Mr. Sultani fled his native Afghanistan under dramatic circumstances, escaping the advancing Taliban. He arrived in the Czech Republic as a holder of international protection. Finding his way around a new and complex system, looking for a job, and understanding everyday life was not easy. It was at that time that he joined our Nový domov (New Home) project, which helped him organize information and take his first steps in a new reality. Today, he runs his own bistro in Prague’s Vršovice district. And every day, he serves food that connects Afghanistan with his new home.

Viktoriia came to Prague with her son in response to growing tensions in the Donetsk region six years ago. Recalling her first weeks in Czechia, she says she felt lost. She talks about the difficulties of finding work and her conflicting feelings about her new environment. Among other things, the Slovo 21 project Your New Home, which offers a helping hand to holders of international protection, helped her find her bearings. Today, Viktoriia passes on her experiences of migration and finding peace far from home at the InBáze organization. She helps people in the same situation she found herself in six years ago.

The elections in Belarus in 2020 lead to electing of authoritative presidential character of Alexander Lukashenko. The situation got complicated for many people who commenced to appear in the atmosphere of uncertainty or danger. The journey of young Gleb to the Czech Republic was a long one. He embraced the unfavourable destiny with his optimism which helped him to handle complications. He came into contact with Slovo 21 thanks to Your New Home Project which helps holders of international protection to familiarize themselves in a new country.

The first two integration seminars were held within the “Your New Home in the Czech Republic” Project. The first seminar was arranged for Russian speaking holders of international protection and the second one was held for Chinese speaking holders. The seminars are designed to provide better understanding of basic rights and obligations of this specific group in the Czech Republic. This is how the seminars offer a helping hand to those who are often left alone without necessary information.

We provided support to holders of international protection between 2018 and 2021 under the New Home in the Czech Republic project implemented by Slovo 21 and funded by the Czech Ministry of the Interior through the Asylum and Migration Fund (AMIF). During these three years, we laid the foundations of everything we are building on today. We produced a wonderfully clear and reader-friendly brochure and organized 14 integration-oriented seminars. The seminars took place during the COVID pandemic, which made things very complicated for us and taught us how to work online. So, what benefits did the first stage of the project deliver?