Ajla

Ajla Cejvan is 29 years old, she was born in Bosnia, and she lived the war with the innocence of a 5-year-old child. She was in a refugee camp for six months and then she and her family moved with (few) bags and luggage to Norway. Now, she lives and works in a small town in southwest France.

In the early 1990s, Ajla and her family hid in the garage of their house while outside they heard what seemed to be shots. Not realizing what was happening, the people around her tried to remain calm. Her father decided to go out to help a person lying on the floor. For months, she remembers playing in the street with soldiers around. To run on the streets and singing. Until one day her mother asked her to put all the clothes and favorite toys in a suitcase. Without much explanation and questions from her, Ajla assumed that her family was going on holidays.

Her glass is always half full. At age 5 and now at age 29. She says she is super optimistic. She has no traumas of all that she has lived, but experiences, life stories and the discovery of her dream.

The beginning

The refugee camp was the first point of the script. Ajla was very happy. Surrounded by children, of different ages, she had more friends than ever to accompany her in her games. It was there that she also knew what it was like to be quarantined. A bacterium (or another type of virus, sorry, I cannot catch everything) made her spend days in a hospital, in a room isolated from everyone. How can one explain to a child that she cannot sleep with her family and play in the street with her new friends? During the days of isolation she received Unicef cards with drawings made by children from China. "I remember the impact it had on me. From feeling cherished by kids from another world who did not know me."

From there she decided that was what she wanted to do in her life. Do not draw cards for children, but be the bridge between all the children of the world. "Save the children and the world."

Ski camp for more than 20 years

At the time of electing the country to move, Ajla's father had only one criterion. The country closest to Bosnia, because flying was not synonymous with happiness. Between Norway and Canada, the choice was easy. More difficult was to try to find the country on the map, which was folded in the northernmost part, which made it impossible to see his future home.

She quickly learned Norwegian to help her parents. She was the best student in the class. In her application to the university, she placed Medicine in the first option. A few days after the deadline for submitting the application, Ajla decided to move to the Coordination of Projects (I don’t know well the name. But I know it has the word “project”) course. It was her dream calling for herself. Her goal would always be to help people. Or through anatomy, or through the creation of humanitarian projects. UNICEF has always guided her, but it was her leadership capacity that spoke louder. And explain to parents and friends what “Coordination of Projects” is? It is helping, more than anything.

Ajla always worked while studying. To pay the driving license and to travel. In one year she met ten countries. From destinations in Europe to the US and Egypt. "I do not spend less than a week in a country, for more than 300/400 euros with travel and hostel included. Neither book far in advance. You have to search well, because the offer is big." How to spend the New Year's Eve in the capital of Portugal, in the middle of the main square and reserve the restaurant on December 31st, for 10 euros per person. Within an average ranging from 80 to 200 euros. Luck or perspicacity?

Paris. La vie est belle.

It was on one of those trips that Ajla fell in love. Madly in love. For Paris. By the agitation that calmed her down. Later, whether she wanted fate or not, she had the opportunity to go there to study for a year with her best friend. She met Florant, every nook and cranny of Paris, visited all that the city had to offer her and today she knows it as the palm of her hand. That's where she developed French. What later, more properly in 2015, would be an added value.

In 2015, she moved to Marmande, a replica of Paris, with similar dimensions, even more interesting people and a lifetime to live. To do what? European Volunteer Service for one year. In an organization in the center of Marmande. A center with shops behind shops with closed doors and with leaflets indicating that there someone can rent a new business. It is also in Marmande that there are the chocolatines, the tomatoes (ça, c'est pas un tomate) and the XXL cookies. All summed up in a small boulangerie, MIE CALINE.

She did activities with children, met a princess who made her life in hell, lived with a seemingly normal family but with atypical personalities, and began to create projects. Projects, projects and more projects. She wanted to give up. Oftentimes. But who is Ajla anyway? "I'm not a quitter."

The bicycle that brought her back to Marmande. Or Thomas.

In December, she returned to her country. Sorry, to her second country. Norway. For a year, she sent over 300 emails, made hundreds of interviews, and could not find a job. She also applied for offers lower than her qualifications. She just wanted to work. The problem was that she was over qualified for the jobs. We sin because we are bad and too good.

In March, Thomas, the then Sureaux's director, called her and made the easiest and most difficult question of her life. Did Ajla want to work in a place where she had been so happy and simultaneously sad? For the projects, yes. She refused an offer that came too late to work in Norway for UNICEF. She had already given her word to Thomas and she was not going to go back. She returned to Corine's house and found her electric bicycle again.

During the EVS, she participated in a competition where she only had to take a picture related to Europe. The prizes were an electric bike, tickets to make an inter-rail and a camera. Ajla wanted very much the second place, to leave for adventure in trains. But her photo won the first place. She tried to change prizes, but she could not. In the final of the EVS, she couldn't take the bike to Norway, because the Lithium battery could not have been transported in a plane. Without much choice, she left her in France. She left with a connection to the country. The bicycle was a signal to return to France. And she came back. And here she continues. She is the coordinator of international projects at the non-governmental organization Sureaux.

To work in Unicef ​​it's required a vast curriculum of experiences. "I will do everything in my power to achieve my dream, even if it is at the age of 80." The focus on work comes not only from her insight, but also from her education, where the impossible never existed as a word. "In Norway, both at school and at work, they have always encouraged us as people to do it, to go, to experience and to learn." There are no hierarchies for it. There are different responsibilities.

A TOAST TO THE 30's!

Ajla, an eternal teenager of the 90s, who idolizes the Spice Girls, who loves Britney Spears, but who currently listens to Ed Sheeran, turns 30 today.

To the 30 stuffed of books (Paulo Coelho for winner), of polyglottismo (English - American accent, French, Bosnian and Norwegian), of people, places and histories. From natural oils to heal everything. To the most invincible photographs of bridges and stars in the sky. To the person who drinks a lot of coffee. Preferably from Bosnia. Very strong. And to our mother of Marmande, who welcomes us in her house (almost my first home here), who makes the best chicken salad, gives the best advices, encourages us to be ourselves and not to be afraid. Because money does not govern our life and we can be happy in many places doing countless things. As long as we follow our hearts and don't listen what society want to tell us. To the most open spirit that made me realize the true meaning of life.

It was already worth coming to this end of the world. Thank you for teaching me such precious things that I will take with me for the rest of my life.

Now celebrate your 30 years and stay strong as you have been until now. Karma exists and has never left anybody apart. I wish you all the best. Let's revenge the 90's!