Lithuanian born and bred Vitalija Ripkauskaite moved to the Netherlands 10 years ago. After a period doing production work with mangoes and avocados, she has been working as a cutter and portioner at veal producer T. Boer & zn for four years. The Rotterdam resident is having a great time here.

We work in an international team and that is precisely what makes my job so much fun. I enjoy helping other people. It makes my work feel complete.

VITALIJA RIPKAUSKAITE

"I had to get used to working with meat, but I soon became comfortable with that," says Vitalija. "It is, of course, a very different product from the fruit I first worked with, but the work itself is not really that different. I find it interesting to work with machines and want to learn all about that. In any case, I like to keep learning; my team leader knows that and helps me with that."

Vitalija has a flair for languages that comes in handy in her work. "We work in an international team and that is precisely what makes my job so much fun. Because I speak Polish, Russian and English in addition to Lithuanian, I can explain things in many languages. In this way, I can help new colleagues from countries like Latvia or Ukraine get off to a good start. I enjoy helping other people. It makes my work feel complete."

She is also on her way to mastering Dutch. "That is a difficult language for me, but my employer is offering me the chance to improve my Dutch. Every week, I take two hours of Dutch lessons during working hours. In addition, I do my homework at the weekend."

In her free time, Vitalija enjoys watching films or reading a book: "I also find it relaxing to hike with my partner and our two sons. We go to the big park near us almost every day. That keeps me fit and I think that's important."

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