Sixteen young people from Germany are starting their voluntary service
The Karl Kübel Foundation for Children and Families from Bensheim has bid farewell to 16 young women and men who completed their volunteer work in the "weltwärts" . They will be working on social projects in India and the Philippines for eight months.
Among the volunteers are Tim Milewski and Philipp Coenen from Seeheim-Jugenheim. Tim supports the Hope Kolkata Foundation in Kolkata, where he mentors children in preschool and tutoring centers. "I'm looking forward to helping them discover the joy of learning," says the 20-year-old. Philipp primarily wants to use the time to experience new ways of life and explore career options. "You grow from every experience," says the 19-year-old.
Openness and intercultural exchange
“Those who consciously embrace new experiences and treat people as equals bring this attitude back home – against sweeping judgments and for tolerance,” said Ilonka Boltze, board member of the Karl Kübel Foundation. Such volunteer work requires courage, openness, and a willingness to take on responsibility.
Since the launch of the German government's weltwärts program in 2008, 271 volunteers completed or begun their international placements with the Karl Kübel Foundation. The aim is to promote intercultural exchange and to learn from each other together with the partner organizations.
Before their departure, the volunteers prepared for their assignments in several seminars. Topics included development cooperation, intercultural communication, safety, and dealing with poverty. At the end of the sending-off ceremony, the group surprised the approximately 80 guests with a Bollywood dance, which they had rehearsed during the preparatory seminar.
More information at: www.kkstiftung.de
(RED/PM/A. Auehla)
Featured image: The volunteers are looking forward to their assignments in India and the Philippines. © Karl Kübel Foundation / Thomas Neu
