“Living here makes me feel happy and bad sometimes,” recounts Dolar Man

de (pseud, 32), a Beninese refugee now in Italy. Dolar left his home and family behind due to a conflict in his village. His journey to Europe was “difficult.” At one point the driver of their group abandoned them in the desert. Dolar continued on foot, walking for days before being kidnapped by the Libyan army who demanded money. “That time a loss hope,” he says. He still thinks about the past and misses his children: “I can’t say the situation doesn’t affect me today, because of what happened in the past.” But, he says, “not all problems come to damage you, some change your life.” There are some positives: “I grown as result of this… for example I have opportunity to learning new language, discover another culture.” Before, Dolar dreamt of teaching the Quran. His faith has sustained him throughout this journey. His dream now “is to be near of my family, educate my children like every father.” Full Story