A nurse in Germany: “Support in the host country is important”

This article is part of a series featuring migrant voices from different parts of the world to Germany, including a civil engineer from Kenya, a woman from Ukraine and a journalist from Syria.

When and how did you come to Germany?

I came to Marburg from Myanmar in 2022. Together with 22 other colleagues, I was selected for a nurses’ integration project at Marburg University Hospital. This is a pilot project run by the hospital and free of charge for us – the costs of the German classes, the training programme itself and our accommodation are all covered. Though we didn’t require any prior experience of nursing, we did have to undergo several rounds of interviews in Myanmar. Meanwhile, nearly all of us have completed the training and for the most part got good grades, despite the language barrier.

I’m sure it wasn’t an easy decision to leave Myanmar, so what prompted you to take this step?

I’d worked as a tour guide in Myanmar and had already been to Germany several times. Some of the people on my tours had invited me to come and visit them in Berlin and Bavaria. But then the pandemic hit in 2020, followed by the military coup in 2021 – and the tourists stopped coming. I was unemployed for two years. For a while I worked for a small digital marketing company, but I earned very little there. I didn’t know how long I could still keep my head above water. I then spotted a post on Facebook asking who wanted to learn German and come to work in Germany – so I seized the opportunity. In the meantime, I’ve successfully completed my training and since the beginning of September have been working as a nurse in the haematology, oncology and immunology department.

What’s the biggest challenge for you in Germany?

Loneliness and home sickness are the biggest problems. Even though I’ve made friends here and all my instructors and colleagues are really nice, I’m still sad not to have my family and friends nearby. For the younger members of our group, who had never been to Germany before, the challenges were even greater at first, as they had to get used to the culture, the food and the weather too. But now they are very content here. Some have found a new partner, and they have job security. Most of them want to remain in Germany. I actually wanted to go back to Myanmar as soon as possible, but the current political situation means it’s not safe enough, so I’m sure I’ll be spending a few more years in Germany.

What or who helped you get settled in Germany?

Our instructors helped us a lot; they were always willing to help and said we could call them at any time. The people responsible for our practical training in the hospital were also very supportive. Without them we would never have managed to qualify and start a new life here. Now I feel that I have settled in properly. To this day, the group I came here with from Myanmar is like a second family to me. I earn enough to live on. I go to the gym, to the cinema or out with friends in the evening. It’s just my family I really miss. But I try to fly home once a year.

What is needed to ensure that you get off to a good start in Germany?

The support and hospitality shown by Germans are important to make us feel at ease and build up our self-confidence. Sometimes things are difficult for us and we feel very small. In our case it was the instructors who helped us and boosted our confidence. We rarely experienced any discrimination. However, I do think that you can make life easier for yourself by trying hard and working on yourself – for example by learning the language properly.

Htoo Myat Khin came to Germany from Myanmar in 2022 to take part in an integration project for nurses. She now lives in Marburg, where she works as a nurse at the university hospital.
euz.editor@dandc.eu