NEW FACES OF SLOVENIA
Read Jozef’s story.
Who am I?
I am a 24-year-old American of Slovenian descent from Boca Raton, Florida, USA. I lived here between 2017 and 2019 to learn Slovenian and connect with my family. Then I returned to the USA to study. I became a certified aircraft mechanic.
Coming to Slovenia
Basically, I felt that I had to leave. The American materialistic way of life didn’t suit me. Although there is less ‘money and opportunity’ in Slovenia, there are many things that money cannot buy: fresh air, healthy food, clean water, health, friends, love, and peace of mind. It seems to me that there are more opportunities to make lifelong friendships, as I feel I fit in better here.
I became a certified aircraft mechanic and earned enough, but the American materialistic way of life did not suit me.
Challenges of living in Slovenia
I had to overcome many fears and mental barriers to even get here. Next year, I plan to study forestry. Making friendships and connections was harder with just English (especially outside of Ljubljana). Currently, the biggest obstacle for me is finding affordable housing in Ljubljana.
Systemic housing problem
In general, the housing market in Ljubljana is favorable to landlords. It is even worse for foreigners now. There is a normal rental price for Slovenians, and then a different price for foreigners. If you don’t look or speak Slovenian… well – I wish you good luck. There have already been many cases where landlords rented out properties to foreigners that were completely inappropriate and damaged.I basically understand both sides
Perhaps the solution for everyone lies in landlords getting some rights to check tenants and references where tenants can prove themselves. The Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia (and other organizations) could engage more in this matter. We can also resolve this through awareness. Of course, it takes some time, but we need to teach the younger generation in Slovenia to judge people based on their character and not on their gender, race, or other circumstances.
We fight against stereotypes, discrimination, and prejudice. It is important that we stand together for social justice, equal treatment, and opportunities for all members of our society. Let us be tolerant, kind, and open to new faces, new acquaintances, and opportunities for people to positively surprise us as excellent employees, talented individuals, or simply loyal friends. Although different, we are all equal.
Let’s fight the stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination. Every individual deserves the opportunity to participate in society on an equal footing. Let’s stand together for a more inclusive and equitable future.
“The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the EACEA can be held responsible for them.”
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕 “𝑩𝑶𝑫𝑬/𝑩𝒓𝒆𝒛 𝑶𝒗𝒊𝒓 𝑫𝒐 𝑬𝒏𝒂𝒌𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒊” 𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭𝟒𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝒊𝒏 𝑺𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒂 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑵𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 – 𝒕𝒐 𝑱𝒖𝒏𝒆 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓.
You can read more about the BODE+ project HERE.
In cooperation with ADRA, the project is also on this page.
