Due to the political circumstances, Ali came to the Netherlands from Turkey with his family in 2019. A tough journey. He has now been working with great pleasure as a data analyst at Achmea for over six months. High time to catch up. “It is a wonderful feeling to be able to embrace life and the future again.”

Please note: this article was translated using a translator app

a new language

 Once in the Netherlands, Ali wanted to master the language as quickly as possible in order to build a new and independent life. “Unfortunately, this largely had to be done through self-study in the beginning. Then learning a new language is not easy,” Ali explains. “It did distract from the stress we felt in the AZC.” After ten months of studying the language, Ali obtained his B2 level at the VU in Amsterdam, and his NT2 diploma followed soon after.

 Yet Ali still experiences language as a partial barrier. “Although my Dutch is not bad, I still have difficulty with the fast pace. My colleagues speak very differently from my language coach. Following team meetings in particular was a real challenge in the beginning. There are so many concepts, terms and abbreviations that I still have to learn.”

Opportunities for IT talent

 Ali experienced how difficult it is to find a job if you don't have a network yet. “I therefore participated in various training courses and activities organized by Refugee Talent Hub. One of those activities was 'Opportunities for IT talent' at Achmea. And I've been working here ever since!” he says proudly. Ali feels very welcome at Achmea and in his team. “My colleagues really make me feel comfortable; it feels like a second home. They help me get to know the work culture and the activities. It gives me a lot of positive energy.”

 He has now obtained his Microsoft PowerBI Data Analyst Associate certificate and has a lot of ambition in the field of reports, dashboards and statistical analyses. When Ali talks about his work, you immediately feel his enthusiasm.

Pruned tree

 Back to Ali's journey from Turkey. After being exiled (to a city about 500 miles away), he was fired and his life was made more or less impossible. He came to the Netherlands because he was looking for a tolerant society, where human rights, freedom and security are important.

 Looking back, he says, “An exiled person is like a pruned tree: it cannot bear fruit for a while. But when the season comes, new branches begin to grow. The exiled ones grow even stronger, more challenging and more fertile in the new soil. For this you need soil, water, minerals, sun and air. As in this example, in my story the Netherlands has been the soil, Refugee Talent Hub the minerals and water, Achmea the sun, and freedom and diversity the air for me. With such a combination it is possible to look to the future with much more hope.”