Normally, we mainly share photos of participants and volunteers during our activities, but Welkom in Utrecht is celebrating its 10th anniversary 🎉, so it’s high time we introduced ourselves!

Today, Team Pahud consists of (from left to right in the photo) Selamawit Damite, Iman Abrontan, Linda Muilwijk, and Diana Abou Moghdeb. All four are extremely enthusiastic about their work at Plan Einstein Pahud in Overvecht. Iman: “I feel at home here and have grown attached to both my colleagues and the residents. It is by far the most enjoyable and meaningful work I have ever done.” Diana: “It feels like Welkom in Utrecht is my family and Pahud is my home. We really work together.”

Selamawit and Diana are contact workers. Together, the women ensure that the living room at Plan Einstein Pahud has a pleasant, welcoming atmosphere. Selamawit’s husband came to the Netherlands as a refugee. A few years later, she and her children were able to join him from Ethiopia as part of a family reunification program. Diana, who is from Syria, also came to Utrecht with her children after her husband was granted a residence permit here.

Selamawit: “People who are new to the Netherlands tell us about their struggles. We can tell them from our own experience that things will get better. Personal contact is important in this regard. It creates a bit of a family feeling.“ People regularly play games or attend workshops, for example. Diana: ”People in the shelter spend a lot of time waiting, for an interview with the IND, for papers. They all have concerns. That’s why distraction is important; it’s really necessary to keep believing in the future.”

Because of the welcoming atmosphere, local residents and other Utrecht residents can often be found in the living room. Selamawit and Diana really enjoy interacting with different people. Selamawit: “I learn a lot from it. About culture, food, and different languages. Also about people’s resilience.”

Linda and Iman (who came here as a three-year-old boy with his parents, who had to flee Iran) are program staff members. They organize the activities program and maintain contact with organizations, volunteers, and, of course, the residents of the shelter.

They too are deeply committed to the residents of the shelter. Linda: “I thought: I want to celebrate my birthday with you too, so I organized a party here with my friends. Many residents helped out. Paul was the DJ, for example, and Rachid made delicious desserts. It makes people happy to do something like that. These are bright spots in a time when everything else is at a standstill and there is little positive happening.“ Iman, who had also organized such a party himself, said: ”Everyone loved it. You really see a sense of togetherness among people here. We plant the seeds, and then it grows on its own.”