ATAC-TOR GUELER, 25 YEARS OF LOYALTY TO THE ST-JUSTIN WORK

Interview : Ergül Tor and Chantal Steiger

What path led you to work for the St-Justin Foundation?

I had worked for twelve years in a tearoom, with irregular hours. When I worked on weekends, my children were sad. One day, I spoke about it to Hatun, a friend who was in charge of the cleaning ladies at St-Justin. She told me, “Come and introduce yourself.” I had an interview with the director at the time, Nicolas Scherer. And he told me, if you stop working at the tearoom, I am ready to hire you; because I understand that it is difficult to work on weekends with young children. So, I ended my job at the tea room and started working for Cité St-Justin on January 1, 1999.

What field do you work in?

I am a cleaning employee. I mainly take care of cleaning the student’s rooms and common areas (toilets, kitchens, corridors). Depending on a set schedule, I sometimes also clean the offices and the chapel. When I started out, I also helped with the self-service restaurant at Cité St-Justin, and once a week, with other colleagues, we helped with the ironing in the laundry room using a ‘mangle’.

Was there one or more encounters that particularly marked you?

It doesn’t come down to one encounter. I have always had good contacts with the management, my superiors, my colleagues, the administrative staff and the students. I appreciate these contacts, the good atmosphere that reigns and the time shared during the morning break. Outside of work, it sometimes happens that the students recognize me and greet me. When they return to Fribourg and visit the Cité St-Justin, they come to see me. These are moving moments. The students are very grateful; thank you to them for the treats received.

What change have you appreciated the most over the 25 years you have spent at St-Justin?

I can move the laundry with a trolley. I don’t have to carry the laundry basket anymore. Also, being able to work with my colleague Ergül, I’m not alone anymore. Now I know that there will always be someone to lend a hand and intervene if needed.

If you imagine yourself in St-Justin in 5 years, what change would you like to see?

I have already experienced many changes, and I hope that the current organization will be maintained. Because working in pairs is more pleasant and I am satisfied with what I have.

Thank you !