Lina was born and grew up in Lithuania during the Russian Soviet era. She graduated from the Vilnius Pedagogical Institute and became a history teacher. After Lithuania regained its independence and became a member of the EU, the borders and possibilities opened up. Traveling to other countries, which had been forbidden before, became a tempting reality! 

For Lina it was a dream and a challenge to leave her motherland. When her son went to Northern Ireland in 2004, she followed him to see what it was like and has been living there ever since. Initially, for the first five years, Lina worked in a nursing home and was learning English from the residents she was looking after. She says it wasn't easy, as she was already over 50.  Later she started working for a local charity organisation STEP NI as a support worker, community development worker, EUSS adviser and Saturday language school coordinator. 

“Lithuania is my birthplace, but my home is where I live, where my whole family, children and grandchildren live - in Northern Ireland. In 20 years in this country, I saw how the barriers between people of different nationalities and traditions have decreased. We have become more friendly, more tolerant, more understanding and more supportive to each other”

The connection with Lithuania is very important to Lina. Her job role and  personal aspiration is to help people sustain the Lithuanian language and traditions in Northern Ireland, so that their children and grandchildren know their native language and customs. That is why she has been running the Saturday Language Club at STEP NI since 2006 well past her retirement. Each year, the Language Club supports over 150 Polish, Lithuanian, Tetum, Ukrainian and Russian speaking children in learning their heritage language and proudly sharing their culture and traditions. 

Lina has been recognised and awarded for her heritage and educational work locally as well as by the Lithuanian institutions. Lina also supported hundreds of families in applying for status under the EU Settlement Scheme as STEP NI was one of the two organisations in Northern Ireland funded by the Home Office to carry out this work. Lina also supports Lithuanian community in taking part in Lithuanian elections, running a cultural community association and a Lithuanian Library in the area where she lives.

“My family have lived in Northern Ireland for a long time now and Brexit has not caused us personally much impact and stress.  However, as a community worker, I can see that many other EU citizens face  a lot of problems. For example those who got married after Brexit and want to have their close family members in NI, or to bring elderly parents here. Because we are in Northern Ireland, so close to Ireland, many people somehow don’t realise that the Free Movement finished and it’s not possible to just move here to live and work”