The BODE+ project (#BrezOvirDoEnakostiinpravic), implemented together with ADRA Slovenia and the Gmajna Cultural Association, is committed to empowering people with a migrant background in the field of advocacy, as they often do not have the right opportunity to present their side of the story. This time, however, it is different – by sharing real stories, we are fighting against the prejudice that migrants are not educated or trained enough to participate equally and qualitatively in the social progress of Slovenia.
This is the story of Miguel.
Miguel is 35 years old and was born on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. However, he was raised in the bustling city of New York, where he graduated from secondary school and began his education at a private university in New York, pursuing a degree in Digital Media Communications. During his time in New York, he also worked and managed an electronics store for a total of 15 years. Then he started as a regular employee and worked his way up to become an Area Manager overseeing multiple stores throughout New York City. Additionally, he managed a coffee shop as a Barista trainer, which required him to obtain a food safety and handling license, as well as a driver’s license. Thanks to his ability to adapt and acquire knowledge from daily experiences, he maintained a comfortable life.
While life in New York was full of experiences, several reasons prompted him to leave the Big Apple. First, he met a Slovenian partner with whom he had been in a long-distance relationship for about 2 years before deciding to take their relationship to the next level. When they decided to be together, they determined that it would be best for him to move to Slovenia. Despite earning a good salary in America, he struggled with healthcare costs. As a diabetic, his medications were not covered by his insurance policy due to making slightly above the poverty line cap. The total cost of two different types of insulin he required (slow-acting and fast-acting insulin) amounted to as much as $900 per month, making it challenging to afford alongside rent and other expenses in one of the most expensive cities in the world. Additionally, he realized that his quality of life was suffering due to the long hours and weeks he was working, leaving him with no time to enjoy anything.
Integration poses a significant challenge for many foreigners and migrants. Upon being identified as a foreigner, Slovenians may treat you with indifference. He recalls instances where he paid more for vegetables at Tržnica due to being foreign, as well as being overcharged for taxi rides because of his lack of language skills. He has also been denied job positions that he was fully qualified for, solely because he didn’t speak Slovenian. Regardless of his attendance in Slovenian language courses, he observed these positions being filled by individuals who also did not speak the language but happened to be female. There were many times that he did not get offered an apartment because they didn’t want to rent to a foreigner.
He takes great pride in his work ethic, a quality that cannot be taught but is developed through experience. He is grateful to have a fulfilling job that allows him to apply his skills and experiences from his background in digital media communications, retail, and customer service. He believes that he brings a unique perspective to his workplace, contributing skills and insights that enrich the team.
He sees the biggest challenge for foreigners in Slovenia as the lack of resources for learning the Slovenian language. While the government provides 160 hours of language instruction, these resources are not equally available or catered to individuals with varying language backgrounds as well as they may require a significant sum of money. This can be challenging for foreigners trying to settle in and dealing with high living costs in Ljubljana for example. Additionally, misinformation from government offices can be a significant obstacle, leading to wasted time and energy. Improving access to language resources and ensuring accurate information is crucial for foreigners looking to settle and integrate successfully in Slovenia.
We fight stereotypes, discrimination, and prejudice. It is important to stand together for social justice, equal treatment, and opportunities for all members of our society. Let’s be tolerant, friendly, and open to new faces, new acquaintances, and opportunities for people to surprise us positively as great employees, talented individuals, or just loyal friends. Although different, we are all equal.
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕 “𝑩𝑶𝑫𝑬/𝑩𝒓𝒆𝒛 𝑶𝒗𝒊𝒓 𝑫𝒐 𝑬𝒏𝒂𝒌𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒊” 𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭𝟒𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝒊𝒏 𝑺𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒂 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑵𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 – 𝒕𝒐 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓.
Project BODE+
