“I Tried My Best” – How a Young Ugandan Girl Built Her Dream Career in Russia

The oldest daughter and the only girl in her family, dreaming of moving to another continent and building a house for her mother – this sounds like a plot of a Nigerian movie. However, this is exactly how the story of 20-year-old Aisha Akello from Uganda begins.

About a year and a half ago, Akello moved to Russia as a participant in the international Alabuga Start Programme. Hoping to earn money and build a successful career in a large company, she overcame a distance of 6,000 kilometres.

 The international employment programme Alabuga Start gives young women from different parts of the world a chance to move to Russia, immerse themselves in the local culture, and master one of seven professional fields.

Even before arrival, participants independently study basic Russian words and phrases. Upon arrival in Alabuga, they continue learning the language with qualified professors while adapting to the new culture.

Having acquired basic Russian language skills, our heroine plunged into work. Akello‘s career began with the simplest position – cleaning public areas in corporate hostels. The girl admits that it was not an easy job. Nevertheless, she set a goal for herself – to grow in her career, improving both professional skills and language skills. Diligence gave results – she was promoted twice. And now, a year and a half after the start of the programme, Akello is proud to say that she will become an administrator very soon.

It is worth noting that career advancement in Alabuga Start involves strict requirements. To move up, participants have to not only perform well but also demonstrate solid Russian language skills, professional expertise, and discipline.

– Your speaking part also has to be in a good way whereby you have to be speaking Russian fluently. So, I had to struggle hard to learn Russian and at the same time working very hard at work to please my bosses, so that they give me promotion, – explains Akello.

However, for her, all this struggle had another, very personal goal. She sends part of her salary from Russia to her home in Uganda. She immediately sent her first earnings to her mother. First, she saved up money and bought a large plot of land in her homeland for her parents. The family, seeing their daughter’s success, changed their mind about the programme.

– I had to prove them wrong. So when I came here, I started working. The first dollar I got, I sent it to her. I told her: “You see, now I’m getting money because I’m in Russia, because I’m in my dream country, of course”, – recalls Akello.

The girl did not stop there: now she is building a new house for her mother on the site. After the recent loss of her father, the girl feels responsible for the whole family: she is the only daughter and now the main helper for her family.

– She thought I was joking. So I told her it’s not the last, it’s just a beginning. I continued working here because I had to buy for her a land and to build her house. I think by the end of this year or by the beginning of the next year at least, I’ll be done with it. That’s when I will start thinking about myself, – says the girl.

According to Akello, when she was an eight-year-old girl, she saw a film about Russian nature on TV and was amazed by the beauty of the landscapes and the changing seasons. The dream of seeing a distant country grew stronger year after year.

 – I watched a movie about Russia and I got to like it, the seasons. Because in Russia you have four seasons. And for us in Uganda we have only two. So I had to come and experience that, – says Akello.

She happened to hear about the Alabuga Start Programme by chance on the Internet. She immediately noted that it was a chance for her to come to Russia, which she had long dreamed of. The parents were sceptical about this idea and even tried to dissuade their daughter from the trip. Akello had to convince them: she was determined to go to prove to her family that she had made the right choice.

In 2023, after passing a multi-stage selection (questionnaire, interview with an HR specialist, medical examination, checking the basic Russian language), Akello flew to Russia, Tatarstan. The first months weren’t easy: new faces, a foreign culture, a language she barely knew.

– Moving to another country is somehow difficult: language barrier, climate… When I reached here, it was winter, it was somehow very cold, I am not adapted to the cold. We started learning Russian. They explained to us the Russian culture, how to respond to people in a good way, how to respect people – we started slowly, slowly, slowly, step by step, – says the girl.

Akello lives in a room with other girls from different countries: Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, Kyrgyzstan. They met in Alabuga as native speakers of different languages, but they quickly realized that Russian was a common thread for them, and they tried to practice it every day.

With her example, Akello wants to inspire other girls, both at home and in Russia. According to her, in Uganda, as in many countries, girls are often expected to marry as soon as possible and their ambitions are underestimated.

Strict Rules: Why You Could be Excluded from Alabuga Start

It is worth noting that Akello ‘s example shows the possibilities of the programme, but not every participant reaches the finals. There is no place for laziness and indiscipline at Alabuga Start – they require complete dedication. The programme’s leadership does not hide the fact that some girls have to be expelled for violating an employment contract or even the law. As it turns out, there have indeed been such cases, and they serve as a warning to all new participants.

Firstly, neglect of work and responsibilities is unacceptable. If a girl thought she was on vacation, she will be disappointed. Representatives of Alabuga Start told us that one of the participants stopped going to work after the first day of work – she did not get along with her colleagues, and she abandoned her Russian language classes. The organizers gave her a chance, transferred her to another place of work, but history repeated itself there.

–  Laziness, lack of discipline and unwillingness to work are incompatible with the spirit of the programme – we are waiting for hardworking and purposeful girls who are ready to invest in their development, – emphasized representatives of Alabuga Start.

For that participant, everything ended sadly: returning home and losing her chance at a career. Such stories confirm that those who lack motivation and endurance will not stay in the programme for long.

Violation of the law of the Russian Federation and public order also leads to the immediate termination of employment relations with Alabuga. Unfortunately, there were participants who were caught drinking alcohol in public places, participating in fights and noisy scandals. Such violators were immediately excluded from the programme, which led to the cancellation of the work visa and the immediate return home.

Thirdly, strict control also applies to the health of the participants. Before and upon arrival, everyone must undergo a medical examination – this is necessary both for the safety of the participant herself and for the team. But there were those who tried to circumvent the requirements, provided fake medical certificates, hiding diseases.

Some frauds were discovered back at home, but there were also more alarming cases when the disease was detected already in Russia: the violator was immediately expelled, urgently sent home, and her name was added to the “blacklist”. Falsification of medical data at Alabuga Start is considered a gross violation, endangering both others and the reputation of the programme.

All these stories show that Alabuga Start is not a place for lovers of an easy life. People come here not for adventures, but for real career experience, which must be earned through hard work. In exchange for generous opportunities, they receive comfortable housing, high salaries by the standards of many countries, and free professional training under the guidance of experienced mentors. However, in response, they require willingness to work and maintain discipline.

An Earned Opportunity

The Alabuga Start Programme is a mutually beneficial cooperation: young girls get a chance to fulfil their dreams, get a profession and earn money, and the region receives qualified and motivated personnel for economic development.

The leadership of the special economic zone emphasizes that this is not a mass recruitment for the sake of reports, therefore, strict selection and requirements for those who come are the same for everyone, regardless of the country of origin. Getting into Alabuga is not easy and it is even more difficult to hold on, but those who pass the tests really change their lives.

Akello ‘s story is a clear proof of this. She didn’t just fulfil her long–held dream of seeing Russia – she found a profession and financial independence, helped her family, and now inspires others.

In a year and a half, she has gone from a confused new girl who mixes up Russian words to a confident team leader. Of course, the difficulties with adaptation and work shifts are over now. But, according to Akello herself, it was worth it.

–  It is safe, it is guarded, whereby we are safe to enter. We have security guards who always check in case you bring anything. It’s not about only the Africans, but everyone who enters the building, they check. We have face IDs whereby if that ID doesn’t recognize you, of course you can’t enter, – declares the girl.

During its existence, the programme has been overgrown with stories – there are both problematic and inspiring ones. And if some leave unable to keep up with the work rhythm, others finish the programme and build a successful career, without making too much noise, but with real results.

Akello from Uganda belongs to the latter category. Her path shows that Alabuga Start is not a vacation, but a springboard into the future. Only the most determined will be able to jump from it, but the reward is an invaluable life experience, a career and a fulfilled dream.