“Mauritius is one of the most beautiful islands in the world. It is a paradise, but there is no work,” explains Sooroj. He was born and raised on the tourist island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. “I also studied there. But I couldn’t find work. It is just a small island so there are soon enough teachers, civil servants and so on. Then I tried my luck elsewhere.” First, Soorooj went to London. There he studied again, got his driving licence and found a job.
His sisters, however, threw a spanner in the works. They married Dutchmen and his mother wanted him to keep his sisters company. After all, Soorooj was already familiar with Europe. So he did.
Learning language through mistakes
Soorooj had to start all over again. “The Netherlands was a foreign country. I didn’t know the language and people. But I think if you come to another country, you should make an effort to fit in here. That’s why I learnt Dutch. But that wasn’t easy, Dutch is a difficult language. Fortunately, I discovered that the language has some French and English words. That made it easier.” Because Mauritius was colonised by the French and English, among others, Soorooj, like his fellow islanders, speaks partly French and English.
“But other than that, I really started learning the language as a baby. I learnt it through videos, subtitles and dictionaries.” He kept practising, even if he made mistakes. “If you make mistakes, that’s good because then you learn. So you shouldn’t be afraid of that. Don’t be afraid of the reaction either. Even if people say they don’t understand you. It’s normal to have an accent, I also have a French accent.” Fortunately, he was also able to practise with his brother-in-law and sister. “But well, they also had to work.”
Housing crisis
He had to live with his sister for the first four to five years because he had to wait for a house of his own. “The housing crisis is really a problem. Fortunately, I was able to live with my sister. But the children are growing, they also need a room. And those are so hard to find. Then I really can’t stand to see them demolishing hundreds of houses here in the Tweebos neighbourhood…”
Not alone
Still, besides learning the language, his sister fortunately had time to explore the city with him. Their first stop was the market on Afrikaanderplein. ‘There I saw that I was not alone,’ Soorooj says. “I saw more multicultural people and everyone was talking their own language, so I also heard French. I liked that, that made me feel good, like I had permission to stay here. I got motivation to continue learning the Dutch language and learning about life in the Netherlands. That got him far.
Working hard
When he got his residence permit and was allowed to attend Dutch lessons, he was able to enter level 2. He studied hard until he reached level 4 and took a test to be allowed to start at Albeda College. There he studied for administrative assistant and security guard. In the latter sector, he was able to work, but part-time. Besides, he has always done a lot of voluntary work. For instance, he works at SOL and maintains the community garden of the municipality. “If you want to achieve something, you have to do your best. And then you will always be helped in this city. “Rotterdam is there for everyone.”
One of 12
Now that he has achieved so much in the city, he doesn’t want to leave either. “Mauritius is still a paradise. It is now even more modern and beautiful than before. So I still go there from time to time, for instance I visited my three brothers last year. But I am no longer allowed to live there, because of a new law ten years ago. But that’s fine.” Soorooj is one of 12 people from Mauritius in Rotterdam. Most islanders go to France so they can speak French. But Soorooj is comfortable in Holland’s port city. “Rotterdam is now in my heart,” he says.