This is an anonymous story collected from the public as part of the Human Archive Project by Nicola Anthony

My naturalisation journey was long, mentally draining - Draining because my children had to pay the price for decisions they didn't make. But on a positive note I learned to be positive in all situations.

I got disconnected from my comfort zone of family, friends, and familiar environment, but I learnt a new culture, met a diversity of people. I learnt to differentiate a village in Africa to that in Ireland. A village in Africa is situated in very rural countryside with no electricity and no water system. The dwellers are often uneducated with no regular income but depend on labour earned income.

A village in Ireland is a one point stop for all the basic services one requires for daily living. You find a shop, pharmacy, bank facilities, restaurants and bars, community halls. For Africans It takes a community to raise a child while in Ireland it is a responsibility of the parent - if you don't do it right your child end up in state-based care. My journey has been an adventure.