Mahdi has been in Switzerland for two years and four months. His parents are both from Afghanistan, but he was born and raised in Iran. He likes Switzerland, especially because there is no war here. And because his children can go to school. 
Until the beginning of November, Mahdi lived in a camp where he could attend the six-month German course. Now he has moved with his wife and three children to a small apartment in Hochdorf. His two older children, the eleven-year-old daughter and the seven-year-old son, are allowed into the normal school. The daughter learns German very well and the son enjoys playing with other children. His wife is allowed to go to a German school in Geuensee, which makes him very happy.
Mahdi likes Hochdorf. He doesn’t like being in town so much. It is too loud and it has too many people and cars. In the countryside it is quieter.
Last year Mahdi was allowed to work for eight months. There he helped to clear out and clean households or he worked in the garden, planted flowers and cut trees: “Next year I can work again for eight months, I’m very happy”.
Mahdi would also like to go to school to learn the language and to better understand Swiss culture: “I can only say simple things like “I am, you are…”, but I would like to learn German better! But my boss says I have to wait.”
When asked which Swiss food he likes, he replies: “I know raclette and know how to do it, I like it very much!
Mahdi would like his children to be able to go to school, learn a lot and do a job that they like to do: “Maybe engineer or doctor or something. Unfortunately, I couldn’t learn anything in my country, but they still have the chance.
