The cleaning lady

A trained office cleaner, she works at the administration building of the city of Duesseldorf. She starts work in the afternoon when many city employees are wrapping up their work for the day.

But her mornings are carefully planned: take the kids to school, do the shopping and cooking, tidy up. "Luckily, my kids are happy to help me when they come home from school. They help me a lot around the house," Suzan says.

When she was just two years old, Suzan Jusufi moved from Macedonia to Germany. Her parents were "guest workers" – the name for the first laborers who came to Germany from other European countries. "I can't remember the time before I came to Germany," she says. "I only know Macedonia as a vacation destination, because I used to spend my holidays there with my parents."

Dream job

As she gets ready for work, her eyes light up while she describes how much she loves her job. "Many people can't imagine having a career as a cleaner, but I don't see it like that. My job is a lot of fun," the 40-year-old says, adding: "Although I mostly work by myself, I have plenty of opportunities to chat with the nice people in the offices."

In the city of Duesseldorf's administration building, Jusufi carefully prepares her cleaning trolley in the supplies room, loading it with garbage bags, detergents and towels. "Preparation is very important. I can save myself a lot of time later if I'm not constantly running back to the supplies room to get something," she says.

First, she goes from office to office and gathers paper to be recycled. Everyone she meets offers a friendly greeting. They all know Suzan Jusufi. Her smiles and cheerfulness are contagious. She's responsible for four floors, and works according to an exact plan. "We don't vacuum in all the offices every day. There's a schedule of what's to be done in what office on each day of the week."

State and familiy support

Her husband is unemployed, she is the sole bread-winner. But the family of six can't exist on the 500 euros Jusufi brings home every month. That's why the family receives welfare. Money is tight – not a cent is wasted. "I'd very much like to work more; it doesn't bother me to clean for eight hours a day. It's not too much for me," she says. Jusufi's dream would be to have a full-time cleaning job.

Her family is an important source of support. They're careful to observe certain rituals. Every evening, for example, the family sits around the table and discusses the events of the day. Afterwards, they pray together. The Jusufis are Muslims, and wish there was greater tolerance between people of different faiths. "People should be more open, and try to get to know other religions. If they did, people would certainly understand and accept each other more," she says.

The proud cleaning lady practices what she preaches. Many of her friends in Duesseldorf are of different cultures – something Jusufi views as a great personal enrichment.

Author: Belma Fazlagic (dc)
Editor: Rina Goldenberg