“The major problem is that it is made. Like the major problem is the — like I said before, the migration laws in general, that do not look, for example if a person needs help or.... . All these migration law rejections make the age so important. If an adult person and 19-year-old person — like, the difference between 17 and 19 is not a lot. But, a 17-year-old person have maybe the chance to stay here and the 19-year-old person not so. This is the main problem. If an 18, 19, 20, 21-year-old person — whatever that come to Germany, will have the chance just because he or she are here to live here without any problems. Then age determination would not be necessary.”

Q: “If you had any wish, what would it be on what has to be changed in this whole system of age assessment?” A: “The only wish that I have, if I have one, is to totally überhol the whole system of age process. How to do this? Trust a person on his own story, especially if there is proof from him, from his country, because many times the proofs they bring are not made by themselves, they are made from another federal country to another. So why would you deny them of their rights? If I had one wish, is to überhol the system itself, to bring it to a new system that would allow every minor the right to stay without going through all these procedures, because they are so discriminating. That is my wish. I wish no other young guy has to go through it. Everyone should come and, because you would not take a white boy and do this to him, apart from the African migrant. They are minors, you are putting them through the system, messing with their brains. It is crazy. At the end of the day, taking them to psychiatrists, because you already messed with their brains. That is my wish.”

Q: “How do you feel like this system should change? What should be done? Or what needs to be done?” A: “For the system to be changed, we have to keep it fair. Humanity. Like, everybody will have to look at humanity, you know. And to give us what we need, you know, let us have the chances to do what we want to do. Things that we want to do. Yeah, I think that would be a very good change, yeah, and with the age issues too. There are problems with the age issues too, yeah, if this will change, it will help us.”

Q: “So how was it for you to still be in Europe and not having that freedom of movement from one country to another? How was this for you?” A: “Yeah, that is crazy, you know. It is totally crazy, you know, because I think everybody deserve to have peace of mind or to live somewhere you live comfortable.”

Q: “So, what would you change then if you had the power? You are the President (or chancellor) now, instead of Schulz. What would you do?” A: “Of course, people have to — I think, if I am in charge, I have the power, everyone who wants to stay in Germany, if you want to stay in Germany you will stay in Germany. You have to throw the procedure: you have to go to school, you have to maintain your lane, don't get involved in problems. It is your right to live in a place where you want to live, but we don't see that and I think it is a shame. People have to be aware, especially in a democratic state, they have to be aware of how the system is running. Everything, because they have the power, they are the people who are voting, they have to know. For me, if I had the power, that is what I will do, they have to know. I will give this opportunity to a lot of people, not only Africans, but a lot of people who are migrants here. They live and try to do whatever they want to do. They can follow their education and try to contribute to the country and help themselves and their family members. You will see, it will bring a lot of deep connection with people. They will be so connected, and it will be like home. I am not feeling at home in Germany right now, but if you give those positive things to people, to migrants, they will feel like they are living in their house, in their compound, you know? They will try to communicate with people and learn a lot. The German people will also learn a lot. It will be international, people coming together and communicating.” Q: “Being open with each other and —” A: “Yes, but right now, it is happening, people are communicating, people are talking. People are going walking and trying to communicate. People are connecting but I don't think it is enough.” Q: “I agree. I think that is also one of the problems, that people are afraid to connect with other people. They are afraid and get hateful, because of that, I don't know, I don't understand.” A: “You will not understand everything. We have a lot of stuff in our heads right now. Even a smile is a gratitude to someone. You see a person, greeting with a smile, even that is positive vibes. But people don't take that. Even when you want to talk to people on the tram or you need help, they will not give you the chance to speak. They will not let you to talk to them. Why is that happening? I don't understand, because we are not used to that. I just think that the connection is lacking.” Q: “What do German people need? (laughs) What kind of medicine?” A: “It is not about medicine. It is maybe what they hear or what they thought that is leading them. I know a guy who is afraid to be involved with other African people, because of what they told him. But the time he sat with people — you see a lot of people, people communicate, we are in a positive vibe, we are forgetting our problems, and he was like ‘Bro, I don't, what they told me, it is the opposite of what I used to hear.’ I told him that is the problem, for a lot of people: being afraid to connect, because of what they hear.” Q: “What they have in their heads or whatever. And they also lack something.” A: “I don't blame them. It is just like that. It is the system, it is because of the system. As I said, if I had power, people will be understanding, they will connect. Even when no one tells them, they will connect, because they will see the future. You have a lot of people going to one direction, positive direction, you cannot go to the negative direction. You have to follow the lead. Here, it is totally different. It is totally crazy. I don't blame those people, it is lack of education. Education is not like: you sit in a class, follow instructions, and read books. It is like you have to learn, every day you have to learn. Not in the school, but every day you have to learn life, from people, the street, even the nature. You open your window, wind is blowing, and you just close your eyes and feel. You can learn a lot.”

“Well, first of all, I want to go to school. After school, I want to get a good job, live a better life, and stay in Deutschland and feel free. Live just like everybody else, I don't want my live to be controlled. My wish is to have a good job and help other people who have this type of problems. I think, so many things have to change. I don't know if I will be able to do this. Maybe in the future, if I get the possibility, I would like to make things easier for everyone, anybody who comes here. So many people are in this city sleeping outside and doing so many bad things, but some do it because of the situation, not because they like to do it. The things they pass through here: the pain, the fear, the stress, they feel like they don't want to lose, they do these things out of stress. You see, this is how it is. But for me, I want to finish my school and get my master's degree, have a good job, help others, make life easier for everyone. Have a good life and a good place to stay, have good friends and that's it. Live a normal life. It's better. If I have a normal life it is enough. I don't want nothing more. I want to have good paper so I can travel, I can buy whatever I want to buy, live my life the way I want, I am not hurting anybody. What is not nice is, you want to live a normal life, but someone wastes your life. It is really stressful, when you are stressed, you make others stressed as well. When you live a normal life, you go to school, you learn, get a good job. You wish everybody to have the same thing. We should help each other, you know? Put hands together: we need to educate and give others the chance to educate as well. I have seen so many people out there who don't have document, they want to go to school but they can't. We really need to help them. I am a happy guy, I want everyone to be happy. Find a good job, live a good life, travel everywhere, visit people.”

“I am optimistic, even though there are some — I feel also a bit pessimistic, because nobody knows the future, but I believe that in the next few years, life will be better than the years I have been through. My plans are not to be here for very long in Europe. I have said it in other interviews that I do not came here to stay here, to say that there was war in my country, that I had problems, I come here as any other person that wants to travel to other countries and look for better work to make money. This is what European people do. They go to any country they want and want a better life. I did the same thing. I believe we are all the same. We could all do this, regardless of being a black person from Africa or any other country. So, I see myself, in 5 years or so, a better person in life, who is managing his own business independently and also contributing to the development of my community in my country. This is what I want to be, in the next 5 years, working independently, because I am already doing B1. After my B1 exam I will do an Ausbildung on certain things which I do not want to say. Then, I will have to work and make some money. Investing on these things, I want to do as a businessperson. This is what I want to do.”

“Mein Ziel, mein Ziel ist es irgendwann ein großen Laden bauen. Die flüchtlinge alle zusammen und mein Laden um zu arbeiten. Den Geld geben und immer sagen Bruder arbeiten arbeiten, Geld verdienen und schiffungen Familien.” S: “Und was für ein Laden?” I: “Was für ein Laden. Irgendwie was essen, irgendwie ein Burger King so zu sagen. (S stimmt zu) Oder ein Dönnerladen, ein großen Dönnerladen, ja egal was. Hauptsache damit sie beschäftigt bleiben, nicht draussen gehen, kiffen, trinken, nein. Lieber arbeiten.” S: “Aah ok, also es ist egal was es ist hauptsache Menschen sollen arbeiten.” I: “Hauptsache Menschen sollen arbeiten, weil ohne Geld kann man nicht leben. Wie soll man damit machen?”

Q: “What are you hoping for? In 5 years time, what do you hope for in this system to actually change?” A: “That is very very simple, you know. I think Germans or Europeans will never change. They will never change their approach. The approach will be getting more and more difficult for Africans. Africans experience every day deep problems. The situation will never change, If you are thinking or hoping that this will change, you are just fooling yourself. Who ever think that this situation will get better, must know that the situation will get better for only you but not the people. Because life is going forward, so whoever is thinking about that, you are fooling yourself. So, I'm not even hoping that Germans or Europeans will change. I know that they will never change, The thing is, the people need to wake up and open their eyes and they know what is good for them and they think about the future. And we Africans, we come together and we do our things that we should do. But not the Europeans: they will never do it. You gotta beat the system through to end up this one? If you don't change ourselves, the Europeans will never change. So what I have — the system, Germans — that will never change. Germans don't even think about that, it will never.”