To mark World Refugee Day, Ilse Van Halst of the weekly Catholic magazine Kerk & Leven (in English Church & Life, now part of media group Otheo) interviewed Alexander Jesus Perez Izarra, a student of the Dutch Preparatory One-Year Programme, about his home country Venezuela, the language programme, and his religion.
'I won't pass up this opportunity'
Every year on 20 June, World Refugee Day, we mark the resilience and courage of those forced to flee home and country. Alexander Jesus Perez Izarra (22) from Venezuela is one of them. Two years ago, he applied for asylum in our country. Currently, he is following the Dutch Preparatory One-Year Programme at Linguapolis, the language institute of the University of Antwerp.
Ilse VAN HALST
For political, economic and gender reasons, it was no longer safe for Alexander in Venezuela. 'I studied tourism and human resources, but couldn’t finish my studies because of the persecutions and attacks. I was living in hiding at home. I no longer dared to go outside and then I became depressed. In the end, I saw no other way out but to flee,' Alexander Jesus Perez Izarra says. ‘I travelled for more than eight hours on a jam-packed bus to get to Colombia. From there, I flew first to Spain, then to Belgium.'
From the very start, the young man dreamed of coming to our country. 'Belgium seemed like the country that could offer me the most opportunities.' He landed in Brussels, where he applied for asylum. After two months, he was referred to the Asylum Seekers Reception Centre in Antwerp, and today, two years later, he is still waiting for his papers.
'I still struggle a lot,' he says quietly. 'In the beginning, I felt lost. The culture here is completely different and people speak three languages. I spoke English and Spanish, but found it hard to make myself understood.' He continued, 'I was brought up Catholic. In our country, a family is very tight-knit, and every week we go to mass, which is a warm and uniting moment. Here, I miss that. Young people don't go to church.'
Alexander is still staying at the Asylum Seekers Reception Centre today. And that too take its toll. 'We get food and shelter there, but I don’t have my own place. Studying there is difficult; you’re never alone. We get 9.5 euros a week pocket money, and almost all of that goes on my smartphone to keep in touch with my family. My uncles and aunts, my cousins, and the rest of the family live in different countries around the world. My parents fled to Peru with my twin sister.’
Qualification
Alexander Jesus tells his story in fluent Dutch. He learned the language over the past few months at Linguapolis, the language institute of the University of Antwerp. Every year, around 50 foreign-language students from about 30 countries start the Dutch Preparatory One-Year Programme. If they pass the final exam, they can start Dutch-language studies in higher education. For eight years, sponsorship for the Dutch Preparatory One-Year Programme has allowed Linguapolis to award scholarships to student refugees. Alexander is one of six young refugees selected for this year's scholarship programme.
'This is an opportunity I simply can’t pass up! I worked very hard over the past few months; just about all my free time went to my studies. We learn not only vocabulary and grammar, but also about Belgian history, politics, geography, etc. Soon the certificates will be handed out. Hopefully I passed...'
Studying not only gave the young man a goal, it also took him out of loneliness. 'The Dutch Preparatory One-Year Programme students are like my family. I’ve made a lot of friends there, from different countries and cultures. Everyone has different ideas and views the world from a different perspective, which is fascinating and enriching. We speak Dutch among ourselves. Thanks to them, I already feel a lot better. I also now know what I want to do in the future: I dream of studying Electrical Engineering ICT. I have a friend in the Ardennes; they speak French there, and I’ve already been learning some words. Yes, sometimes my head spins from all these different languages, but we can do it!'
Buddy
At the university, Alexander Jesus also has a language buddy, a Dutch-speaking student from another study programme who volunteers to be someone's buddy during the Dutch One-Year programme. 'Shana is my language buddy. It clicks really well between us. [He laughs.] We both love music and Taylor Swift. We talk a lot about that. This way I can practise my Dutch, and immediately I make a lot of Flemish friends through her.'
He concludes, ‘I’ve applied for asylum but am still in limbo over whether it will be granted. What if I can't stay here? I now have friends here! I’m learning Dutch here, I want to study here, get a degree and then find a job, building a new life. This way, I can give something back to this country that gave me a chance. That’s why I’m working hard now. But what if all that’s for nothing?, then I pray to God to give me the strength to keep going.'
