Hey, I will be concise. I promise, as I know long posts are not a hip now?.
Originally, I am from Russia and I came to the NL with my husband just after I had graduated from Medical Biology faculty in Volgograd. My journey in country of cheese and tulips began in 2011 in Nijmegen where I took an intensive course ‘Nederlandse Taal, programme 2’. Then in 2012 we moved to Eindhoven where I continued integration and search for a job.
I was new in Eindhoven but my struggle for job was not new at all. I was trying all kind of approaches to acquire work in the NL and at the same time I was looking for a social life. So two things simultaneously. Not that bright smooth beginning, right?;)
While searching a job, I got in contact with Carola’s company via the City Hall’s project for women who were trying to find out their way, purpose in life, get support to start something new. At that time Carola was moving from her old office. She welcomed me and listened to my story. It was very warm welcome indeed and I decided to join in. All ladies who I met through this programme were young, energetic, curious and very different! Some were missing family and friends, some were enjoying new opportunity to rediscover themselves and start from a new page, leaving behind their previous life.
Nevertheless, Carola was a person who brought everyone together and offered a place and a chance to get in touch with each other, with Dutch culture, language and of course Eindhoven. But what is amazing for me about Carola and her approach is that she could not only remember all our ‘’exotic’’ names but easily become a trust person, the one who feels for you, who listens. I know for many of us she becomes a ‘’mom’’ and later a ‘’grandmom’’.
Get in Touch programme is about finding your own place, with new friends and new possibilities. I would like to thank Carola and all the people who stepped into my life via her programme and made it brighter and richer. So Get in Touch and Stay in touch!
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