Fitri Tiarma

My name is Fitri. I am 46 years old, born and raised in Sumatera, Indonesia. My life took an interesting turn last year, I married a Dutchman, and we decided to build a life in the Netherlands. Before moving here, I worked as a program manager for the United Nations and some international organisations, working on humanitarian response/ emergency response, climate change, and human security-related issues in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. I speak Bahasa Indonesia and English, and now I’m learning Dutch.

I have always had a passion for storytelling: listening to stories, and telling stories. Back in my childhood, I enjoyed listening to stories on the radio, or fairy tales my parents and grandparents read. Later on, I started storytelling to my siblings when I babysat them (giving a context: we didn't have a television until I was 10), so most of the entertainment came from spoken tales and radio broadcasts. Now that I am living in the NL, navigating the challenges of learning Dutch, adapting to the culture, making friends, and finding a job, I have discovered that storytelling is a powerful tool. Performing storytelling has helped me connect with people and find my way in this new country I now call home, without losing my sense of identity. In addition to storytelling, my other passions include theater play, dancing, scuba diving, and studying/practicing Vipassana meditation.