Our next protagonist is a 28 year old activist and volunteer. He comes from Syria, which he left to escape military service in 2015. He says his home country for him was an incredible, beautiful, and welcoming place. Until war destroyed everything. He wishes his country the best and hopes it will recover.
He got to Spain with the first group of refugees ever to reach Berga. The team waiting for them was trained, but lacked experience, so the arrivals have been left alone in the new place. Asked about his journey, he mentions the situation of traveling women:
“I think that for unaccompanied women it is more difficult to undertake the journey [than for men]. Many people [during the journey] abuse them”
Our protagonist is a very social person. He’s in contact with his parents daily, and he takes part in initiatives that gather people who stand for the same cause.
He joined parties like Fallas and Patus, and as he speaks both Spanish and Catalan. He worked for the linguistic department of the Aquarius team. He was awarded a prize for his great and impactful work there, given to him by Pedro Sanchez himself.
Friendship is essential for him and he appreciated it greatly. This helped him a lot during the early days. The need for social contact was also his biggest issue after arriving in Spain. He missed having friends; it was difficult to integrate on his own. He wishes people were more welcoming and communicative.
“Looking for accommodation was incredibly difficult. If you are a stranger, people look at you differently” […] The job hunt is also complex. Now, I am looking for a job”
He wants to do formative studies to work in a reception center or a social assistance center:
“I try to understand the cultures of the people of the past”.
We wish our protagonist a lot of friends and a job that will fulfill him and allow him to achieve his full potential. He has come from so far to so close and we believe he has got a lot of experience and knowledge to share.
