Nadia Lejaille
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So far, we have interviewed people from all over the world who have come to Germany. One of the questions we always ask is what ideas they had about life in Europe or Germany. We can ask the same question to those who are considering emigrating to Europe. In this interview, which was conducted in Togo, Fofo has his say.

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I am Fofo, born on June 8, 1990 in Kpalimé. I am a dancer, hairdresser and batik artist. My father died in 2007. My mother gave birth to 7 children, 6 girls and me. So, I am the only boy of my mother. My whole family comes from Kpalimé. After the baccalaureate, I went in 2013 to Lomé to study English. After two years, I also got a degree in business communication at the University of Applied Sciences. Then I came back to Kpalimé and did a training in hairdressing and batik. I am passionate about dance and want to be able to improve my skills all over the world. I am the master dancer of the Unity Group and it is me who creates the dances. I am ready to do two dances a week, if my dancers can keep up.

I would like to go to Europe to improve and learn dance. In Europe, there are stars and great dancers and I want to learn and improve myself. I want everyone to know me and my dance.

I have already traveled once to Benin and once to Ghana. But I have never been to Europe. I don’t know how life in Europe actually is. Some people told me that it is hard and that it is not easy to live there. They say for example that they get up early in the morning and come back in the evening, day after day. And with the cold and everything. But, I am a man and I never give up. I want to try everything. I’ve already seen pictures and videos of life in Europe. But it doesn’t show that their life is difficult. Sometimes they call me. For example, I did the University of Applied Sciences degree with a friend who is now in France and he often calls me. He tells me about his life and it is true that he has changed. When he is in Togo, he doesn’t work, but there, he moves around, he does a lot of things.

If I go there, I want to find a dance school to take lessons and look for a little job on the side to earn some money to live and support myself. I don’t want to go there to stay there. I want to go there to improve myself and then come back to my country. Everything I learned there, I can show here and teach others.

I want to go to Europe legally. There are people who take wrong ways to go to Europe. But it’s not right to go into a country without the consent of the people there. I want to go legally, no matter how long it takes. I hope to find someone to help me with accommodation for a few months. For the money, I can take care of it myself. I can buy the plane ticket myself because I want it. For the visa and the plane ticket, I don’t really know the price, but when the procedures will start, I can ask for the price. For the moment, I don’t do much. I sell art and thrift store shoes. I have some friends who are not in Togo, some are in Europe, others in other African countries. If they see that what I say is true, they can finance me. They will lend me or give me money.

I want to stay 1 month, 2 months or 6 months, it depends on the visa they give me. Even if it’s only for 1 month.

I don’t know if my contacts in Europe could take me in because I haven’t asked them. I make my videos, I have my Facebook page and my acquaintances there see what I do. Souleymane, a Senegalese friend, told me to send my CV. He told me he would pass it on to his acquaintances. I also have a YouTube account where I put videos and where you can see my dances and my training. I also give dance lessons to a little girl, Lorraine.

It doesn’t matter in which country I go. I want to go to Europe. I don’t speak German, even though I learned it in high school. I can only say a few words. And even now, if you come to my house, on my bed, there is my German notebook and my philosophy notebook. I am learning philosophy because I would like to have a great opening to life.

I am passionate about dancing and I would also like to go to the Ecole des Sables in Senegal. I want to become a great dancer.

My project is to create an orphanage in Togo and take care of widows and orphans. After my stay in Europe, I want to return to Togo and create an orphanage. Here it bothers me a lot to see the orphans. I lost my father and I don’t want to see others in this situation. Especially for widows, when their husbands have died, it is difficult to live. It affects me personally.

I am going to be 33 years old. In 10 years, I want to be a big star. If you say so, it can really happen. Let the whole world know about me. For example, I’m in Togo and there is a show somewhere and people can call me to come and dance. I want everyone to call me. I am determined to do it. With courage and desire, I pray to God that it happens even before 10 years.

Even if I had everything here, the financial means, everything, everything, I would still want to go to Europe. Because you have to learn all the time. A living man must always learn. If I go there, I want to learn, then come back to my country and do my project.

Even if I do all possible jobs or if I get old, I will always dance.

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