Letter to the editor
An increasing number of young students decide to leave Slovakia as soon as they graduate. They are willing to leave their families and their homes, even for a lifetime, just to seek a job that will match their qualifications. But there are other possibilities to ensure a life and a job that is fulfilling than to pack our bags and set off, leaving our homes behind.
There is nothing wrong with the desire of young people to search for a life that fulfils their dreams. But from personal experience I know perfectly well what it means to live and work abroad. One needs to make sacrifices and sometimes they can be quite big and difficult to make. It is hard to be alone, to start an entirely new way of life, and to try to get used to it. Money and opportunities are one thing, but family and home are another, and the latter is much more important than the former.
When thinking about leaving we should take into consideration future generations. We cannot be selfish. What country are they going to live in, 10 years from now? We are the generation that should put an end to the current situation. The number of successful businessmen and women of Slovak origin is increasing in countries around the world. Meanwhile, Slovakia is losing its educated citizens. We lack qualified people and professionals, and some jobs are not being done the way they should be, causing the overall economic level of Slovakia to sink lower and lower. Everyone who has the chance should take the opportunity to stay in a foreign country for a certain length of time, but we should turn it into an advantage for our home and apply what we have learnt in order to make our country a prosperous place. It is our generation that needs to take action.
Andrea Sajbenova,
Slovakia
