Vanessa and Nataliia: a top-notch team
“We have a real yes-colleague!”
In the impressive column hall of Mechelen City Hall, Nataliia Kovtunenko and Vanessa Christiaens welcome us. They work together in the Room Management Team.
“Basically, we’re the coffee ladies of City Hall,” laughs Vanessa. “We make sure all meeting rooms are perfectly prepared, with coffee and drinks. In the evenings and on weekends, we help during receptions, weddings, and official events.”
Nataliia comes from Ukraine and has lived in Belgium for three years with her husband and two young children. She’s been studying Dutch for two years and working with Vanessa for one.
“We’re really happy with our new colleague,” says Vanessa. “Nataliia is always positive – a real yes-colleague.”
A warm welcome in Mechelen
If you’ve attended a wedding, reception, or opening in Mechelen, you may have met Nataliia. She greets visitors with a smile and knows Huis van de Mechelaar inside out.
At work, she speaks Dutch all day and takes classes two evenings a week.
“I can already read and write fluently, and I just try to keep speaking, even if it goes a bit slower sometimes,” says Nataliia. “All my colleagues support and help me — both with the language and with the work.”
In Ukraine, she studied history and worked as an archivist. Here, thanks to 12Work and Duo for a Job, she quickly found employment. “I registered on 12Work, applied for several jobs and was invited for an interview at the City of Mechelen. That’s how I joined the Room Management Team and became Vanessa’s colleague.”
The job requires flexibility, often in the evenings or weekends. But Nataliia is always willing to help out. “Tonight I’m assisting at the opening of a new street,” she says cheerfully.
“Nataliia never complains and always stays positive,” adds Vanessa. “When we grumble about small things, she reminds us: ‘We are safe here.’ It puts everything in perspective.”