Fatima Lamkharrat, community and social worker at Sonor, master student of media pedagogics
"I was born near the harbour city of Agadir, but when I was one year old I moved to Rotterdam,
another harbour city, through family reunification. That was in 1977. My father was here
already since the 60's. We lived in Bloklandstraat, next door from here. I have actually
done everything in this neighbourhood: elementary school, education, work; I live here, my
life is in and about het Oude Noorden. I owe a lot to my father. He looked after me getting
a good education, and he encouraged me to learn Arabic. Back then I found it terrible because
it was a lot of extra work. But now I find it good that I can read books in Arabic about religion,
and over the Middle East, which I often cannot find in Dutch. That has a link with my work: I wish
more youths could look up to their father as their role model, and that fathers would realise
that they are role models to their children. Many fathers do not know how they can play a role,
or they think that they have nothing to offer to their childen. But they can give a lot as
parents. I'm proud of my father.
Rotterdam, April MMVI,
lith print on transparent film.
(c) Samuli Schielke