New Faces – Real Story: “When I moved to Slovenia, finding a room/apartment was also a barrier. Because I did not speak Slovenian, I had difficulties communicating and in some cases, unfortunately, I also experienced discrimination based on where I was from.”
Ksenija from Belarus
Projekt BODE+ (#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 is different – by sharing real stories, we fight 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 Ksenija.
I am 33 years old and from Minsk, Belarus, where I lived until I was 18. I am a graduate engineer in international relations and European studies.
Between January-June 2010 I was an exchange student at the Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana. I am currently pursuing my Master’s degree in International Business at the Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana, and I work as the President of the Belarusian Diaspora in Slovenia, which I founded. Since 2016 I have been working as a product marketing specialist.
I speak Russian, Belarusian, English, Slovenian, Spanish, Polish, German, Ukrainian and Serbo-Croatian.
Since childhood, I have been very attentive to the environment and the surroundings in which I lived. I could not stop wondering why people whisper when they talk about politics; why they look worried and never know what will happen the next day; why moving abroad is like winning the lottery, while the good news about how prosperous and stable our country is is constantly shown on TV. These differences made me more and more aware of what was really happening in my own country.
The turning point for me was when I went to Austria before my final year and saw with my own eyes this great contrast and reality. I knew exactly then that I wanted to study abroad and, thanks to the help of my parents, I went to study International Relations in Warsaw, Poland.
I came to Slovenia in 2012 to study my Master’s degree, when the economic and political situation in Slovenia was very unfavourable. It was difficult to find a job for a Slovenian citizen and almost impossible for a foreigner.
When I moved to Slovenia, finding a room/apartment was also an obstacle. Because I did not speak Slovenian, I had difficulties communicating and in some cases, unfortunately, I also experienced discrimination based on where I was from.
I came to Slovenia on my own, with no knowledge of the language, no understanding of traditions and no cultural code, so at first I was very lonely. I found it difficult to build a social life, especially in smaller towns.
In a few years I managed to integrate into Slovenian society. I became a Slovenian citizen, created a social circle and also found a very fulfilling role as the President of the Belarusian Diaspora in Slovenia, where we organise social and cultural events to draw attention to the political situation in Belarus and to present our culture to the public. This helps me to stay connected to my homeland and my roots.
Thanks to the excellent geographical position and the rich nature of Slovenia, I can enjoy many sports here. I like running, hiking, cycling, skiing and swimming.
I think the biggest problem foreigners can face when they come to Slovenia is what they could do:
1️⃣ There should be English-speaking clerks at the administrative unit for foreigners who have just arrived or for foreigners who are only staying for a short time.
2️⃣ The Administrative Unit should have a list of organisations that help foreigners to integrate and get introductory information about Slovenia: where they can learn Slovenian, contacts for help, etc.
3️⃣ For foreign students coming to study in Slovenia: a community/organisation could be set up at the faculty for newcomers to join, where they can meet other foreign students, share their experiences and problems, meet and go on trips together, etc.
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕 “𝑩𝑶𝑫𝑬/𝑩𝒓𝒆𝒛 𝑶𝒗𝒊𝒓 𝑫𝒐 𝑬𝒏𝒂𝒌𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒊” 𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭𝟒𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝒊𝒏 𝑺𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒂 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑵𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 – 𝒕𝒐 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓.
