Massimo Casalegno is a citizen of Will SG. He holds a doctorate in electrical engineering and a master’s degree in business administration and economics. From March 2013 to the beginning of 2022, he was a single father to his three children and lived in Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire from 10 June 2021 to 1 July 2024.
I met and married my current wife in Côte d’Ivoire. When the pandemic hit, I decided to move to a country where I had more freedom. I didn’t prepare much for this temporary emigration. I speak six languages and already know a dozen countries like the back of my hand. For me, moving from one country to another is like moving from St. Gallen to Zurich for others. First I visited the country, looked around and gathered information. So I visited my wife alone, who was my girlfriend at the time, realised that you can live there just like in Switzerland because nothing is missing and later married my wife. She adopted my children.
I didn’t have many questions about my emigration project. But before I flew to Côte d’Ivoire for the first time, I had a false image of Africa. There are social problems, but this is offset by an unrivalled freedom. The biggest problem is certainly the lack of good free education opportunities for children.
Nevertheless, everything was actually going quite well. I enrolled my children in a public school and as I brought them up bilingually, in German and French, they had no problems in this respect either. They brought friends home after just a few days. The learning programme was at a European level, which is why they were able to continue their schooling seamlessly back in Switzerland. Of course, the healthcare system in Côte d’Ivoire does not work in the same way as we are used to in Switzerland. Injuries etc. are treated well, but you need a lot of time because the clocks tick differently. However, I would advise against private clinics on a European level because they are massively overpriced. In addition, private clinics require an advance payment.
In general, I would say that life in Abidjan is very sociable. Everyone knows everyone on the street. I made a point of living like the local population. If you use public transport or want to buy something, you have to make sure you have the exact amount of money with you, otherwise it becomes difficult or you even won’t be sold anything. This is because there are far too few small coins and banknotes available. This is due to government regulations. It also takes getting used to the fact that there are no rubbish bins anywhere and rubbish is often simply disposed of in the ditch or in the sewage system. If you ask why, you are told that the bins are stolen as soon as they are installed. But I can’t imagine that because theft is frowned upon and severely penalised. I still can’t explain the lack of rubbish bins.
What I appreciate about Côte d’Ivoire is the friendliness, freedom, warmth, simplicity and interpersonal relationships. I returned to Switzerland in 2024. What I would miss in Côte d’Ivoire if I lived there forever: good free education for my children, whose qualifications are also recognised in Europe, and social insurance. What’s more, I couldn’t practise my profession as an electrical engineer in Côte d’Ivoire because it’s practically impossible to find a job in my field there.
Anyone who decides to emigrate should not be afraid and should be curious and open-minded. You should observe and learn how things really work in the new country and throw accumulated prejudices overboard. In addition, you need to be deeply convinced that people everywhere are people, whatever they look like and however their traditions influence them. The bottom line is to take note of the written and unwritten laws and abide by them. For me, that was and is an easy thing to do. You don’t have to be stubborn, but you have to be able to let go of certain habits and embrace the new. I managed that very well.
Schlagworte:africaauswandernElfenbeinküsteErfahrungen