“This city has taught me more about my own identity,” says Saaiqa. She came to Rotterdam in 2017 to study for her bachelor’s degree at Erasmus University. “I first fell in love with the media and communication program and the university, but later also with the history of the city. When I googled it, I saw that Rotterdam rebuilt itself three days after it was bombed. The slogan ‘Make it happen’ really appealed to me. The icing on the cake was Feyenoord. I discovered that their club song was ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, just like my favorite soccer team Liverpool. So I thought: that’s a sign!”
The first thing she noticed when she arrived in Rotterdam was the bicycles. “I think it’s cool that a city can be so accessible to different kinds of people.” She was also surprised by all the cultures and nationalities. “That was special to me. But my life has really improved because I am surrounded by all kinds of people. I have also learned more about myself and my identity. For example, I saw other people who looked like me but did not seem to come from Tanzania. That’s how I learned that people from India ended up in Suriname and that it was a Dutch colony. I was shocked that I didn’t know anything about that before.”
She quickly felt at home in the city. “When I visit other cities, I stand out more; I look like a foreigner or a tourist. In Rotterdam, I really feel like a Rotterdammer. I’m proud of that. That has to do with inclusivity, an open mindset, and the easy-going vibe. That fits much better with the culture of my hometown. Here, I can just meet a photographer and participate in your project. I think that energy is truly Rotterdam.”
Being a woman and communities
Saaiqa experiences Rotterdam differently from her hometown when it comes to being a woman. Yet she has also found her place in that regard. “As a woman, I feel safe. I also feel safe in Tanzania, but there are different expectations about being a woman there; about what you wear and how you present yourself. Here, it’s not even a question of whether you’re a man or a woman. I like that.”
People in Rotterdam also interact with each other differently than people in Tanzania. “My culture is based on communities. Rotterdam on individualism. So it took more time to build relationships and find a community here, but I succeeded.” She became part of an association at her university for African students. Even now, Saaiqa still has friends from that association. “It makes sense that I was able to connect more with international people; they also came here alone from another country, so we have the same experiences. And we realize that community is important. So we spend more time with each other. And these communities make me feel part of the city, feel at home, and want to stay here.”
Persian and Chinese New Year
In recent years, she has also been drawn back to traditions she shared with her family in Tanzania. “My family is part of a religious group that celebrates Newruz, the Persian New Year. For the past three years, I have also been celebrating it here on March 21. I gather my friends and we paint magnets in the shape of eggs, which is a lot of fun. Now I have all those magnets on my refrigerator. It reminds me of my life in Tanzania.”
But that’s not the only cultural festival she celebrates. “Two weeks ago, I celebrated Chinese New Year because Rotterdam has a large Chinese community. There’s always something going on here for other groups that you can be part of. That’s what Rotterdam is all about, isn’t it?”