Ndey Jobarteh

Entrepreneur, social leader, and expert in labour market integration and inclusion, working at the intersection of Europe and Africa.

After migrating from The Gambia, England  to Norway, she faced barriers to employment, limited professional networks, and experiences of discrimination. While balancing professional development with motherhood, she created her own opportunities, transforming rejection into strength and barriers into real opportunities for others.

As a Project Manager at Sammen om en jobb, she supports highly skilled migrants in accessing the labour market. As the Founder and CEO of Jobs Consulting Group, operating in Norway and The Gambia she works to bridge the gap between  jobseekers and employers.. With over 20 years of experience, she has collaborated with governments, UN agencies, civil society and the private sector actors across Africa and Europe.

She is also the Co. Founder and Chair of Gambia House, and serves as Board Member and Volunteer Executive Director of IAC Norway, where she supports women and children in strengthening inclusion, identity and belonging.

Ndey is the author of four books and is currently writing her fifth. Her leadership has been recognised, including Norway’s Top 10 Leadership Award by Leadership Foundation  and the Worldwide Heroes Award by Euronet Worldwide / RIA Financial Services.

Paulina Tarnowska (唐寶玲)

For years, she has worked at the intersection of culture, community, and the environment. Her journey began with climate anxiety, which she transformed into concrete action. In Taiwan, she built a community around refill culture and the circular economy: Sunmoon Refillery 山盟商行 and HighSeas Culture Market 海誓文化市集 — a multicultural festival combining diversity, inclusivity, and environmental values. After thirteen years, she returns to Poland, co-creating the Tovoda initiative promoting water consumption and reducing plastic.

Elif Yaskiran

Elif Yaskiran is originally from Turkey and has been living in Italy for almost 20 years. She grew up in a patriarchal family, experiencing difficult family relationships and abuse at the hands of her father. Upon arriving in her new country, one of the greatest challenges she faced was the language barrier and the need to find her place and a sense of belonging within her new community.

Along the way, she met a group of volunteers who offered her support and helped her through the difficult process of settling in. Thanks to their help, she regained a sense of security and stability, and over time she came to realise that, beyond personal goals and achievements, the greatest value lies in being able to support others. She believes that everyone needs someone who, in a difficult moment, will say: ‘Everything will be alright’.

Today, she is herself part of a community of volunteers and is committed to helping others. Her story shows that, through solidarity, kindness and mutual support, it is possible to overcome even the most difficult experiences. She believes that together we are stronger.

Volha Marozava

A leader, entrepreneur and advocate for women’s rights who has built her career from scratch in an international environment. She comes from north-eastern Ukraine and now lives and works in Italy. Her story spans her experience of migration and a life without stability, through her development in the worlds of fashion and education, to the creation of initiatives supporting women in crisis situations, such as the association Donne For Peace.

She is the founder of Giove Srl Creativa – a company that places people at the heart of everything it does, one that values craftsmanship whilst prioritising people, art and teamwork. Beauty that will save the world, peace born of love. Today, she works at the intersection of business and social engagement, believing that true change begins with empathy, courage and a willingness to take action.

Kateryna Kowalska

Migrating from Ukraine to Poland and the language barrier spurred her into action. Starting out in care work, she went on to hold a number of different jobs and, whilst finding her feet, gradually built her independence by learning the language and developing her skills. Over time, she set up a language school, supporting other migrants in overcoming similar challenges and building professional independence. Today, she is also involved in business incubators, helping others to develop their own initiatives.

Aneta Korpikiewicz

Her story is one of coming to terms with trauma and reclaiming her own voice. As an adult, she discovered that she had experienced gender-based violence during her childhood. This realisation marked the beginning of a process of deep self-reflection and coming to terms with a difficult truth. With the support of other women, she learnt to listen to herself, her emotions and her needs, embarking on a journey of healing and rebuilding her life on new foundations.

Today, she works to support women who have experienced violence, helping them to break the silence and regain a sense of agency. She speaks openly about her own experiences, bringing the issues of violence and recovery into the public sphere. She inspires other women to break the taboo and speak openly about their difficult experiences.

Aneta has been involved in the non-governmental organisation sector for many years. She has worked with organisations such as:  the Rural Youth Association, the Institute for Global Responsibility, the Society for Anti-Discrimination Education (TEA), the ‘Książka i Prasa Publishing Institute’ Foundation, the Stocznia Foundation, the Ashoka Foundation, the Huba Foundation, the Zagranica Group and the Akcja Demokracja Foundation. She has many years’ experience in coordinating, managing and handling the financial accounts of projects.

Nomin-Erdene Galindev

She is originally from Mongolia and came to Poland in 2001 on the Trans-Siberian Railway to spend her holidays with her mum. The trip was supposed to last a year, but life had a completely different plan in store for her. Her early days in Poland were full of challenges related to language and cultural barriers, feelings of loneliness, discrimination and exclusion. At the same time, she supported her mum emotionally and financially, learning to take on responsibility much earlier than most of her peers.

She has been working since the age of 16. For over a decade, she gained experience in the catering industry, working alongside people of different nationalities, cultures and backgrounds. These experiences led her to study psychology and enabled her to gain a better understanding of human nature and the impact of migration on our lives.

Motherhood proved to be a turning point for her, creating the space to pause and listen to herself. This is how ‘Skoshnaa’ came about – a project through which she creates podcasts and initiates conversations with people who have experienced migration. Combining her own experiences, her background in psychology and the need to build bridges between people and cultures, she explores migration through the prism of human emotions, sensitivity and strength.

Ludmiła Dymitrow

She was born and lived in Kazakhstan until the age of eighteen, in a Polish-Armenian family. She has been living in Poland for 26 years. She arrived here as a young girl shortly after her A-levels, with the dream of building a future for herself and gaining an education. She began her studies whilst, at the same time, learning to find her feet in this new stage of her life. Although Poland was not a completely foreign country to her, the process of adapting proved to be demanding – full of challenges, new experiences and the search for her own place in the world. This journey taught her independence, openness and perseverance.

She is a wife and mother of two children; she is a qualified teacher and social worker, and for over five years she has been providing professional support to people with a migration background who are building a new life in another country and need day-to-day support. Respect for others – regardless of their background or life circumstances – is one of the most important values that guide her in her personal and professional life.

She is also passionate about mushroom picking, and has passed on her love of nature to her children. In her spare time, she tends to her garden, restores wood and promotes the zero-waste philosophy in everyday life. She sews on a sewing machine and is constantly learning new things.

🌟 Meet our protagonists

As part of the project, an interactive e-book will be produced featuring the stories of inspiring women from different countries, cultures and backgrounds. These are stories of courage, resilience, overcoming challenges and shaping one's own path in a changing world.

Short bios of the protagonists are now available.

👉 Short bios of the protagonists are available here:
https://stellavirium.org/en/her-power-bohaterki

📖 The full publication, featuring the stories of all the women featured, will be available in August. We encourage you to follow the project and discover these extraordinary stories of women’s strength, solidarity and determination.