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Studying and volunteering at the shelter

SILVIO KISON

For the fourth year, Halle’s university and the Freiwillige-Agentur Halle-Saalkreis e. V. [Volunteer Agency Halle-Saalkreis] are offering students the chance to volunteer this winter semester in the project “Engagiert.Studiert! – Service Learning für Studierende“ [Volunteering.Studying! – Service Learning for Students] as part of the module Allgemeine Schlüsselqualifikationen (ASQ) [General Key Qualifications]. This year there was a change: “For the first time we explicitly tried to attract international students,” explains Ines Jaschinski-Kramer who is responsible for the project at the volunteer agency.

The project is being supported for two years starting this semester by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and its long-term partner Volksbank Halle. The aim of this study module is to better integrate international students while promoting volunteer work at the same time. Our reporter Silvio Kison visited three students at two facilities to find out what the work is like for the students:

Syrian student Bashar Al-Halbouni helps teenagers and kids practice gymnastics. (Photos: Silvio Kison)

As a trainer for SC Turid

It’s snowing as I meet Bashar Al-Halbouni at the Handel monument. A short while later, we – like so many others this winter – are waiting for the tram. Our journey takes us to Neustadt – to the gym at the Education Centre in Nietlebener Strasse. “Every Thursday I go to Neustadt to SC Turid where I help kids and teenagers practice gymnastics,” he explains on the way.

Bashar Al-Halbouni is one of ten international students taking part this semester in “Engagiert.Studiert!”. The 25-year-old from Syria is getting an English language bachelor’s degree in Business Economics at the MLU and has been living in Germany for two years. “I was an exchange student for one semester in Heilbronn and then decided to continue studying in Germany,” he says.

When we arrive at the gym some of the children and teenagers are already warming up. We are greeted warmly. “I’m mainly responsible for strength training with the gymnasts,” he explains. “In addition to this I support the trainers in their work.  When the kids are practicing on the equipment I stand next to them and keep an eye on them,” continues Al-Halbouni.

He comes up with the necessary exercises himself. “I used to do intensive weight training and continue to train in Germany,” says the economics student. Thus he knows which muscle groups the gymnasts especially need for their exercises.  He’s been doing this since October. He signed up for “Engagiert.Studiert!” in order to give something back. “A lot of people helped me these past years get a foothold in Germany and that’s why I want to do something for the people in Halle,” explains Al-Halbouni. He’s scheduled to finish his degree in three semesters.  But he wants to remain a member of the club.  “I like the work and I’ll continue to volunteer here,” he says with a smile.  At any rate, he’s already signed up to get his coaching licence.

Volunteering at the shelter

The Protestant City Mission shelter is tucked away in Halle’s city centre. After a little searching I find the right entrance door and am warmly greeted while still on the stairs by two students Nora Antl and Ulrike Beckert. “We’re just putting the finishing touches on preparations for the Christmas party,” I’m told. But they still have a bit of time to talk with me about their work.

Two students, Nora Antl and Ulrike Beckert, volunteer at the shelter.

“We hadn’t met until we started working with ‘Engagiert.Studiert!’ explains 20-year-old Ulrike Beckert a bachelor’s student in Politics and History. “We both wanted to become socially active and directly help people,” adds 21-year-old Nora Antl a third semester student getting her bachelor’s degree in Romance Studies and Germanics at the MLU. For this reason they both selected this volunteer work from the list of work offered by the agency.

The shelter offers counselling and is open during the day. Both students have been coming every Friday since October to look after the visitors.

During the Advent season, they organised craft days and a baking afternoon. “We took the visitors to buy the ingredients and then baked biscuits together in the kitchen here,” explains Beckert. Both will continue coming every Friday to the shelter for a while yet. “Volunteering is so much fun and we are going to try to integrate the work into our daily life,” they say about the time after “Engagiert.Studiert!”.

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