Demitri Markavo

Business and law foundation year student Demitri moved from Afghanistan to study in Liverpool with LJMU. He is one of hundreds of international students that study here every year and find a home in our city

He features in our ‘Humans of LJMU’ series in collaboration with the ‘Humans of Liverpool’ social media account, sharing the stories of the people who make our city, communities and university the vibrant, inclusive place it is in celebration of our bicentenary year.

In his interview he reflects on his time living and studying in Liverpool since moving to the UK.

Demitri’s ‘Humans of LJMU’ interview

“Sometimes I miss home. Everyone loves their home, the place they are raised in, their family, their father, their mother. I miss the gatherings with my parents and siblings. We used to sit together and talk about life and daily things, and I really miss that. I have five siblings, so most of the time, we don’t even need friends. We are enough for each other. But I’ve made good friends here. Sometimes with my friends, it feels like home here.

“I live in Liverpool, but I am originally from Afghanistan. I have just arrived here a few months ago to study Business, Law and Social Studies. It's really great living here, the people are so friendly. My relatives told me to move to Manchester or Luton to be closer to them, but I think if I move I would miss this place.

“As an Asian student, the biggest struggle is fitting in with the environment. It’s completely different, but I'm cool with it. The biggest difference between Asia and here is the communication- how people talk with their mates. Sometimes how we talk in our culture would be normal there but maybe offensive here. I always try very carefully to not offend people.

“My biggest fear? Nothing, I leap into anything. I don’t fear anything. If something is different, I just try it. I don’t watch from a distance worrying if it's difficult. I go, and if I can do it, great. If I can’t, I tried at least.”