- She gets up at 5 in the morning. She prepares breakfast and lunch. She goes to school, then comes back. She's usually home only in the evening. Sometimes she goes to the temple or organizes an event. She always has something to do. (...) When she commits to something, she puts her whole self into it - says Suganya's husband. They've lived in Poland for 12 years, trying to rebuild the reality they left thousands of kilometers away.
From India to Poland: Marriage and New Life
Suganya and Sasisekar got married in 2009. Their marriage wasn't decided by love but by family.
I come from a family that believes in horoscopes and astrology, so when he asked my parents for my hand, they first compared our zodiac signs and checked if the horoscopes matched. At that time, he lived in the United States. We couldn't even meet
- Suganya recalls. It's estimated that over 90% of marriages in India are arranged. Suganya didn't know what the man she was supposed to build a home with looked like and had never spoken to him before. Only after the engagement did they start to get to know each other. An ocean separated them, so their first conversations were over the phone.
I had no idea who he was or what he looked like. We talked on the phone for several weeks. Then our parents gave us the green light: 'The signs match. You can get married.' I told him then, 'I've never seen you, I don't know what you look like, how tall you are. You have to come back to India and meet me'. He did that for me
- she says.
There was a spark at their first meeting. When she returned home, she knew the wedding would happen. - I told my mother, and she was jumping with joy that her daughter was finally getting married - she recalls. But Suganya had one thought in her mind: "What will my life be like after the wedding?". Previously, she actively participated in community life and worked at the airport. Shortly after their grand wedding, Sasi, as she affectionately calls her husband, had to move to Singapore for work, and she went with him. In 2012, eight months after their son was born, they faced another move. They packed their bags and boarded a plane to Wrocław.
Wrocław: A New Chapter
Everything was new for them in Wrocław. Mundane tasks like shopping or navigating the city were challenging. - I experienced cultural shock. I didn't know the language. I started learning basic phrases, like how to shop, how to ask for the price of vegetables - she recalls. At that time, the Indian community in Poland was much smaller. - There were only five Indian families in Wrocław. We only knew five families - she says.
Suganya knew that to pass on her culture to her son, she had to rebuild her "Little India" here. Step by step, she began to incorporate Indian traditions into Polish reality and, together with her husband, tell their child stories about the country they came from.
As parents, we faced a huge challenge in passing on our culture to him. He started speaking quite late. He grew up surrounded by Polish customs, knowing only pierogi and other local dishes. My husband is very involved in educating him about India. He explains to him how to handle our traditions. There are usually many questions: 'Why do we do this this way?', 'Why did this happen in this story?' Some things are really hard to explain. In India, grandparents help with this
- she says. In 2015, the Indian community began to grow. They found it easy to connect. - We have a WhatsApp group. There are people we meet with. Everyone brings something to eat, we have dinners, and we celebrate holidays together. That's how we get to know each other - she says. Since 2019, Suganya and her family have lived in Warsaw.
"Good Karma Will Help You in Life"
When we meet at the Hindu Bhavan temple, her friend says something that stays with me: "We shouldn't miss India; we should feel at home in Poland". Today, Suganya can call Warsaw her second home. She actively engages in community life. She helps organize events at the temple near Warsaw, has founded an association for immigrant women, and encourages them to participate in joint activities. She also advises them on how to navigate their new reality after moving.
I receive about 500 messages a day. When I'm at work, notifications keep popping up on my phone screen. 'Suganya, where is this?', 'Suganya, where can I go? What events are organized for children?' They ask me about everything. Once, a woman from Sri Lanka called me saying she wanted to move to Poland with her family. 'Where should I go, and how do I find a school for my son?'
- she says.
For her, the most important thing is helping others and creating Good Karma. It's the people she met in Poland and the kindness she received that give her the strength to keep going. - I pray that everyone can be themselves and share goodness with others. Think positively, create Good Karma. Good Karma will help you in your life. Show kindness and respect to everyone you meet on your journey - she emphasizes.
