My Experience in Germany

My name is Abraham Ochoa. I am a college student from America participating in the Refugee Resettlement internship. I have spent an immersive and insightful four weeks here in Halle, Germany. The program is eye opening and well structured. It offered a wide range of engaging activities that included a mix of learning, teaching, researching, presenting, and more. My first week was fully dedicated to intensive Arabic classes. I had the opportunity to do 4 hours of class everyday, one on one with an Arabic instructor. This definitely pushed me to develop my Arabic skills further and to immerse myself in the language. The following week, I jumped straight into teaching English to refugees at the center. I was able to work both with refugees here in Halle as well as with refugees abroad in Turkey. It was a great way to give back and learn more about the challenges of being a refugee. Simultaneously, I was receiving presentations about the asylum procedure that all refugees go through. This was paired with a tour of the city, specifically focusing on how the city has adapted and been influenced by the refugee population. It was truly inspiring to see the many businesses opened by the refugees who have found a new home here in Germany. In addition, I also was able to interview refugees about their journey from Syria to Germany and the challenges that they faced once they arrived here. Listening to their stories about their journeys from war torn Syria all the way to Germany was inspiring and truly eye-opening. Like many people, I have read about the war in Syria, but it is another experience entirely to speak with someone who lived through it. It truly leaves you full of awe and compassion.

On top of all this, the community at the center is amazing and very welcoming. From the moment I landed, I was well received by my host family. My accommodation was extremely comfortable and accessible. Having breakfast every morning at the center was a great way to get to know my fellow volunteers and the workers here at the center. The friendships I made here have made my experience here truly unique. I was also able to travel to other European countries during my weekends which is something I highly recommend to all future volunteers. This is an amazing program that I recommend to anyone who wants to learn more about the refugee experience, learn Arabic, or teach English. It is also a great way to learn about other cultures, meet new lifelong friends, and explore a new area of the world. I loved the diversity of activities here and the flexibility to choose your own focus within the program. I hope to be a volunteer again with the program and visit their center in Palestine.