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A portrait of PENNY store manager Basel Alhasan
Starting from scratch
by Julia Robertz

Basel Alhasan came to Germany six years ago as a refugee from Syria. he started his apprenticeship at PENNY in 2018. Today, the 26-year-old is a store manager in Munich with a team of 13 employees.

one: How did you come to Germany?

Basel Alhasan : When war broke out in my home country of Syria, my family and I had to flee to Turkey. I met my wife there and we fled to Germany in 2016.

one: Starting from scratch in a completely foreign country was certainly not easy?

Basel Alhasan: It really wasn't easy at all. I had to start from scratch because I didn't know any German at first.

one: How did you end up at PENNY?

Basel Alhasan : First I did a week's work experience at the PENNY store. My district manager encouraged me to do an apprenticeship. Even though I was worried at the beginning that my German wouldn't be good enough, the week gave me courage and I'm glad that my colleagues at PENNY had so much faith in me and that I started my training as a retail sales assistant.

one: What were the biggest difficulties at the beginning?

Basel Alhasan: I found the beginning of the training programme a bit difficult. The lack of language skills was what I struggled with the most. Then there was the coronavirus pandemic, which made working in the market more difficult.

one: How did you overcome these hurdles?

Basel Alhasan: With the support of my wife, my family and my colleagues, I successfully completed my training and achieved my goal: I am now a store manager and have a great multicultural team that I get to work with every day. Two members of my team are also from Syria. I am proud of myself and grateful to all the people who have supported me along the way.

one: Have you already gained experience in retail in Syria?

Basel Alhasan: No, I went to school in Syria up to the 11th grade.

one: What do you particularly enjoy about your job at PENNY?

Basel Alhasan: The promotional business makes my job very varied. Every day is different and there's never a dull moment. I have a very nice boss and I really enjoy working with my colleagues.

one: What are your other goals?

Basel Alhasan: I would like to train as a retail specialist and one day become a district manager at PENNY.

Book tip
Manuel Gogos: "The memory of the migration society"

In his book "The Memory of the Migration Society", author Manuel Gogos tells the stories of people who came to Germany and had big plans. Until now, such stories have not featured in the German culture of remembrance. One of them is author and publisher Tayfun Demir, who talks in the book about the founding phase of the association DOMiD (Documentation Centre and Museum on Migration in Germany).

DOMiD wants to bring the idea that Germany is a country of immigration to life in the "Heimatmuseum der globalisierten Welt", which is due to open in Cologne-Kalk in 2027, and Manuel Gogo's book provides insights into the project. Visitors to the Museum Ludwig were also able to see the latter in an exhibition last year, as it will still be a few years before the House of Immigration History opens.

If you are interested in the DOMiD association and its project, we recommend the book "Das Gedächtnis der Migrationsgesellschaft". It can be downloaded free of charge as an e-book from DOMiD e.V.. It can also be ordered as a hardcover from the publisher.

 

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