Story#11 - Ali
Ali, Mexico City
Ali' works in a Café in Mexico City. He served me the last coffee of the day as the place was about to close.
His Mexican colleagues invited him to take care of me, as their English was not good enough.
A refugee from Afghanistan, he arrived in Mexico City from Austria. Here in Mexico lives his girlfriend. But when he landed on 24 September 2020, police didn't let him in and sent him back to Europe with a first flight, just a few hours after he got off from a plane.
"I had my passport and my job-VISA. My girlfriend was waiting for me at the arrival, but, without reason, they told me I was not allowed to stay here".
My girlfriend needed to fly to Amsterdam, my assigned destination, to take me back. She came with a layer to take me back make sure no other problems would arise.
Now all is set. He serves good coffee and pastries in a caffee at 20 minutes walking distance from "Paseo de La Reforma" and the more modern part of the city.
Pan Dulce & cappuccino
But he doesn't see his life in Mexico City, a complicated city to live in.
Work and not die
With 6.000 pesos is hard
"I would love to return to Austria. Salaries are higher, and you can plan some savings. Here, my motto is 'Work and not die': for a rich person, Mexico is the place to live, but you cannot do that much with 6.000 pesos a month (300 USD)."
Good luck, Ali': I hope you will find your way to get back to Austria with your girlfriend and find happiness.
STORIES of HOPE. Simple stories of ordinary people that carry a message of hope, a fragment of future. I have been meeting incredible people, that transmit energy, passion, engagement. I talk to them and try to find their message of hope.
