The world at home at the Werra

Stéphane Kellian Nde Talla: Cameroon meets miner's German

Stéphane Kellian Nde Talla, 31, comes from Cameroon and has been working at K+S in Mine Planning since June 1, 2023. Among other things, he is involved in the development of the new KALIBERT tool, which is to be used in mid-term planning. He also works in extraction planning and is involved in various underground recovery projects. After successfully completing his Bachelor's degree in Resource Engineering in his home country, he continued his studies in Aachen in 2017. Although he had completed a nine-month German course in Cameroon and further language training in Germany before starting his studies, his German language skills were initially limited to simple conversation. The real linguistic adventure began at RWTH Aachen University with miners' German. Terms such as coal slicer or scaling machine are rarely found in standard dictionaries. The real challenge came when he encountered the Saarland dialect as part of a trainee program at another company: "Gemorsche" or "Halt die Gosch" were just some of the expressions that left him perplexed but smiling. What he particularly appreciates about Germany is the punctuality and organization. He had already received a lot of support at university, and not just in terms of language. Culturally, he has never felt foreign, because as a child of a big city in Cameroon, life in Germany is not all that foreign to him. What he does miss, however, are the trips to the countryside with his family to the traditional village festivals of his homeland with its rich culture, dances, music and delicious food. Nevertheless, he has settled in well and made many new friends through his work at K+S and at the Hohenroda soccer club. And he is taking the initial language barriers in good humor.

Johan Guzmán Hernandez: Sport unites cultures

Johan Guzmán Hernandez has been with K+S since February 2023. He was born and raised in Colombia, where he studied Chemical Engineering. At the end of 2018, he spent a vacation in Berlin at his aunt's home, who emigrated from Colombia 20 years ago. Despite the freezing winter temperatures, he decided to live in Germany after his studies.  Back in Colombia, he enrolled in a German course to prepare for his new life. After arriving in Germany in September 2022, he successfully applied for a job at K+S in Berlin and started working as a plant assistant in the process engineering department. Johan Guzmán Hernández describes the settling-in process in Germany as uncomplicated. For him, understanding and accepting cultural peculiarities, such as German pragmatism, is the key to successful integration. After a short time, he joined the VfB Vacha volleyball club, where two K+S colleagues also train. Sport proved to be a valuable integration tool, not only helping him to make contacts quickly, but also to overcome cultural differences through play. The team spirit and the shared passion for sports played a key role in helping him to feel at home quickly. In the long term, he sees his future in Germany. He appreciates the variety of experiences and learning opportunities in his diverse work environment, in which his colleagues actively always support him.

Daria Mazeeva: You never stop learning

Daria Mazeeva is 28 years old and comes from Vladivostok in the Far East of Russia. She grew up in the industrial city of Chelyabinsk, where she successfully completed her studies in Metallurgy. In 2019 Daria took the big step to Germany - without any language skills. She started as an au pair, which helped her learn the language and immerse herself in German life. Her host family quickly became her "second family" and the connection is still strong - she often spends important holidays and celebrations there. In 2021, she started her career in Germany at K+S, initially as a retrainee. In addition to language courses, further professional training was also on the agenda. Her determination and hard work paid off: Today, as an online analyst at K+S, she is responsible for measuring points in the production area. Not only has she gained a foothold in the company, but she has also made many new friends. Daria Mazeeva wants to continue developing her skills. For this reason, she is studying environmental sciences alongside her work at K+S. Germany has become her new home and she can hardly imagine returning to Russia. Nevertheless, she has retained parts of her Russian culture. The Russian New Year, celebrated on December 31 at the beginning of the Christmas season, is the most important day of the year for her. She brought this tradition with her to Friedewald and continues it today.

Murat Cenk Erdurak: We are not colleagues, we are miners

Murat Cenk Erdurak got off to a flying start: He arrived in Germany on January 23, 2024 and started at K+S on February 1, 2024. He previously lived in Istanbul, where he also studied Civil Engineering and Geotechnics. The 39-year-old works in the environmental department, where he is responsible, among other things, for side modeling of the tailings pile cover. Together with his wife, who is from Kyrgyzstan, he embarked on an exciting journey to a country that was previously foreign to him. While his wife prepared herself with language courses in Istanbul, Murat Cenk Erdurak acquired his good knowledge of German at a Turkish high school from the age of 11. Family ties are very important to him, and he often spends his vacations in Turkey. He regularly attends the mosque in Bad Hersfeld and can continue his cultural and religious traditions in his new home. He has been overwhelmed by the helpfulness and support he has received in Germany from day one. He has also found close friends at K+S. There is a poster on the factory premises that reflects the deep bond he feels: "We're not colleagues, we're miners!" (German homonymy: this term relates to both miners AND buddies). Looking back, Murat Cenk Erdurak says he had very different ideas about Germany before he emigrated. Now Germany has become a new home for him, where he feels welcome and appreciated.

Malena Figueroa Lanz: Between the worlds

Malena Figueroa Lanz joined K+S in 2008. Since 2014, she has been working as a Mining Engineer in the Mining Technology Department at the Hattorf-Wintershall mine. She grew up in Caracas, the vibrant capital of Venezuela, where she studied mining and then worked in the cement and concrete industry. However, her curiosity about the world and her desire to develop herself kept her going: A year in Texas to improve her English opened new horizons. In 2003, her path led her to Germany, where she studied energy management in Darmstadt. Learning German was a challenge at first. She was also unfamiliar with the German close-mindedness. However, she quickly learned to appreciate the typical German thoroughness, punctuality and honesty. Nevertheless, she kept many Venezuelan traditions. Arepas, the typical Venezuelan breakfast, are still part of her life. The homemade piñata is also a must at her daughter's birthday parties. Her daughter is growing up bilingual and is now 11 years old. Despite her strong roots in Germany, she maintains close ties with her family in Venezuela, Spain and the USA. Malena Figueroa Lanz is an example of how to be at home in two cultures. She has learned to combine the best of both worlds: the warmth and joie de vivre of Venezuela with the efficiency and directness of Germany. "Venezuela made me who I am," she says, "but my home is here in Germany.

Davoud Ghozatlou: Respect and acceptance are the key!

Born in Iran, Davoud Ghozatlou grew up in an international environment. This helped the 50-year-old understand and appreciate cultural differences. He also studied Mechanical Engineering in Iran. He successfully applied for a position at K+S in 2023 to further develop his career. Since July last year, he has been working as an engineer in the Predictive Maintenance and Automation Technology department. He learned German in Iran and is still improving his language skills. Like other foreign colleagues, he familiarized himself with the German culture and its peculiarities in advance. He was alone for the first three months in Germany, then his wife and two sons (aged 7 and 18) joined him. While the older son attends vocational school in Bad Hersfeld, the family continues to improve their language skills together. He emphasizes that living in another country requires openness - a willingness to learn new things and understand different perspectives. Davoud Ghozatlou has quickly made friends in both his professional and private life. He also received a lot of support from K+S, be it in finding accommodation or in dealing with bureaucratic matters. Davoud Ghozatlou is convinced that successful integration is based on mutual respect as well as religious and cultural acceptance. Those who engage with others build bridges between cultures - and that is the key to harmonious coexistence, both in private life and at work.

Raj Rajeshwari Prasad: Indian expertise at KI@K+S

Raj Rajeshwari Prasad is a native of Patna, the capital of Bihar, a northern Indian state located on the banks of the Ganges River and known for its rich cultural heritage and historical significance. He completed his undergraduate education in Mechanical Engineering in India, a country characterized by its diversity of languages, traditions, and festivals. In 2018, he relocated to Magdeburg, Germany, to pursue a master's degree and further his career in the field of artificial intelligence. Although he has adapted well to life in Germany, the language barrier continues to pose certain challenges, which he is actively working to overcome through ongoing German language studies. An important aspect of his life abroad is maintaining his connection to Indian culture, particularly through the preparation of traditional Indian cuisine and the observance of cultural holidays, which he celebrates by staying in touch with friends and family. He joined K+S as a Data Scientist on May 1, 2023. In his role within the Predictive Maintenance team, he is involved in the development of AI-driven solutions aimed at improving the assessment of critical machinery and equipment. Furthermore, he is involved in the KI@K+S project, which aims to determine the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence at K+S. For Raj Rajeshwari Prasad, working in AI is not just a technical endeavor, but a mission with broader implications: "AI is becoming increasingly important, and data-driven decision making can optimize resource utilization, improve failure prediction, and potentially increase throughput." He also notes that Germany has a significant advantage over other countries in terms of work-life balance. Recognizing the transformative potential of AI within K+S, he is committed to advancing digitalization efforts, thereby actively contributing to the future development of the Company.