Early in the process of the Niemanders recording in asylum centers, journalist Christianne Alvarado came along. Searching for stories for the second season of t...
Early in the process of the Niemanders recording in asylum centers, journalist Christianne Alvarado came along. Searching for stories for the second season of the Niemanders podcast. With her microphone, she visited classrooms, emergency camps and homes, interviewing residents who were willing to tell their story.
This is Season 2 episode 6: NAJI XYZ- De Survivor
NAJI, whose name means "survivor," vividly remembers his first day in an asylum seekers' center (AZC). Around him, people were barbecuing and lounging in the sun. "What are you doing?" he thought. "Don't you have anything better to do?" Soon, he realized that his own long wait had also begun.
In his search for inner peace and faith, he faced a nervous breakdown, yet his Sturm und Drang to make the world a better place remained strong. However, he first needed to find stability within himself before he could mean something to others. As an Arabic-English translator, he was tasked with helping people in the AZC translate their official documents. But he constantly felt a nagging sense that he wasn’t truly able to help them: “I can translate, but mostly I cannot help them.” Every day, he repeated the same words: “You have to wait... you have to wait... I have to wait...”
All these stories, full of worries and problems, weighed him down. He struggled with stress, sleepless nights, and heavy-hearted days, improvising his way through the obstacle course of his new life.
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28:33
S2E5: Nina
Early in the process of the Niemanders recording in asylum centers, journalist Christianne Alvarado came along. Searching for stories for the second season of the Niemanders podcast. With her microphone, she visited classrooms, emergency camps and homes, interviewing residents who were willing to tell their story.
This is Season 2 episode 5: Nina
Nina, an Iranian woman, currently lives in a Dutch hotel that is partially used as an asylum seeker center (AZC). It’s an ironic situation: a hotel evokes images of luxury and comfort, but her reality is far less rosy. Yet, many people see it differently—just as some believe that life in prison is comfortable. The reality is often far from that.
During the conversation, Nina shares a piece of history about her homeland. She explains how Iran suffered a severe economic and cultural decline after the Ayatollahs took power. “For the religious leaders, it’s mainly about power and money, not so much about religion,” she says. Her words resonate, as this phenomenon—false prophets with false promises—is universal.
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26:33
S2E4: Ismaël Ip
Early in the process of the Niemanders recording in asylum centers, journalist Christianne Alvarado came along. Searching for stories for the second season of the Niemanders podcast. With her microphone, she visited classrooms, emergency camps and homes, interviewing residents who were willing to tell their story.
This is Season 2 episode 4: Ismaël Ip
Ismaël Ip, as his full stage name goes, is a man from Somalia who immediately leaves an impression upon first meeting. When I first heard him speak, I thought: this is an old soul.
He wants to be a guiding light for others, especially for young people. His wish is to inspire, to show that in life you must allow and accept many things, and that even the bad things eventually pass. He believes in patience, though he knows better than anyone how difficult that can sometimes be.
His calm way of speaking reminded me of George Harrison, the “quiet Beatle,” and his solo masterpiece All Things Must Pass. Ismaël carries a similar quiet wisdom, though he is anything but silent. He exudes a natural serenity, the kind you sometimes see in people like Nelson Mandela or Bob Marley. It’s as if his wisdom doesn’t come from clichés or superficial platitudes but from a deep, inexhaustible well of experience and insight.
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30:13
S2E3: Abdi
Early in the process of the Niemanders recording in asylum centers, journalist Christianne Alvarado came along. Searching for stories for the second season of the Niemanders podcast. With her microphone, she visited classrooms, emergency camps and homes, interviewing residents who were willing to tell their story.
This is Season 2 episode 3: Abdi
We first meet Abdi when he walks into the music room at the asylum seekers' center one day. His face, framed by a beautiful head of curls, reveals a deep sadness. It's as if a heavy cloud of worries hangs over him. Yet we feel an immediate connection with him. Abdi tells us that he has just received a negative decision. In a week's time, there will be one final interview. If that interview also has a negative outcome, he will have to leave.
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20:54
S2E2: Saba
Early in the process of the Niemanders recording in asylum centers, journalist Christianne Alvarado came along. Searching for stories for the second season of the Niemanders podcast. With her microphone, she visited classrooms, emergency camps and homes, interviewing residents who were willing to tell their story.
This is Season 2 episode 2: Saba
"Being a refugee is not a label; it’s a phase of life I am in."
Listen to Saba, a self-aware young woman who had to flee from a war-torn country. "I can’t live there anymore. Simple as that. But I am not pitiful, and certainly not an alien. We all live on this planet."
Early in the process of the Niemanders recording in asylum centers, journalist Christianne Alvarado came along. Searching for stories for the second season of the Niemanders podcast. With her microphone, she visited classrooms, emergency camps and homes, interviewing residents who were willing to tell their story.
Netherlands