Rodi (from Kurdish “sunrise”) is 28 years old and successfully manages two different professions: a social worker with refugee children and an expert with English and Arabic in the outsourcing company TELUS International. He comes from the Syrian city of Kamishli, near the border with Turkey and Iraq. In Europe he arrived with his brother, passed through Bulgaria and went to Germany. Rodi did not like the life in Germany and decided to return to Bulgaria. He has been here for four years, and he does not regret coming back as he feels free – he found work, friends, learned the language, travels and has a peaceful life.
He works as part of the Caritas Sofia team at the Refuge Center in Vrajdebna, where he helps children to paint, exercise and sing. Rodi studied Arabic literature and pedagogy, he speaks six languages – Kurdish, Arabic, Bulgarian, English, Turkish, German and he is studying Spanish and Japanese. He decided to help other refugees in their difficult times. Rodi himself has been in this situation and knows that it is not easy. He has been on the street without any help from anyone and he does not want other people to end up in such a situation.
The most difficult moment in his life was during the first four months in Bulgaria – alone, without knowing the language, no friends, no job and an uncertain future. The happiest moment came when he met new people and found true friends.