For 12 euro an hour, a three-month summer job at McDonalds in Germany offers scores of young Georgians a life-changing opportunity: a stable salary and chance to live independently abroad.

Photographer Ana Gabisiani, 23, signed up in 2023 and decided to document her colleagues and compatriots as they experienced life in Germany as workers—and the paradox of being able to live comfortably in a foreign country working a minimum wage job, when surviving is difficult in Georgia on the salaries paid for skilled professions.

“In my case, living and working in Germany was a period of peace and prosperity,” Ana says. “Living in a foreign country liberated me from responsibilities. No one knew me, no one was asking questions, everyone had their own work. No one was interested in how successful I was, or what I achieved after graduation, or anything else. I think that only by living in Germany I learned how to live in the here and now.”

For over 15 years, cafes, bars, restaurants, hotels and other service sector employers in Germany have hired students from Georgia and other countries to work in its restaurants over the summer.  The program, organized through Germany’s Bundesagentur fur Arbeit (Federal Employment Bureau), offers students from accredited universities and colleges the chance to live abroad and earn an estimated 1500 euro a month—roughly ₾4,400. A conversational command of either English or German is required.

Students enrolled in universities outside of Germany, aged 18-35, are eligible; The exact figure for the number of Georgian students who participate in the program in the summer is not available.

“Although I work in Germany and get stressed, I still get paid enough to compensate for my fatigue,” notes Sopo Sherazadishvili, 22.

“What’s happening in Georgia? If you work in any field of service, you get only 800 GEL after a stressful month. It gets on my nerves really. In Georgia you don’t even have free food at work sometimes… I don’t regret coming here. There are lots of other Georgians here for work. We’re having fun together, we’re exchanging ideas, sometimes we are complaining together and feel much better. I also wonder why I didn’t start working in Germany from the very first year of my studies.”

Ana says her time in Germany made her more aware of the disconnect between how much a person works and how much their labor is appreciated in Georgia.

“When I arrived in Germany, the feeling of injustice was stronger and made me think if I can live on my own with a job that does not require any prior training or special physical preparation, why do I need to work hard almost for nothing in my country and believe that my work is never enough? I love my job in Georgia and even now I’m always ready to work as a volunteer, but when you get older, the burden of responsibilities is heavier and weighs you down,” Ana says. 

More than financial stability, however, the summer jobs are a chance to live independently—an opportunity to experience life on their own terms.

“Germany is a very good country for a tourist. However, I would not participate in the same program and I would not work in Germany again for three months. It was an experience I was meant to have and it’s over,” notes Shota Gelashvili, 21.

“If I decide to go abroad again to earn money, I would consider myself lucky to have the opportunity to be in the United States. I have other plans for the future. In the spring semester I am going to study in Croatia through an exchange program. Additionally, I am thinking of getting a master’s degree abroad.”

Ana and her friends tried to find a way to return to Germany after their summer jobs ended, but to no avail so far. The experience, however short, was life changing, she says. 

“When I began working at McDonald's in Leipzig, Germany—a job not considered prestigious by my Georgian neighbors—I took a deep breath. For the first time, I felt a sense of self-reliance. I realized that I could live, work, travel, and discover on my own,” Ana says.

“Upon returning from Germany, the contrast with the working class in Georgia became apparent once again. Working at McDonald's made me confront a contradiction within myself… I moved to the night shift, where I was also responsible for cleaning, and all the books, conferences, homework, and articles I had worked so hard on came flooding back. It wasn't unpleasant, nor was it inherently bad. Instead, it felt peculiar. I found myself viewing my own existence from a different perspective.”

Mariami
When I looked at my group mates who came to the university from their jobs, they were exhausted. Sometimes they missed classes and could not follow the program. I lost the desire to work in Georgia.

All in all, I feel comfortable at work. They don’t make me feel that I belong to another culture, probably because of my work ethic.

At times, the orders seem endless. One day we had a sale, a Big Mac for one euro. Due to the large number of customers, we worked three times harder than usual. I asked my manager to give me a five-minute break. I sat outside, overwhelmed by emotions and stress, and started crying. Later Vazha came and brought me an ice cream.

At first, the situation was totally unbearable. When I got home, I wanted to sleep immediately. Then I got used to it.

The lowest monthly salary I received in Germany was 1300 euros. Basically, the money I earned in three months was enough to cover the cost of studying and two months of  rent and utilities, buy a laptop, go shopping, etc… That’s the reason why I decided to come here again. Compared to a monthly salary in Georgia, it is much higher.

My parents respect and support my decisions. I was in the 11th grade when I won the FLEX exchange program and went to the United States to study for free. My parents were also so happy for me. As for working in Germany, it allows me to earn more money, to travel, to have fun. Why should they be against it?

Apart from the salary, one of the main reasons why I decided to come to Germany was to get an experience I did not have in Georgia. You live independently, pay the rent alone, cook for yourself. You are in a foreign environment, you get to know the country’s culture, and you have the opportunity to travel.

Shota
Compared to the salary in Georgia, I earn three times more a month here. On average, I earn 2000 EUR a month and I pay the rent, 375 euros, and I buy food for the whole week for 15 euros. Groceries are very cheap. For example, a six-pack of yogurt costs 0.99 cents. Flixbus is very cheap for traveling in Europe and it’s easy to take. If you are not wasting money, you can earn 2700 euros by working at McDonald’s in the summer. Then you can return to Georgia. That is what I did. People who work at the post as couriers earn the most. They get up to 5000 euros.

It is very difficult to live independently in Georgia. I managed somehow. I was lucky enough. My friends were very supportive and helped me a lot. We don’t have a culture of living alone when you are 18.

Probably no parent wants their child to go to work in another country. Four thousand kilometers away is not easy. My parents got used to the fact that I am always on the move. For example, in March when I was going to Finland as part of the project, I called my mother a week before. I told her “Mom, I have a flight at this time and I’ll call you once I arrive.” My parents have never prohibited anything for me. They know that I have my own life.

It did not really matter to me where I went. It was only important to experience living abroad. I made two good friends in Germany. I also met very good Georgian students with whom I’m going to continue my studies this year. Life for me is constant movement, change and adrenaline. I cannot really stay for too long at one job. I changed my job four times in four years. McDonalds is the fifth. 

However, people mainly choose this program to earn money and pay for their education. It’s obvious that in Georgia no one will pay you enough to live and travel, especially if you are working at McDonalds. Here, that is the bare minimum you can do with a minimum wage of 12.3 euros an hour.

The worst experience I remember happened about five days after I arrived. When we did not have too many orders in the kitchen, they chose me for some reason to clean the garbage bin in the yard which was very dirty. I had to clean it alone, without any help.

It was terribly humiliating. If you don’t understand the language and you cannot object to anything, no one will support you. In this case, I think that no matter how hard I try, I’ll still remain a foreigner, “an Auslander.”

Sometimes I get the feeling that I should not be here. When you try to get close to a person, you realize that they either protect their personal space too much or the opposite. Generally I am good at communication, small talk. It turned out that in Germany I only had formal communication. Based on my observations, people usually walk in the streets here as if they are living for themselves. This mood also influenced my personality.

Sopho
Almost every student is aware of three-month summer jobs in Germany. Last year my sister went there to work as a nurse’s assistant. I thought that speaking German was a must. A couple of months ago I heard from two of my friends that elementary English was enough, so I applied. My main goal was to earn money. I've already finished my bachelor’s degree and I’m eager to get a master’s degree in Europe.

What you earn at McDonalds in three months in Germany you cannot save over a year in Georgia. To compare, it’s better to work in Germany for minimum wage than to work in a higher position in Georgia. Especially if you are planning to save money. My friends, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in digital media and communication, now have good jobs in Georgia but still earn less than me.

The reason why I decided to work in Germany was to get away from the situation in my country. At some point you understand that you are very tired. Participating in protests and demonstrations your whole life is exhausting. Georgia cannot overcome totalitarian pressure. The art industry is a good example of that in Georgia.

I do love my country, my family and friends live there. I love Georgian art: cinema, music, and painting. But I feel more secure in Germany. I feel safe here. A year ago as an exchange student I studied in France. I had exactly the same feeling there. My monthly scholarship was 800 euros. I paid 400 euros for the apartment, but with the remaining 400 euros I felt much more secure than in Georgia. Financial independence is very important.

Working at McDonalds was an interesting experience for me because people and their stories are always inspiring. Especially getting to know people from different cultures and traditions.

My colleague from Syria told me that she fled the war. She was afraid she would be killed there. An Albanian colleague told me that Germany needed inexperienced workers from developing countries. By the way, this girl had a master's degree. She was a teacher. My Moroccan coworker told me that he was eager to escape from cultural and religious constraints. I realized that not only Georgians are running away. 

At first my mother told me to find a good job and build a career in Georgia. My father also told me that working abroad wasn’t a good option and I would not be able to save money. However, neither of them protested. They were supportive when I went to France as well. Compared to previous years, parents’ attitude towards their children going abroad is changing and it seems to be becoming more natural. Some of the students who came here are from Kutaisi, some from Zugdidi, some from Guria. Some might think that parents’ attitude is changing only in the capital, but that’s not true. The reality is that it is happening in the whole country.

Vazha
All positions are equal here. In Georgia, managers are reluctant to clean a garbage bin and usually delegate everything to others. Here, however, everyone serves a common goal.

Recently one female employee told me that in Germany, working for McDonalds was a bit demeaning. They think that you don’t have any other skills and it’s the only option for you. Therefore, if I go on a date, I usually make up another job.

If a student decides to live independently in Georgia, they cannot manage it so easily. In Germany, the rent for a good apartment is 500 euros and your monthly salary is at least 1500 euros. While in Georgia, your salary is 500 GEL and the rent is twice more. Food and bills are also very expensive.

The main purpose of coming here was to get away from my family because we are very attached to each other. Someone might be surprised but before arriving here, I had not spent more than 10 days without them. That's why working in Germany was a valuable experience for me to get used to being without them.

I received a message from the landlord informing me of a water problem in our apartment and suggesting that we move to another place for a week. We agreed. However, when the week passed, she abruptly changed her mind, stating, "You can rent a new house if you don't like the conditions." It appeared she had misled us. 
Consequently, we are in a building that bears no resemblance to a typical German apartment. It has a Soviet aesthetic and sometimes makes me a little depressed.