Authentic Fashion for Women with Real Stories
Photos by Lucille Pilot
She is calmly poised and proudly wearing one of UnikBlends earrings - I just love how this image of her is captured. A true heroine in every sense.
She allowed us to not only share this lovely photo of her but also her story of perseverance in a foreign land which she has come to embrace proudly.
Once a swimming companion (she has gone ahead to get an advanced swimming diploma, while I have stopped at the basics - lazy me!) and now a very great friend of mine!
Fariba is a solid and intelligent architect, who came to the Netherlands 7 years ago and had to restart all over in building her life.
She could not work immediately on her study visa and neither could she afford to study as a foreigner in her desired field due to the high study fees.
She decided to learn Dutch as she believed this would enable her secure a job, any job and she did. She started by giving private lessons in mathematics, computer programming and related subjects.
Then slowly, she gradually built a network and was offered small project as a designer and then through one of her connections, she secured a freelance job as a draftswoman in a big electronic company.
After gaining some experience, she found a job in Amsterdam, as a interior architect but unfortunately, the company went bankrupt and she had to go back job hunting.
Through her network which she had built in the past, Fariba did random projects in Amsterdam, including working on a restaurant project as an interior architect., as a tour guide and a translator.
Eventually, she got a part time job in a fashion company as stylist and also seller. Fariba, actually shared with me some of the tips she acquired from working here for me to consider in UnikBlends.
Though Fariba had a job with some form of stable income, her passion to work as an architect was what she desired most and did all she could to make this a reality.
She was eventually invited to work at a company in Brussels, after they saw her amazing work and knew she had serious potential. This meant a lot of sacrifice, including weekly travels, shuffling between The Hague and Brussels but she had to give this an opportunity. She worked at this Brussels company, giving it her all, until the strain and stress began to wear her out and she decided she had to come back to the Netherlands, mainly to be with her son, her only child.
Fariba did not stop at her quest to work as a professional. With her recent work experience and qualifications, acquired in between random jobs, she updated her CV and went back out to the job market.
On the 3rd of Feb, she came for my birthday party and got herself these stunning red UnikBlends earrings, which compliments her so well and then she smiled proudly saying "I got The job". Talk about determination!
Fariba has started working with a proper architectural company, much closer to home, close to her son, whom she loves dearly.
I am so happy and proud to know this woman, who never looked back but kept her chin up, folded her sleeves and did what had to be done.
Hope her story spurs you on, as it has for me to believe in what lies deep within in and just keep at it...eventually that door will be opened.
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