Moving to another country means a big change in your daily rhythm. This is true no matter the reason, but the way it will happen does depend on it. So, what does a volunteer’s day look like as a volunteer in Germany?
Table of Contents
Home Life
Upon arrival, you are assigned a family to live with for your stay. You are welcomed with open arms into the homes of the local refugee and Arabic communities who can help you practice your language of choice. You become attuned to the daily life of the family as they invite you to join them at the market or the mosque. Your family provides you with support and perspective, which develops into a lasting relationship.
Morning Language Classes
In the morning before your students arrive, you have your language classes. Every volunteer is provided with three hours of language classes each week. These are the central part of your volunteer’s day, and you will usually schedule the rest of the things around these.
You choose between German or Arabic classes which are taught by a teacher who is working towards progressing your handle of the language as quickly as possible. The teachers are also members of the extended Excellence Center’s community and are always offering to go out with you after your work days or on the weekend to further practice your language skills.
Daily Schedule at the Our Office
During the working week, you start your volunteer’s day by coming to the center in the morning to share breakfast with the other volunteers before your students arrive for their lessons. Once in a while, you are asked to help prepare the morning meal with another volunteer. This is the time to socialize with your fellow volunteers: laugh, make plans for the weekend, and just enjoy each other’s company.
After breakfast, you meet with your first student of the day for about two hours. For lunch, you might go out with another volunteer or with a student from the center to practice their conversational English in a different setting. There is a great variety of markets and small restaurants for you to choose from. Once you return to the center, you join the rest of the group for the presentations done by fellow volunteers and the other members of the Excellence Center in Europe’s community. Presentations are given on different teaching techniques to help keep your classes interactive and your students engaged.
Cultural Exchange
There are also different cultural presentations. You are given the chance to talk to the group about your own country and the refugee situation there. You present snapshots of life in your part of the world. Often there are guest speakers from the community who will talk about their own experiences as refugees and the history and culture of their home countries.
To wrap up your volunteer’s day, you might head out to the river Saale to share another meal with the Excellence Center’s community. The director of the program, Rafat, will prepare a wonderful Palestinian meal. This community dining brings together everyone from the teachers to the students to the host families. Together you play various games from volleyball to football before you gather in a circle to sing and laugh. You go home, after a wonderful night of socializing, full of good food and warmed by good company.
Leisure Time And The Weekends
The Excellence Center in Europe allows you an ample amount of time to explore Halle (Saale) and the surrounding area. On days when you finish your work in the center early, you can explore the city center. There you can see a busy marketplace and a beautiful old church and tower. You can also visit the nearby park with friends from the center for a small game of volleyball or a quick swim in the river.
On weekends, you can take a train to Berlin and spend two days taking in one of Germany’s most historic cities. Closer to Halle, you can visit the city of Leipzig, which is only a twenty-minute train ride away. There you can visit the East German Museum or the Art Gallery. Halle is perfectly located for volunteers to make weekend trips around the country. Having a Deutschland Ticket is going to make that a very cheap option for you. Have fun!
