20150417-01“In 2014 the company I was working for – Rosette recounts – assigned me to the region of Iraqi Kurdistan (KRI). To facilitate the job placement of my husband, Eric, who also had an excellent CV, we decided to settle in Dubai, in the rich United Arab Emirates where life is pleasant and comfortable. Due to all this wealth many foreigners come to Dubai in pursuit of a better life for themselves and their families, even if this entails leaving one’s own loved ones in their homelands.

During one of my trips to Kurdistan, though I was two hours early for my flight, my name was removed from the list of passengers. I was nervous because this meant that I had to take a smaller plane which was scheduled to leave only at one o’clock at night. There was still a lot of time before boarding, but I went to the terminal just the same since we never can tell. Strangely however, there were a lot of people, and many were sleeping on the floor. I asked them how long we had to wait. A woman said: “It depends: we could leave immediately but also within a few days.” In fact, she had been there for two days due to a spelling mistake on her visa. And they would not allow her to leave. Just to start a conversation I asked her if she had something to eat: “Yes, I still have some crackers and a bit of water.” I invited her to have a meal with me and after a lot of insistence, she finally accepted. While we were chatting, her boss called her to check on her and to know if she had enough money to stay there. She had no money. She had sent her entire salary to her son so he could pay his university fees. After the phone call she told me her story: she was separated from her husband, and her two sons lived with their grandparents in her homeland. She had come to Dubai because her daughter was finishing high school and needed money for university. After a while I heard the announcement of my flight. I wondered how long more she would have to wait. I encouraged her take the money I was offering. And I promised I would pray for her family.

Her story was just one of the many of how the immigrants live. Some families are in Dubai because of the wars in their countries (Palestinians, Syrians, Iraqis): Dubai is like a safe haven where people can live a normal life. For them, work is everything, the start and the end, since without work they would not have a visa and would not be able to stay in Dubai.

Especially for those who are here alone, with the passing of time the physical distance and solitude in a foreign country often obscure their good intentions. We know of people who have extra-marital affairs, destroying in this manner the very family for which they had come here, limiting themselves to just furnishing money to their loved ones. Unfortunately most of these people accept these solutions as unavoidable facts, even if the price to pay is immense.

And in the end, also we were asked to pay this same ‘price’. My frequent trips to Dubai led me to spend less and less time with Eric. So we decided to move to Kurdistan, even if this meant renouncing the good job Eric had in Dubai. Initially my company had accepted but during my talks and some violent events in Kurdistan, we were told that the company could not guarantee Eric’s safety and that he, therefore, could not move there. One of my bosses had said: ‘…with time you will get used to being separated …’.

In the face of this perspective we immediately decided to resign. We were not going to be separated in any way, even if this meant giving up a well paid job and a career we had studied so much for. I must confess that it was not an easy choice at all. But in our hearts we both knew we were making the right choice. My last working day was 31 December 2014.

Last January the Pope came to the Philippines, and in the meeting with families he strongly affirmed the value of the family: “We must be strong in saying “no” to any intent for ideological colonization that can destroy the family.” It seemed as if he was precisely speaking to us, and confirmed the counter current decision we had made.”

5 Comments

  • Grazie di questa esperienza che ci ricorda l’importanza dell’andare controcorrente e di non lasciarci condizionare dal mondo e dalle mode. Gesù non si lascerà vincere in generosità.
    Intanto vi è arrivata la carezza di DIo attraverso il discorso del Papa che era sicuramente rivolto a voi!

  • Un. Grazie infinito a Rosette e Eric. perche la vostra scelta ci da speranza! Prego la Madonna che la vostra testemonianza attire moltitudini a mettere l’unita della famiglia in primo posto! Che Dio vi benedica!

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