She opted to join the ‘Weltwärts’ programme, which was set up by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
She will spend ten months in the Mexican city of Guadalajara, where she will assist the partner organisation FM4 Paso Libre in advocating for the humanitarian, legal and medical support and care of migrants and refugees.
PROTEGO® is sponsoring her social commitment by providing funding to help ensure that the project is a great success.
February - April 2022
In the following months, I worked my way further into the organization's processes. I helped in the kitchen preparing and distributing food, received donations and sorted them according to their usefulness. My Spanish skills improved steadily over these months, so much that I was soon standing at the gate where the migrants have to briefly "introduce themselves" for security reasons. In addition, I conducted short interviews for statistical purposes with the migrants. I learned that many had left their home countries because they were unemployed or earned very little. Others had fled violence and unrest.
The people are all the more grateful when they can rest for a while and gather new strength in our shelter as a safe haven. For the migrants who live with us for a longer period of time, we organized some activities to lighten up the daily routine. In February, for example, we took a group of volunteers and shelter residents to the football stadium of the "Chivas" club. Especially the younger ones were very happy about this, since football is not only popular in Germany but also the most popular sport in South America.
In March, we organized a picnic with the migrants in the Parque Metropolitano de Guadalajara. The park is one of the largest recreational areas within the agglomeration region of Guadalajara and offers a lot of space for relaxation and sports activities.
Furthermore, us volunteers offered English lessons to the migrants. FM4 employs a large number of volunteers from different countries in addition to Mexicans: I have already worked and made friends with people from England, Germany, the Netherlands and the USA. The contact with my Mexican work colleagues is especially valuable for me, as it allows me to learn more about the country and culture in which I have been living for half a year now.
I am excited to see what experiences and challenges await me in the last four months here in Mexico.
Saludos y un abrazo de México,
Annabelle