The country of my birth is going to the dogs. It was a slow decline, barely noticeable at first, but as time went on, it became more and more apparent that the powers that be are only interested in lining their own pockets, at the expense of everything and everyone else.
The crime rate is almost as high as the unemployment rate, social grant queues are around the block and none of the State-Owned Entities (that were all in fine condition in 1994) are still viable today.
I have made my decision. It's not about my being pessimistic or cowardly, but for once I need to think of my own safety and livelihood. By the end of 2024, I shall be living in Europe, permanently!
Was it an easy decision? No.
I have deep roots here in South Africa. My mom lives here, my brother is here, most of my relatives are here and I have a decent job and some property in this country. Lifting up those roots is going to be a painful process, to put it mildly. However, the thorn I am sitting on is beginning to hurt badly and it is time for a move and a new start elsewhere.
But why Ukraine?
The most important consideration was affordability and cost of living. Most other countries are extremely expensive and the red tape involved is not only a lot, but the pieces are sticky. Ukraine is affordable to South Africans, with incomes and prices of goods and services almost equal. War notwithstanding, the crime level is not even 5% of that of South Africa, and by African standards, the government is squeaky clean, with corruption being addressed on a regular basis. There are a lot of open spaces and the air is clean, too! The infrastructure works, with public transport and most of the roads in a decent condition.
Someone said that I would have to spend the whole day in a queue to obtain a tax number. Maybe. Or maybe not. And that service delivery is generally slow. We'll see. Heck, I come from South Africa. It can't be worse in Ukraine than it is here. Not even on Mondays. During a war.
I already have a property in mind. It's dirt cheap, by all standards, and I will probably be able to purchase it with the help of a small personal loan. The problem is that the structures will have to be demolished and the wood burnt, and then everything will have to be rebuilt from the foundations upwards! YouTube and I and some new friends and neighbors, I suppose. But that will be part of the adventure, and I dare say that I shall be learning a boatload of new skills in the process. Quickly. And it will be a good physical exercise, too!
I plan to go over on a reconnaissance trip in April 2024. If this particular property is still on the market at the time (I trust that it will be!), I shall make an offer for it. My legal person in Kyiv won't be impressed, but I know what I want to do there and what needs to happen in the process, so it's not as if I am going in blindly. And maybe the physical work will help to clear the last few cobwebs from my mind.
Now to answer everyone's question: what will a 47-year-old book nerd be doing in a foreign country to sustain herself, considering that she has only a small pension built?
Well, I can do what others do: blog and YouTube about the process and make money from there, but I would prefer to do something Permaculture-related. And blog and YouTube about THAT process! I also want to write stories and earn an income from that.
I suspect, however, that I might have to become more creative in my approach, making and selling goods at local markets, or maybe running a "farm surplus" stall. Time will tell and it's no use stressing about things beforehand. I have faith that God will provide the opportunity, just as He has opened my eyes to this crazy new country.
I am reasonably OK with the Ukrainian language. I'm not able to write whole books, but I can make myself understood, and for everything else, there is Google Translate and hand gestures.
This is as good a place as any to park the many thoughts and ideas surrounding this project, and yes, I might even make some money in the process. Why not? Whatever I earn can be plowed back into the breaks and builds and into redesigning my life in a strange new country. And you never know what you might find around the next bend...