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“They are in Lithuania for the second year, 8 came from Kenya, one from Bangladesh. These are the employees of my sewing workshop in Kaunas. We came to Palanga with a company of seventeen people, we wanted to show them the sea and the Lithuanian beach for the first time We surrendered to the hands of the tour operator, we will spend three hours on the beach, here, some are swimming, others have gone for a walk on the beach “, my curiosity, like that of many blonde women who were on the beach in Palanga in At that time, I was satisfied.
At first, the reactions of those around him were offensive, then I started to ignore them, E.Činčikaitė said.
She is Edita Činčikaitė, director of the Tometa sewing house, which has been operating in Kaunas for several decades. At the beginning of the conversation, the woman answered the questions carefully. I soon understood why: Black workers, as Edita said, constantly attract unwanted attention from Lithuania, some of our compatriots still want to make fun of them, wondering how such people can be hired, supposedly from third countries.
“A co-worker’s neighbor did not understand how she could work with blacks, how she could supposedly hire them. Racism is still rampant in Lithuania. And when we were looking for local Kenyan workers for accommodation in Kaunas, everyone, hearing that tenants would be Africans, they refused. It was very difficult. I even accompanied them to the store, I showed them everything, I told them. After all, they left their country for the first time, leaving their families there, everything here is different. At first, those reactions Those around me were offended, then I started not paying attention to him at all, ”said E.Činčikaitė.
The woman is open, the times for sewing are not the best. A few years ago, he was even preparing to close hers.
“We sew uniforms, classics. If the director of clothing is going to iron, excuse me … I thought everything, I will close that Sharka office. No one wanted to work in a sewing shop, it was difficult to find Lithuanian employees. Why didn’t I close? Many people in Lithuania hire Ukrainians, we also had an employee, but it didn’t work, we were glad when they left. It wasn’t until one day that Chinese sewing equipment mechanics offered to hire people from Kenya. They have knowledge, practice, they worked in sewing and in their own country, they only earned around 120-160 dollars a month, here they earn more, here they are better.
We all live together, we provide housing. It would be difficult to rent it yourself. We have to help survive in Lithuania, because if we buy everything at market prices, we would not stretch. After all, sewing is an area where there are no miracles.
Anyway, we are happy: if there were no outside workers, there would be no sewing shop. Yes, Lithuanians can work more diligently, they have more intentions, maybe they need less to explain where to do things, they know how to get out of the frame themselves, it is a shame that the Lithuanian workforce is shrinking, but we are satisfied with what we have done ”, explained Edita. that no one in Kaunas, unless she knows of, has hired a group of employees from Africa.
At first, the director of Tometa feared the risks: He had heard many stories that it was important for third-country nationals to only reach Europe, that Lithuania was just a stopover, that they would speak up when they arrived, but this did not happen to workers. from Kenya.
“Do you know what’s going on at Visaginas? There are 120 people from Sri Lanka. In the spring, as far as I know, several people fled. They run together – to Italy, although they don’t have legal documents, for sure. Maybe they are cheating, not what I know. We have been a great help to our staff from Kenya. We brought in without intermediaries. The diplomatic service trusted us. We appreciate this because we know how difficult it is for the people of India, for example. We keep getting answers that falsify what. It is true that we have hired a person from Bangladesh. We were lucky with him, “said the interlocutor.
When asked how foreign mercenaries evaluate Lithuania, he recalled some of his first impressions.
“When they arrived, it was strange that the stores were so quiet, that there was no noise, that there were few people in the country.” Admire the space. He had been in his country for a month, stayed, returned, and said that it was already too hot in Kenya. He was also surprised that the police did not stop everywhere. There, you need to understand, it stops and stops, it clings to everything. It was very cold for them here and in winter, but behold, we wanted to see the sea. Production is now on vacation and sales are working, “laughed Edita, who currently manages several dozen employees, making foreigners account for half of them.
The woman admitted that before the foreign workers arrived on the landing, she studied English intensively for half a year, only to establish a connection.
When they arrived, it was strange that the stores were so quiet.
“But when they got there, they became bigger teachers. I taught more than I got in the lessons. The receptivity to language seemed to be greater during communication, “said E.Činčikaitė.
While we were talking to the head of the sewing shop, an African eight dared to take off his clothes and roar in the cold water of the Baltic Sea. One of them, Pauline, confirmed that she could only go into the sea for a short time, and the worst thing she remembers is the Lithuanian winter: it was very cold. The girl said that she was happy to work in Kaunas as it saves her money.
“I save for my business. I would like to take it. Perhaps even in Lithuania, why not? Pauline, a sewing worker, surprises me.
Lithuanian eating habits are also very different from those prevailing in Kenya. In Kaunas, Africans often try rice and chicken.
That day, the owners and employees of the Tometa sewing store also visited Klaipeda.
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