As an 11-year-old boy, Hamed arrived in the Netherlands with his mother. They had fled Afghanistan, but first ended up in countries other than our little country. Fortunately, they were able to travel the last bit by plane in 2011. Later, his father and brothers joined the family. But despite that, it really took some getting used to in the Netherlands. “Everything was different and new. I didn’t understand the language.” Moreover, he had no stable shelter. The family was put in an asylum seekers’ center for almost a year. “Then you sit there in a room that you have to share with everyone. And then you have to process everything you went through.”
Learning Dutch
Fortunately, he was allowed out of the asylum seekers’ center and into school. There he thoroughly enjoyed himself. “I wanted to learn the language as soon as possible so I was enthusiastic and therefore made a good start with Dutch. That ensured that I was allowed to start right away, without a switching class, at grade 7 or 8.”
Within a year, the family got a house in a village outside of Rotterdam. There he was one of the few villagers with a migration background. “That’s why it was new to the people around us. We invited our neighbors over for coffee and they were all nice. We still talk to the neighbors and sometimes they still visit us.” That’s also what he advises other newcomers. “You can make friends quickly here because people interact a lot. And by talking you learn the language faster. Don’t be afraid to talk, because you learn from mistakes. If you explain something in different words you can also convey what you want to say.”
To Rotterdam
Despite the nice neighbors, he traded the village for Rotterdam. “They lived in Rotterdam. That’s where my school was too. And family is very important to us. I went over very often even then; evenings and weekends.” Rotterdam was a big difference from the village where he had lived, though. “There, 40% were 60+. In Rotterdam you see various nationalities, which is really different. But nice. Because you hear stories from each other, why people do what they do.” There he also sees other Afghans. “At important events we go to the mosque with other Afghans. That way you still keep in touch with them.”
Passion for clothing
In Rotterdam, his brothers started a clothing repair store. “They got that passion from my father because he was also a garment maker. He also had in clothing workshop in Afghanistan. There he taught my brothers the tricks of the trade.” So it didn’t take long for this store to thrive. The brothers sold the business and the family started a larger studio called “Seamless. Meanwhile, this store has three branches in Rotterdam and is a regular partner of G-star. Hamed also already helps out in the business from time to time. He too has a passion for clothes: he even studied fashion, but had to quit after a car accident. Now he is studying Finance & Control. “I do want to do something in that business but not necessarily making clothes. More in the background to make the business bigger.” In addition to his studies, he coaches a soccer club in Barendrecht. “They are 15- and 16-year-old boys, around that age they don’t often listen. I try to connect with them by learning from each other.”