Jihad Hamo (Codi)

You never forget. My first six months in Denmark were really tough because the thoughts were spinning around in my head non-stop. If you think too much, you cannot continue a normal life here.

I come from a Muslim background, but my father was a communist. He did believe in God. But I have my doubts. And my sisters don’t wear a headscarf.

We are busy with everyday life. My daughter goes to school, and besides our school and work, we try to help others. It can be at the Red Cross or with arranging communal eating.

Danish is a difficult language, but so is Arabic. When I speak Arabic, people can tell from my accent that I am Kurdish.

While attending a language school, I visited a local painter and asked if I could get an internship. I got it. And he liked my work, so after three months I got a permanent job.

I like the Danish society. When I came here, it was not so difficult being a refugee. Now negative comments have become an everyday occurrence. I turn a deaf ear to them. And luckily, I meet more nice people than bad ones.

I have found out that drinking a beer together can be beneficial. It makes people talk openly about their differences. I will not discuss why I am here - but we can share a beer.
My wife would like to return to Syria, but there is still war in my home country. I take that seriously. My parents and three siblings are still in Syria. If we are to stay in Denmark, I will not teach my daughter too much about our culture.

38 / male / married / child / builder, trained electrician and school teacher in home country / Bjerringbro / Kurdish Syrian / came to Denmark in 2014