1on1 interview
What happens when an efficient state and digital services free up people’s time? The story of Janka, who lived in Australia for years and eventually returned to Slovakia with her family, shows that technology can strengthen communities. The key is simplicity, humanity, and the opportunity to get involved. Janka says her last decade was shaped by life in Australia – a country distant both geographically and in values. During the pandemic she couldn’t fly home and felt sadness and alienation, until an elderly lady approached her with her story of a Jewish family’s escape from Hungary to Australia. In that moment she forgot to be sad and turned the experience into her own project, Kaviareň príbehov, which activated parts of the city and became part of the local gallery and local government. Her message is simple: when the state and services work, they save time and energy, which we can then invest in relationships and community.From sadness to the „story café“: how a community is born
