Would you briefly introduce yourself?
I am 19 years old. I am Beninese; Benin is a country in West Africa. I went for my bachelor studies to France in 2013. I came to Hungary with an Erasmus Programme.
What do you study?
In France, I’m in a business school and next year I will get my bachelor degree. Here I study at the Faculty of Economics.
How do you like the University of Miskolc?
It is very big compared to my business school in France. I thought my business school in France was big because we had two campuses, but when I came here, the first day I was lost, I didn’t understand anything.
How do you like Hungary?
I like it, it is a very beautiful country, I love the landscape. I visited some places in Miskolc and they were great.
Hungarians generally do not know very much about Benin, would you tell us a few words about it?
It is an African country located in West Africa. It has about ten million inhabitants. There are two capitals, the economic capital and the administrative capital. Most people live in Cotonou, which is the economic capital, and that is where I live.
In Benin we have the biggest West African markets in Cotonou, which means that people from the neighbouring countries, such as Nigeria, Togo, Ghana come to Benin to buy and sell a lot of goods.
Benin is a country that was marked by slavery, and many Beninese people were sold to work in European and American countries.
Christianity, Islam and Animism are the main religions in Benin, but I am Muslim. French is the official language because we were colonized by France, but there are a lot of other local dialects, too.
How many languages do you speak?
A lot. I speak French, English, Spanish and some African languages from Benin, and also Mali because my mother is from Mali. At home we speak French, and most of the time I speak French. Only now that I came to Hungary I speak English every day, so it permits me to improve my English, which is a good thing.
Why did you decide to study in a France?
I attended a French school in Benin from the age of 3 till I was 17 years old. For me, it was natural to continue my studies in a French country. I used to come to France for holidays with my parents for one or one and a half months in the summer, so I know France. That is why I decided to choose France not to be far from my family. For my master studies I think I will go to another country in Europe, perhaps to the United Kingdom because I want to speak English as well as I speak French.
Where would you like to live after you get your master’s degree?
That’s a good question actually. I don’t know. I just know that when I have my master’s degree, I want, first of all, to find a job and work somewhere out of Africa, maybe in France first for a few years. But I am thinking of going back to Benin to settle down in ten or fifteen years. This is what I want, to go back to my country and do something to develop it more. I have a dream, creating a company to employ the young Beninese people, students who do not have the chance to study in France like me, so they attend some Beninese university.
How different is life in Benin and in France?
In Benin the life is much less expensive than in France. The climate of course is not the same. France is more developed, there are more things, the infrastructure is better, but it is understandable because France is a rich country compared to Benin. It is different because it is not the same culture. African culture and European culture are very different, but I think this is great because I am used to both right now, I have now both cultures in me. I think it’s good to notice all the differences because it helps me to be able to adapt.
How different is East-Central Europe and Western Europe according to your experience?
It is colder here than in France. The cost of living is lower here, but for me, it is the same, it is Europe, there are some little differences, but nothing big, just the language is different; it is not like comparing Hungary to Benin.
Then let’s compare Hungary to Benin!
The cost of living is about the same. People are very friendly in both countries, more than in France. They want to know you, they ask you a lot of questions. The number of inhabitants are also about the same. They are little countries but they are great, too. The climate and the food is very different.
You are from Africa, you study in France, why did you choose to travel to Hungary with the Erasmus programme?
I chose it because I have never been to an Eastern European country before. Firstly, I wanted to go to Spain, but there were a lot of people who wanted to go there too, so I lost my place.
I do not regret that I chose Hungary because my friends who went to Spain had a lot of difficulties, for example with finding an apartment, while I already had my apartment in one of the dormitories, without even having to look for it. I also have very good mentors who helped me a lot.
I could have gone to Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, I do not know why I chose Hungary, because sometimes, something comes into your mind and you do not really know why but you have a good feeling about it and that is what happened to me with Hungary.
You have a dark skin colour, which is unusual in Hungary, do people in Hungary treat you differently?
People stare at me, but sometimes people stare at you because you are black and in their look you can see that they do not like you. But here, people look at me just because they have never seen an African person, they do not look at you as if they hated you or something like that. It is kind of weird when sometimes in the city everybody stares at me, and I don’t know what I should do. For me, it is not a problem because I am used to it. In France there are more black people than in Hungary. Sometimes in France, you can meet some people whose looks tell you that they think some bad things of you because you are black, they do not like you because you are black, they do not take you as a human just because of your skin colour. It’s not everybody, you can find good people and bad people, too.
Would you recommend Hungary to others?
Of course, because it gives you a chance to develop yourself. It has developed my English, and it has also made me stronger. I left Benin to go to France, it was hard and it made me stronger, but when I came here, it was another thing, because I am very very far from my family and I am alone, because in France I know some people, and my aunt is there. It is a good experience because it allows you to work on yourself, and the only problem was the climate, but it is okay now. It is really a good Erasmus. I think Erasmus is a good thing in every country.
What do you think about the Erasmus programme?
It is really interesting because you meet people from all nationalities and backgrounds, and there are a lot of different cultures mixed together, and this is what I love, because you learn about other cultures, and they also learn from you. For me it is the best thing that we share together.
Is it hard to be Muslim in a mostly Christian country?
No, for me it is not hard because in Benin there is no religion problem. Christianity is the main religion, but there are Muslim people, too, and all religions live together. It is not a problem to be Muslim in a country where most people are Christians. I have a lot of friends who are Christians and we hang out a lot. In France and in Hungary it is the same. It is not a big deal, you practice your religion (if you have one), and I practice mine.
Are there any rules or prescriptions how a married Muslim woman should behave?
No, for me it is not like a prescription, it is about your heart. If you have a good heart, you will behave like a good person. There is no rule like you have to cook or anything. For me, it is only that you have to be a good person in life, not only in marriage. There are no rules that you always have to follow: you can marry if you want, you can choose who you want to marry, you can work if you want, you don’t have to work, if you don’t want to, it’s a matter of choice. It’s not like something you are obliged to do. I come from a Muslim family where almost all women work, but they are also married with kids and everything is okay. And I see myself doing studies and working, because this is what I want.
What do you think are Muslims in the Arabic countries and Muslims in Africa different?
They are different because of the culture. It is the same religion, we pray to the same God, but the culture is different, even the weddings and the foods are different, the way of thinking about the religion is different. If you compare Arabic culture to African culture, it is not the same, even if you are Muslim, Christian or you have another religion.
The offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine were attacked in January in France, and we can hear that there are more prejudices about Muslims in France because of the unfortunate events, what do you think of the things that happened?
I think what happened in France was really bad, and it is even worse, because people once again judge. Even though this happened I think that people should not say that all Muslims are terrorists and we kill people from other religions and so on.
The thing is that Islam is a religion that wants peace, and no men should kill innocent people in the name of God. Islam should not be associated with terrorism because it brings a very negative image of a religion that is peaceful. Like I mentioned I am Muslim myself, but I will never support people that kill innocent people in the name of religion, this is not Islam.
What do you want European people to know about Africa?
I want them to know that Africa is a beautiful continent. The image of Africa that we see in the media is not what it is all about. Africa is not just war, poverty, people dying, etc.
People should see the beautiful side of Africa, countries that are attractive for tourists, beautiful cultures, landscapes, animals, etc. And all this will help the continent build itself.
A lot of people do not realise that most of the commodities that we use come from Africa, cocoa for chocolates, diamonds, gold, cotton, etc. What I want to say to people is that before judging, it is important to do research and learn about different cultures. As for me, I am from Africa and I travelled to France, and now Hungary to discover new cultures and new ways of life.
There is a lot of work to do in Africa to reach a good level of development, that is why my objective is to create my own company in Benin and hire a lot of young people to give them the chance to become independent and enhance the economic growth of my country and my continent.
There are a lot of global companies who know that Africa has a lot of potential, so they come, open subsidiaries, hire people, and it creates jobs. It is a good beginning, and this is what we want for Africa!
by Anett Schäffer
photo by Viktor Kiss
