Joaquin (left): “I met Mohamed a few days ago. I educate refugees on Dutch culture. Instead of starting my previous class with all the do’s and don’ts of this country I asked everyone about their profession. I wanted to amplify the fact that everyone’s identity is much broader than being a refugee. When it was Mohamed’s turn he told us that he used to be a part of the National Syrian Gymnastic team. After the class I contacted one of my friend’s who owns a gym and told him about Mohamed. He immediately suggested Mohamed would come over and train at his club. Mohamed now has free access to his gym so he can stay in shape. I hope one day Mohamed will be part of the Dutch national team.”

“In Syria I was part of the national gymnastic team. I competed in many international tournaments. When the war broke out I had to join the army. Because I was an athlete I could postpone my service several times. I kept having faith that the war would end within a year. Despite of the unbearable situation I kept on training. Our team kept getting smaller because most guys had to go to the army. About a year ago it was just me and another athlete left, I realized it was time.. I postponed my service once more and I left..”

“Not having kids is probably the best decision I have ever made. It’s just not for me. Don’t get me wrong though, I love kids. I’m probably the coolest auntie in town.”

“My mother had a drinking problem so my siblings who lived wit her had a much harder life. I lived with my dad but it was difficult to see them being neglected like that. For a long time I was very mad at her. I felt as if she hadn’t been there for us. Despite of everything that happened I have a lot of love and respect for her, I mean she is still my mum. She is only human and we all make mistakes. She managed to get sober and she even has a job.”
Part 2/2 of this story

“My parents divorced when I was only two years old. Until this day I have no idea why they broke up. We were a family with seven kids. When my parents split up we all got separated. Part of us went to live with our mum, and the other half with our dad. The separation damaged all of us and we had a lot of problems growing up. When puberty hit some of my brothers started using hard drugs. It was very difficult to see them go through addiction like that. I remember one time, a friend of mine was staying over and my brother came home at 6am. I’m not sure what kind of drugs he had been using but he was extremely aggressive. He got violent for no reason and I didn’t know what to do. Now when we talk about it, I can laugh because it’s in the past but back then, it was so fucking hard.”
Part ½ of this story.

“I went to a normal primary school so I was the only kid in a wheelchair. My parents thought it would be an easy way for me to integrate into society, instead I barely had any friends. I kept being that one guy in a wheelchair. Now I’m in a school that has a mixed program. Half of our school has a disability and the other half doesn’t. It’s so diverse that we barely notice our disabilities.”
“What is your relationship exactly?”
“We are classmates.. and friends who smoke together during lunch breaks.”