What better way to learn about a new country than to delve into its past? At the Zaanstad Municipal Archives, seven newbees are doing just that.

Taha, a former tour guide in his native city of Aleppo, has found a new passion at a very unlikely place. “In Syria, I lived in a big city," he said. "There was little agriculture or gardens. I love to work outside in nature. In Syria [in the big cities], you can’t really work in nature. But here, it’s possible. I find working in the garden very beautiful.”

"We have to start from zero. And I think we have to be open for that, because here we can start from zero.”​ For as much as Shatha’s accomplished in her new community of Zaandam, it’s hard to believe she’s only lived there for a year.

Why sit on your sofa waiting for new opportunities to come to you when you can sit in the driver’s seat? That’s exactly what Esam is doing. The Damascus native chauffeured his own private bus in Syria for over 25 years — so when he was given the chance...

“I raised my hand and said, ‘I want to work.’" When Sheelan arrived in the Netherlands with her husband and small son in 2016, she had no idea what the future held. Now, as an assistant matcher for NewBees’ Amersfoort team, she’s helping other newcomers discover a new future of their own.

“It's beautiful work to help other people." Three years ago, Amsterdam’s De Waalse Kerk, a French church dating back to 1580, embarked on a new mission: expanding their operations outside of the religious sphere. They began using the beautiful, historic space for classical concerts, conferences, lectures and, most notably, French language classes from the French Language Institute.

“Working here has increased my self-confidence. I’ve become someone better.” In her home country of Syria, Bushra was studying to become a children’s teacher. But when given the chance to help a very different age group in her new hometown of Amersfoort, she jumped at the opportunity.

As a chicken farmer in his hometown of Idlib, Syria, Abdul handled over 10,000 chickens each day — and he loved his work. When war forced him to flee, he found a little slice of home in Zaandam’s Fronik Buurtboerderij.

“We are a guest here. We must respect the culture because, in our culture, if you are a guest in someone’s home, you respect everything.” In his three and a half years in the Netherlands, Syrian native Bakri has accomplished more than most do in a decade.

“I’ve always dreamed to be an activist. I want to be the voice of the voiceless — especially for women and children.” When Ninah moved from her home country of Uganda to the Netherlands in 2014 to pursue a better life, she saw volunteering as more than just a chance to build a network — it was a way to form authentic Dutch relationships and continue pursuing her goals of advocacy.

“What makes a photo great is the lighting. Dusk and dawn, these are the golden hours for photography.” Eyas prides himself in snapping the perfect photo. The 23-year-old Aleppo native aspires to be a professional photographer, so when he heard NewBees was looking for someone to create great images of other volunteers in action, he jumped at the opportunity.

When Bas and Judith decided to start their own foundation in Zaandam, they had one goal: to create a social and cultural meeting place in which people of all backgrounds can come and learn from each other. With a mission of “binding” people together through creativity and common interests, they decided to transform an old, abandoned building into a renovated meeting place for entrepreneurs and creatives to work, collaborate, or just have a cup of coffee. Thus, Stichting BIND was born.

Bashar is a handiman. Whether it’s carpentry, water piping or heating, Bashar thrives from creating new things and making old things better. So when he was seeking a volunteer opportunity in his new hometown of Zaandam, NewBees was able to find him the perfect match. Stichting BIND, a Zaandam-based organization, had a mission: to renovate an old building in Zaandam and completely transform it into a common space for artists and creative professionals to meet one another, socialize and collaborate.