Meet Fatou, our Human Resources Lead

We sat down with Fatou to talk about the work she does at REFEO, the experiences that motivated her to join our team and why she is so passionate about supporting refugees and people seeking asylum.

I started working in human resources last year and I am now working in human resources at an international company. I address the needs of the European employees at my company as well as doing human resources at REFEO.

At REFEO, I work on policies and follow up with our volunteers to find out if they have any questions or concerns about their position or any of their tasks. I also help to recruit new volunteers for our growing team!

What motivates you with this work?

I like helping people and I was interested in the work after Mariam, the founder of REFEO, told me about it.

I do this work because I want to help people to access education and employment. I want to be able to speak with refugees more directly as my job does not always allow me to do this, and because I think it would be very valuable.

Additionally, I have refugees in my family, so the cause is personal to me. Refugees are people exactly like us, and should be able to access the same resources and services as everyone else. They have limited access in this country and I want to be able to help them do so.

Being able to help refugees and asylum seekers has been the most rewarding part by far. And seeing how we have helped each individual person has been valuable.

What is your favourite place in the world and why?

I have lived in a lot of different places like the UK, France, Dubai and now the Netherlands, but my favourite place is Dubai. It is a safe place to visit and live, and I love the weather. There are people from all over the world and I have met many people from different backgrounds and nationalities.

And finally, tell us what brings you joy at the moment?

Helping people makes me happy and makes me feel good. We all need to help each other in life.

If you are interested in volunteering with us or would like more information, please reach out.