Mihai is from Cluj-Napoca, Romania. He is 36 years old. He has down syndrome and is working at a social coffee shop that employs people with and without disabilities. “I work at Cofeels, I make coffee for the customers of this café. I have been working here for a little over three years. At first,…
The indispensable link in Alexandru Bologa’s story is Tamas Gergely. The judocoach, born in Hungary but a citizen of Cluj-Napoca, is the first one to train a blind judoka. “I never really wanted to be a coach, until I saw the project”, describes Tommy – how everyone calls him – his passion. “The Romanian paralympic…
If you ask Ana to describe her character in three words, the first one that comes to mind is purposeful. An accurate characteristic for the young Ukrainian mother, who moved to Cluj only two years ago, but is working really hard on building a new life for herself and her family in Romania. “We’re starting…
Diane (36) came to Romania because of the love for her husband but it didn’t take long to fall in love with the country. The Burundian woman never had plans to have a mixed family or to live outside her native country. She found out that action always makes a difference and consistency is the…
Yevgeny is originally from Odessa, Ukraine. Two years ago, he came to Cluj-Napoca with his children. Ever since then, he gets help from World Vision, an organization that focuses on improving the lives of vulnerable people. Besides their help, he also feels very accepted by the people of Romania. ”From my point of view, the…
After Marvis (29) got his degree in accountancy, he wanted to discover new perspectives in life and learn about other cultures. This choice stemmed from some important life lessons he received from those close to him. “All my energy is channelled towards my academic life right now.” “A while ago I moved from Nigeria to…
O masa caldă warm meal for the vulnerable Muntean Ionuț is the executive manager for the project O Masă Caldă (“A Warm Meal”). Ionuț first started as a volunteer. O Masă Caldă project started in Cluj, and it has been operating since June 2013. They prepare food from Monday to Friday, including the holidays…
Mohamed Bellaaziz (37) has a heart for books and poetry, especially Arabic writers. When he is planting tomatoes in his garden and works with the soil with his hands, he feels at ease. He teaches social orientation and integration at Atlas, an organization where immigrants learn Dutch and find their place in Antwerp. “I feel…
Shadyaneh is helping newcomers with integration and inclusion as a counsellor at Atlas. The organization helped her with integration when she came from Iran to Antwerp 18 years ago. She left her home country and came to Belgium to experience freedom. “The first time when I rode a bike in Belgium and felt the wind…
“I am lucky to have been born in Belgium, but I was unlucky to have been born in the family that I had. My creativity was my survival in the past, and it became my power. I understand how something feels, by being that myself. People, wherever you are in this world or in whatever…
