"I can hold a five minut conversation in Swedish now."
After Norran English’s first interview with Damilola Osoka in February this year, several people got in touch with her to offer help which lead to her being offered a job she had already applied for through the municipality.
– The government had this recruitment process to cushion the effect of the first round of Northvolt redundancies and I was part of the people who got employment, Damilola says.
Due to various issues with the resident and work permit she had to wait until April to start the job.
– I’m a communication officer at Skellefteå camping. It’s going well, I’m integrating into the culture. I am also studying at SFI. I’m catching up, I’m improving. I can hold a five minut conversation now, I just find it a bit difficult to hear when people are speaking.
Although she emphasises how grateful she is to have received the much-needed help, the attention also has a darker side.
– I'm not the type to cry out in the media as an immigrant. But when all shields were down and there was no other place to go, I had to run out and say: please help me.
– I cried when I saw the article. Because it's me just putting my business out there. But there was no other option. At the same time I'm also grateful that I got something, Damilola says.
When bigger national media outlets reached out to Damilola she declined as she does not want to expose herself and her family again.
"There's nothing that beats stability when you're an immigrant abroad"
– I've seen the comments. They are not always nice. It can be vile, it can be very vile.
While she is now improving her Swedish rapidly there is both internal and external pressure for it to progress even faster.
– I just feel that people feel if I've been here for five years, I should learn. I should speak the language fluently. Yeah, they’re not lying. And I mean, I'm really trying. I don't want to finish my nine months and not be able to communicate in Swedish. That’s my biggest fear. I don't want to be in that situation.
At the moment she has both a job and an apartment for the rest of this year. After that life is uncertain again.
– There's nothing that beats stability when you're an immigrant abroad. If you don't have that, you're still in a fight or survival mode. But I mean, we just have to keep trying. I’m not in any way down like I was then, in February. I’m grateful for everything. I'm grateful, that's all I can say.
Damilola Osoka is very grateful; "I just want to say thank you to everyone who has looked out for our wellbeing".
Damilola Osoka talks about how sad it feels to see the city changing and people disappearing. When she first came to Skellefteå in 2023 it was bustling with people everywhere.
– The buses sometimes were so full that you had to wait for the next one. These days you could see barely ten people on the bus. It's just crazy. I think things have gone back to how it was before Northvolt was here. Even though some people are still staying, but for how long? I really hope something comes up for Northvolt so that we can have this city back. It feels so sad.
Do you have any ideas about what could have been done better?
– It’s not my place to say, I’m no business woman. All I know is they gave us a life. Did they take back the life they gave us? Maybe yes.
She is still living in the same place while her neighbours are slowly disappearing.
– I got a notification yesterday for more than ten available apartments and I thought – God, there was a time when people were begging for somewhere to live. In my apartment building I’m the only one left on my floor and I’m surrounded by empty apartments.
When asked if she has any final words there is no hesitation.
– I just want to say thank you to everyone who has looked out for our well-being. Thank you.