Here is a little insight into Mohammed, a close friend of the center who is blooming. Mohammed has experienced a lot of personal development since he came into contact with the co-founder of the Excellence Center several years ago. Mohammed and Rafat met on a scheme to support refugees and soon developed a special bond of friendship or brotherhood.

Mohammed’s life experience over the past few years

Mohammed was forced to leave his home country, Syria, several years ago because of the war. He came to Germany alone. He is very appreciative of the German government’s philanthropy towards refugees.

Mohammed has settled in well in Halle. He now speaks almost fluent German, as well as his mother tongue Arabic and impressively good English. He found school to be a positive experience socially and academically, and just recently graduated with an Arbitur qualification which allows him to go to university. He cannot walk down the street without being greeted by one friend or another and is always buzzing as a sociable, charming individual. His dad now also lives in Germany and he is supported.

Mohammed’s role at the Excellence Center

You can regularly find Mohammed’s smiling face at the Excellence Center. He has taken up many opportunities to study English, and even over just the past few months, his English has improved substantially. Mohammed is an enthusiastic participant in a lot of the center’s activities, such as cultural exchange evenings and social events. He is proud of Syria and its culture which he will educate others on.

Mohammed has also gained work experience at the center by taking up responsibilities as well as leadership.

Mohammed’s opportunities through the center

 Mohammed has been able to engage in 3 exciting projects because of the center and Rafat. Firstly, early this year Mohammed attended a training in Poland about protecting the environment. Secondly, Mohammed participated in an international conference in Leipzig on how to improve Europe, particularly in terms of integration. Thirdly, this month Mohammed is attending an Erasmus+ youth exchange in Milan. All of this has opened Mohammed’s mind and boosted his confidence.

Mohammed looking to the future

Mohammed is optimistic for the future and very mature for his age. He has a great understanding of life because he had to grow up so quickly. He has a lot of ambition to achieve many things throughout his life. Soon, he intends to start training in physiotherapy. He notices a demand for this in Germany and is interested in gaining the skill. He wants to open up his own practice one day. He aims to travel and see the world, and being trilingual will make this easier.

Final remarks

The Excellence Center aims to improve the confidence of its friends. It has been a pleasure to work closely with Mohammed.