When I speak to Samina, the first thing that strikes me is her strength and her softness. A combination that impresses me. “I approach everyone with respect and am a very open person by nature. When you open up your world, everything becomes more beautiful.”

Please note: this article was translated using a translator app

Colleague Samina is originally from Pakistan. There she could not be herself – not because she is a woman, nor because she is a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, a minority. She fled to the Netherlands four years ago and has now completely settled in here. “I have almost become Dutch in the meantime, haha! I even make arrangements to Skype with my parents. They had to get used to that, because in Pakistan you are never tied to a time. But otherwise it no longer fits into our schedule at home!”

About (volunteer) work

 Samina gets a lot of satisfaction from her work and volunteer work. “I was not familiar with volunteer work at all from Pakistan, but I really discovered it here. I think it is so beautiful and valuable to be able to give something back to society in this way.” On the other hand, finding a job in the Netherlands was more difficult than she had previously thought. “Having a network is so important! I actually didn't know that. But that turns out to be very useful. And I also feel the freedom in that: you can go anywhere, you can network with whoever you want, and you can always ask for help. In Pakistan there were so many rules – here I feel free.”

 “As soon as I was allowed to work, I did so. But, nothing was easy because I had to start everything from scratch. I thought it was very important to work; to practice Dutch. From selling ice creams to providing soft skills training. Through my work I have also met many different people, from many different cultures. That made it all extra interesting. It took a long time before I was even allowed to work. The government should really do something about this.”

Do not judge too quickly

 Precisely because Samina approaches everything with an open mind, she sometimes finds it extra difficult when people judge her without knowing her background. She calls on everyone not to be so quick to judge and to be respectful. “I have also had comments about something I bought - I find that so annoying! It also brings up the past; I thought that in the Netherlands I would be free to do everything the way I wanted to do it. It's not nice that I sometimes feel watched or judged.”

Look at the person, not the CV

 She also has an appeal for employers: “I want to say to employers: Give status holders a chance. They're just professionals who happen to be born somewhere else. They offer much more than their resume shows. And the sword cuts both ways: your current employees also learn from other cultures. Are you in doubt? Then start with an internship so that you can get to know each other and see if there is a match.”

Dreams and goals

 Samina is happy in the Netherlands and is happy that she can dream and set goals again. “I have become a direct and goal-oriented person in the Netherlands. I am very happy with the Refugee Talent Hub and would like to develop further. In addition to my work, I study Social Work; I successfully completed my first year. When I graduate, I would like to work full-time and help refugees in my work. And further? I love dancing and would love to learn hip hop and modern dance! Oh and the French language. And sing!” Our colleague clearly has no lack of ambition; thanks for your inspiration, Samina!

Spotlights

 Samina was recently in the spotlight when the book Who we are , in which she shared her story, was released. The book portrays 25 powerful women with a refugee background. They are all impressive stories. Curious? You can order the book from Kyosei Publishers .