Sixteen years ago, Piotr Smigielski came to the Netherlands, driven by the hope of a better life. Things turned out differently. Due to his alcohol addiction, he lost his first, second, and third job. Eventually, he ended up on the streets. Piotr shares:”The Hague became my second home, but not in the same way as it did for others. For me, it meant survival, suffering from the cold, and feeling worthless.”
Piotr explains how life on the streets took hold of him:
“I became addicted not only to alcohol but also to the street life itself. It felt like I belonged there, which made me drink even more. One day, I met the Barka team in The Hague. It was hard for me to ask for help. I felt ashamed and believed no one could truly understand me. But Barka didn’t give up. They kept in touch, spoke with me, and tried to motivate me.”
Eventually, Piotr decided to return to Poland. There, he joined one of Barka’s communities and began intensive addiction therapy.
“I had to learn to think differently, develop new habits, and start building a future. During my time in the community, I learned practical skills, like building animal shelters. That made me feel like I had value again,” says Piotr.
“I know what it’s like to sit alone in the darkness, and I want to help others find the light.”
A few years later, Piotr left the community and moved to Poznań, where he started living independently.
“It was a huge step, but it gave me the chance to prove that I had truly changed my life. When I was asked to return to the Netherlands as a peer support worker to help others, it felt like a mission. It doesn’t feel like work to me; it’s my way of giving back. I know what it’s like to sit in the darkness, and I want to help others find the light.”
Since then, Piotr has visited the Netherlands multiple times to support homeless people. More recently, he has also become active in Iceland.
“It’s a big responsibility to help people who are in the same situation I once was. But I know how important it is to give someone hope—because someone once did that for me.”
