A first-person account from off the beaten track, as told to Anne Ford.
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“Quite a number of our staff members are former refugees. We are an oasis for our newcomers. For a lot of people, this is the first time they are living in apartment buildings. So they may do things like sweep their apartment and sweep out in the hallway, because that’s how they swept everything out of their hut in the refugee camp.
“We teach them how to fill out job applications, how to do interviews. In a lot of countries you get jobs because somebody you know works at a place, and they say, ‘My cousin is looking for a job,’ and they say, ‘OK, bring him with you tomorrow morning.’ The concept of sitting in front of a stranger and complimenting yourself is new.
“Whenever I feel like I’m getting burned out, I just go to the airport and welcome a new refugee family. They bring such enthusiasm to their new communities. Many of them have been sitting for 20 years in refugee camps, waiting for this moment to start a new life in a peaceful and free society.”
