Meet Helen, our team coordinator in Rotterdam. As a little girl, she came with her family from Eritrea.
On the brink of 2019, she set up our location in Rotterdam. It was a hectic start with The Expedition, which travelled the country with the theatre show ‘Hoe ik talent voor het leven kreeg’. The first intakes were done and the first match was made. “The first match is always special. A motivated newbee who was eager to help out as a volunteer at The Expedition.”
Together with matcher Nagham, they started work in the ‘Rotterdam way’: less chatting, more working. Shoulder to shoulder and off they went. “Together as a team, we complement each other well. While Nagham has the experience of the IT system and matching, I am good at taking the first steps, reaching out to contacts and building a network.”
“From there you can start to take steps. Now that we know your story, what can the future hold for you? What are your skills, dreams and ambitions? I am happy that now at NewBees I can offer the guidance to refugees that I didn’t have.”
“A similar background creates a form of understanding and trust, which is particularly important for this group of people. They feel safe enough to share their story. They feel heard and are interested in your story. That creates a bond.”
Corona brought new challenges, but they managed this situation as well. They have already made 69 matches this year and are looking forward to making more matches that matter with employers.
