"I was born and raised in the Basque Country, in northern Spain. I came to Utrecht 3 years ago with my partner to study, and since then I've been involved in different cultural and political projects in Utrecht and Amsterdam. It's been beautiful to get to know De Voorkamer to sense the beautiful creative community in Utrecht. I love connecting through music, dance, and storytelling, and I sing in a choir where people from all over the world meet by singing in each other's mother tongues. With a background in Psychology and Politics, I view migration from these two lenses: migrating moves us deeply while also shaking up our position in the world. Migration is an experience that raises questions of belonging, violence, rootedness, privilege, and identity, and I'm so glad I can explore these with you through the stories of Lombok's neighbors." 

"I was born and raised in Egypt, where I studied biotechnology. About three years ago, I moved to Utrecht to start a PhD focusing on breast cancer. I have always been busy with volunteer work which first brought me to the Voorkamer as Arabic language coach and community dinner coordinator. My interest around topics around migration and cultural exchange further brought me to the Migrantour Utrecht. In my role as Intercultural Companion I seek dialogue with the participants, share my experience and knowledge in a meaningful way, and connect to lots of different people."