One of our candidates from, among others, the AWS re/Start program, Hafswa Namutebi, was recently interviewed by Patricia van Schie from Shell.

Please note: this article was translated using a translator app

As a young mother, it is no longer safe for Hafswa Namutebi in Uganda. She has lived in the Netherlands since 2019 and feels completely at home in Zutphen. These years in the Netherlands have taught her where her passion lies. She left as a nurse, became interested in coding and cloud management. And is now preparing to study to become a social worker.

 “Like many other refugees, I first worked as a volunteer. I helped out in a nursing home for a few hours a day. So I learned the language little by little.” To find a paid position, Hafswa registers with Refugee Talent Hub.

 Hafswa is undergoing training at Amazon Web Services (AWS). “A very interesting time. In just a few months I learned so much about a new field: cloud computing. Yet my passion does not lie here.” She wants to return to her old work area. “I know what it's like to settle here as a refugee. That comes with ups and downs. After the summer of 2023, I will start a higher professional education and then I want to work as a social worker in a refugee center.”

 The Netherlands is her new home. At the birth of her second child - in the Netherlands - she meets a 60-year-old woman, who is now a dear friend. During the birth, this nurse speaks a few words of Ugandan to Hafswa. “This woman had worked in Uganda for a year and picked up the language there. Her words felt so familiar in that moment. I missed the support of my family, as a single mother. But through her I have now built up a whole network of friends.”

 She wants to be an example for other refugees. “After my studies, I want to emotionally support people who are new to the Netherlands and hopefully I can also be a role model for them. You can learn the language here, build a new life and start a career again.”