Dreaming of caring for others
In December, the residents of care home De Ceder met M’mah Keita. As part of her Dutch + Care training, she completed a one week internship there. But for M’mah, it was more than a school assignment. It was a first glimpse of her future.
“When I was a child, I wanted to become a doctor. Caring for people is my passion,” she says.
Two years ago, Beersel became her new home. “It is a beautiful place,” she says. She speaks French, Susu, one of the six national languages in Guinea, and recently also Dutch. She prefers to have this conversation in Dutch. Sometimes she searches for the right word, but she knows: “This is good practice for me.”
A diploma in care and fluent Dutch
In September, she started a programme at Crescendo CVO where she learns Dutch for a job in the care sector. After two years, she will have a diploma as a care assistant and speak Dutch fluently.
“The teachers take into account that you are still learning Dutch and they take the time to explain everything clearly. You also immediately work in real situations, and that suits me. During our internship, we were already allowed to carry out small care tasks,” M’mah explains.
“I was there with another student and our internship supervisor regularly checked if everything was going well. What I enjoyed most were the conversations with the residents. I can really see myself working in a care home like De Ceder in the future.”