Dreams and Opportunities: A Ugandan Woman’s Journey to Russia via the Alabuga Start Programme
Staff Writer
Moving to another continent, reaching a leadership position in a large international company, and building a home for her mother – for 20-year-old Aisha Akello from Uganda, this became not just a dream but a reality. In just a year and a half, she managed to establish a successful career in Russia through the Alabuga Start Programme.
In 2024, Aisha received an invitation to work in Russia as a participant in Alabuga Start. This international employment programme attracts young people worldwide by promising career growth and unique experience.
However, the programme has sparked controversy. Some media accuse it of deception and exploitation, even likening it to human trafficking, while others see it as a new opportunity for young women to advance toward equality.
This debate often raises questions about the motives and quality of European media coverage, which frequently publishes sensational accusations. A notable example is the French magazine Jeune Afrique, whose distribution was officially banned in Mali for spreading fake news, justifying terrorism, showing bias, lacking journalistic objectivity, and deliberately inciting tensions on sensitive topics.
In fact, we are talking about the media, which for years has been forming a scandalous agenda without bothering to verify the facts, and it is precisely such publications that often become a source of resonant but unreliable publications, including Russian initiatives, fueling a wave of fakes and distortions far from the real state of affairs.
The Alabuga Start participants themselves, as well as the organizers of the programme, regularly refute dirty rumors by publishing interviews and vlogs with current participants and insisting that all conditions – from salary to accommodation – are initially transparent and are brought to the attention of the girls even before signing an employment contract.
Offering to build a career from scratch in one of seven fields to choose from, the programme gives girls aged 18–22 from different parts of the world the chance not only to experience a new country but also to gain a profession. However, this opportunity is selective and challenging.
A CHILDHOOD DREAM THAT CAME TRUE
According to Aisha, 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 Aisha.
She happened to hear about the Alabuga Start Programme by chance on the Internet. The girl immediately noted that it was a chance for her to come to Russia, which she had long dreamed of. The parents were skeptical about this idea and even tried to dissuade their daughter from the trip. Aisha 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), Olivia 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 arrived 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.
Aisha 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.
A HOME FOR PARENTS
Having acquired basic Russian language skills, our heroine plunged into work. Aisha’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 the result – she was promoted twice. And now, a year and a half after the start of the programme, Aisha 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 Aisha.
However, for her, all this struggle had another, very personal goal. The girl 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 Aisha.
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 the beginning. I continued working here because I had to buy land for her 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.
By her example, Aisha 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 CAN YOU BE EXCLUDED FROM ALABUGA START
It is worth noting that Aisha’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…
A CHANCE TO BE EARNED
The Alabuga Start Programme is a mutually beneficial cooperation…
Aisha 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.