and read old books to understand that Russians have the right to do everything they’re doing. That’s when I understood there was no point trying to convince him.

What matters in the end are the witnesses who were present on the ground in Ukraine, as well as dealing with Ukrainians on a daily basis. Ukrainians don’t deserve all what’s happening to them. Also, there aren’t only Ukrainians in Ukraine, there are a lot of nationalities. All the international students felt like we left our home. We were sad to leave.

But we had to because we had no water, no food, no electricity and no cash. We had nothing. It wasn’t safe for us to stay there.

I just want to add something else. We are all trying to protect the human rights of Ukrainian citizens, but who's going to protect the human rights of international students who fled Ukraine during the war? No universities are opening their doors for us just to continue from where we stopped. I applied to so many universities, but haven’t heard back from a single one. I don’t want to waste my time and start all over again with my studies. I have escaped the war in Syria and had to take extra classes in every country I lived in. I don’t want to start all over again just because I fled another war.

Some international students went back to continue their studies in their home countries. But what about me, where will I go back to? To Syria? To another war, to a threatening and dangerous place?

I can’t even imagine what you’re going through, I’m so sorry. It’s horrendous how there are categories of which people will receive help, and which won’t.

Jana: It is not easy at all. I’m always worried and overthinking about what is coming next. Sometimes I have panic attacks or cry suddenly with non-stop. I’m willing to stay in Germany, continue my life here and try to make some differences as a future doctor in the country that accepted me as a double refugee. Because I couldn’t do anything in my home country Syria, where I belong. Since Germany helped me, I would like to do something in return, something to show the government and society my appreciation for their support that they offered me.

Hopefully, in the future, I will be able to help them and work as a doctor here. But at this moment, I'm tired, both emotionally and physically. I'm not ready to face any new challenges yet.

All photos are provided by courtesy of Jana. Click here or scan the QR code to listen to the audio interview. This interview was originally broadcasted on Refuge Worldwide.

If you want to keep up with Jana, you can follow her on Twitter at @Jana_Kalaaji

“The other reason I’m not going back to the US right now is that there’s no place in the world where I’m safer than Kharkiv. And that’s the reality. I’ve done enough to upset the Russians.

There’s some concern over my wellbeing, but as long as I’m in Kharkiv Oblast, I’m dealing with war, but on a personal level, no one will be able to get to me”

That’s how Sarah Ashton-Cirillo closed our interview end of August. We had a long conversation about her staying in Ukraine without ever having experienced war before and why she feels safer in Ukraine, as a trans woman, than in the US. You can listen to the full conversation on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Refuge Worldwide or Amazon.

If you want to keep up with Sarah, you can do so on her Twitter via @SarahAshtonLV or subscribe to her Newsletter. Photo by Sarah.

AISENBERG DENIM

Tanja Fedoseeva, Aisenberg Denim founder talks about the difficulties of relocation because of war in Ukraine, resetting the brand's values, and what comes next.

The AISENBERG label officially launched in 2016, when young and daring entrepreneur from Odesa, Ukraine had studied in detail all secrets of jeans manufacturing. With her label, the founder is striving to innovate on denim production, taking a less harmful and more quality-oriented approach. The inspiration behind each AISENBERG collection comes from her native city Odesa and its beautiful harbour. Now, the label founder and part of the team has relocated to Germany. The main task is increase awareness and expand the business. Therefore, the brand decides to launch a new line, called Aisenberg Berlin, more daring and avant-garde.

Tell me, what does the brand need to do to get over the relocation?

Fear is the enemy of progress. Making any relocation steps, I repeat that phrase as a mantra, and keep moving forward. Actually, this stage in the life of a company is a severe test; it is a large-scale renewal of all the business processes and the movement with a large number of unknown variables. It took me two months to analyze market demands, reformat business processes and take a leap. As I am still figuring out all this process, it is better to get back to talking about my suggestions in a year. My main message to all who roll the dice and get through such a way is to clearly realize that the relocation is a highly risky project that requires great investment.

Why did you choose Berlin?

Berlin breathes with its freedom; it is a multinational town, one of the most liberal cities in Germany. The city where people feel free.

What is the most inspiring thing about Berlin for you?

The people. I live in one of the youth districts of Berlin so every day I have a chance to observe and inspire.

What are your favorite places, pastime in the city?

Helmut Newton Foundation, Museum Insel, Qbeach in the summer, Savignyplatz to sit and watch the passers-by.

Tell more about the mission of the AISENBERG Denim line?

Its task is to make women beautiful. Therefore, we continue to produce perfect jeans. We are highly motivated and are working on it 24\7. We have such huge support from our colleagues and friends worldwide. This is so touching. We got attention. Moreover, we believe it is not just because of the war. We are incredibly hardworking and creative.

What kind of women do you see in your clothes?

Self-contained and ambitious modern women, but those who don’t forget about their nature, lightness, and comfort, which actually denim brings, with hints of sexuality.

What do you think, why do Berlin and Ukraine have such a close link?

The Ukrainians are democratic, emotional, individual, religious, peaceful, and the most important freedom-loving, they love their patrimony. Berlin is like a mirror, which reflects most of these characteristics. It is welcoming as well for those who are looking for their happiness in this city, it is multifaceted, multinational, and the main resemblance - it is free, a city of free people.