Bericht von Bojana Malinovska über ihren Freiwilligendiienst
My volunteering story started at the end of September 2022. Cold night at Belgrade bus station waiting for the bus to take me to what I saw as a turning point in my life. I was scared and thrilled about journey that lies in front of me. I was a bit worried how I will do my daily activities in a new environment, will people understand me because my initial lack of German language skills and will I be able to integrate in a new society that is in numerous ways different comparing to the habitat that I came from.
While taking part in Erasmus exchange at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, I’ve learned about Friedenskreis for the first time. The guiding principles of the organization inspired me to apply for the voluntary service. Here I am in Halle again, a year after my semester abroad, initially working in growing international cooperation department of the Friedenskreis office. Together with my teammates I already had the opportunity to create a cultural project aimed to support young people in their role in peacebuilding. Within this project I'm able to learn a lot about how NGOs from different countries cooperate. At the same time I utilize my knowledge of comparative literature acquired during studies.
I'm writing this sitting next to the Saale river, watching the sunset painting the sky in pastel colors. Everyday I prove to myself that this was the best decision I could have made. It all started in January and 8 months later I'm in a bus driving for 24 hours. All formalities and traveling were worth it as soon as I saw Inger picking us up in Leipzig, driving us home while the sunrise was welcoming us. Since arriving this city brought me peace and opportunity to do what I enjoy the most and that's being in the woods by river listening to music or reading. I could go on walks for hours and still discover more creative work of local artist, which are giving the city a soul along with the breathtaking architecture.
My volunteer story begins on April 1, 2022. Although almost 3 months have passed since then, I remember very vividly the day when I arrived at the airport in Leipzig after 16 hours traveling by bus. I remember that it was much colder than it was in Serbia, that it was raining, and that I was very scared. Fortunately, that feeling didn’t last long. As the saying goes, a man can easily get used to the good things, and so can to Halle and his new life here.
On December 2021 started my volunteering journey in Halle and my place of assignment would be KindsElternCentrum in Lieskau.
My volunteering program started in November last year at Passage 13 in Halle. The first months were spent adjusting to new social and work environment and meeting new people. Colleagues in the organization and other volunteers helped me in facilitating this process. However, the biggest problem that everyone faces is language - it limits the possibility of a normal social interaction. Nevertheless, after a few months, I learned a basic knowledge of German and that helps me communicate and interact with the young people I work with.