Today, we – Tony (Bulgaria), Francesca (Italy) and Aleksandra (Poland) – interviewed Katarzyna Sawicesa – a Polish woman who came to Brussels when she was 20 and is still living there. She took a chance in 1990s and has come to Belgium as a tourist for three months. Then, she decided to stay in Brussels and was working illegally looking forward to a better tomorrow.
The beginnings of her stay in the capital of Belgium were inherently connected with a fear of being misunderstood and rejected. Fortunately, she met people who helped her in the process of adaptation. Katarzyna claims that due to her European roots, the differences weren’t so remarkable. Now, she has a family in Brussels and speaks French and Dutch fluently so she recognize Belgium as her own country. However, she still has contact with her Polish friends and, of course, the family too. Furthermore, she is planning to return to her native country after retirement.
We were impressed since Katarzyna is well-integrated with Belgian society. She seems to have a sense of accomplishment. She said: ‘I feel like living in a dream. All my current problems are becoming little when I compare them with the situations from the past’.