Lydia finds life in Benin more challenging than in Niger, especially in her chosen field. “Salaries are more attractive in the restaurant sector in Niger,” she says.
However, her view on integration is quite different: “I didn’t feel like a foreigner here. On the contrary, in Benin, foreigners are protected. In Niger, if you don’t have the right documents, you can be arrested and jailed. You might or might not be released the next day. But here, whether you have your ID card or not, you can move around freely.”
Several factors influenced Lydia’s professional choices outside her home country, including demand and supply in the sector. Despite having put her initial training on hold during her time in Niger, she maintains that she never fully abandoned it.
However, she does acknowledge that she chose to work in the restaurant industry.
“I chose this sector because it offers higher earnings in Niger than the healthcare sector,” Lydia explains. “It also pays more than I would make as a nurse in Cameroon.”
Having spent about six months in Benin, Lydia has now settled into working in a local restaurant. Although she hopes to return to Niger one day, she is making the most of her situation in Cotonou and continues to pursue her dreams of a better future.
*Pseudonym