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"That's why we're participating..."

This is what our volunteers say about volunteering at ArrivalAid

Azada Henze

Languages: German, Azerbaijani, Russian, English

Favorite German word: Wanderlust

“If you’re thinking about volunteering yourself. Then take the first step now and just start.”

Today we introduce you to our favorite Azada. Azada comes from Azerbaijan and has been with us for 1 ½ years. Today we want to tell you about her and her experiences.

Path to volunteering and contribution to the development of the ArrivalAid app

From the very beginning, Azada worked on a voluntary basis with the software company iteratec GmbH to develop the app. This app will be used to arrange TranslAid 's interpreting assignments in the future. Each volunteer then receives suggestions for assignments directly in the app and can book them there. When developing the app, Azada programmed calendar booking. You can enter your vacation there. And then you won't receive any assignments or emails during this time. At the end, Azada tested whether everything worked.

“The difficult part of the development was that it wasn't my area of expertise in programming, and a new programming language for me was also used. But the team was great, and then everything worked out well. In the beginning, I worked on the app for 10 to 16 hours a week. Now it's less. However, I am now taking on more assignments as a language mediator. I mostly interpret in Russian. There are many assignments there.”

Azada wanted to volunteer. There is a volunteer center in Fürstenried, where she used to live. There were various advertisements for volunteer positions there. At this center, Azada learned about the possibility of co-developing the app for TranslAid . At that point she didn't know much about TranslAid and ArrivalAid . After getting to know the projects, she was enthusiastic and continues to volunteer for TranslAid to this day.

Experiences at TranslAid

Again and again, the assignments involve difficult topics, says Azada. She was often called to interpret during assignments at the hospital. It was especially difficult for the people who needed the translation. So, the interpreting assignments can be exhausting and stressful both for the interpreter and for the person needing assistance.

“Once a woman almost cried during an assignment when she found out that we were all volunteers at TranslAid .”

Azada says she was very happy about this reaction because she realized that something good was being done at TranslAid .

There are two challenges as a language mediator, says Azada. One is more technical and the other is more emotional. Sometimes there are words that are difficult in German. Because German is not Azada's native language. It is sometimes difficult to translate the statements correctly. On the other hand, it is difficult to distance yourself from the people involved in the assignments because some of them involve stressful topics. She is always sorry when people get a bad diagnosis during an assignment.

Tips for interpreting

Other people in Germany often say that it is not necessary to get involved because there are already so many offers in Germany. Azada disagrees. There is a great need and more people should get involved. But you have to be clear that when you do volunteer work you also have to be professional. Even if it is done in your free time, it is work and you have to take it seriously. Preparation is also important and you always have to keep your head on the matter.

Azada has a tip for this: When someone starts interpreting, they should always prepare well. Start slowly at first and take on only a few assignments, perhaps one every 2 or 3 weeks. This way, you won't immediately feel overwhelmed and think you don't have enough time. It's better to start slowly and then be consistent. It's also important to learn how much you can handle and to focus well on each task.

“If you’re thinking about volunteering yourself. Then take the first step now and just start.”

Motivation to get involved with TranslAid

It is important for Azada to get involved with TranslAid because she herself came to Germany 10 years ago without family. She believes that people fleeing a country must receive support in the country where they arrive. She believes in the ideas and goals of TranslAid and wants to support people. It is particularly important for her because she can understand people's situations well. Azada found the language a particularly big hurdle at the beginning and unfortunately had no support. It was also difficult psychologically because people didn't understand her and Azada didn't understand her either.

She believes it is important for refugees to know that there is support for them and people who want to help. Many of her friends, who also come from Azerbaijan, would also have liked such support when they arrived.

The most difficult German word, says Azada, is “gleichgeschlechtlich" (same-sex). She found it very difficult to pronounce when she first heard it. On the other hand, Azada finds “Wanderlust” a very nice German word. Even if a lot of people whose native language is not German say that. Azada thinks it's beautiful because she hasn't heard it in any other language before.

Thank you for the interview and your commitment as a volunteer interpreter and app developer!

Dr. Jan Mühlstein

“Why don’t you actually get involved? That’s part of what you should bring into a society.”

How did you get involved with ArrivalAid ?

One of my three daughters is friends with Cornelius Nohl and told me that Cornelius is planning to found an organization that wants to fill the gap in looking after refugees - i.e. in preparing and supporting them for asylum interviews. That interested me. I applied and was accepted into the first training group, that was in 2015.

How time-consuming is your commitment? How many hours a week do you volunteer?

This fluctuates very strongly. I took on a relatively large number of cases for a while, then took a long break and now I've started again. It depends on how many cases you have. I would say on average 2 to 3 hours a week, no more.

Is this your only volunteer position?

Since my studies, I have always volunteered for many organizations, e.g. B. Amnesty International, and I am active in a religious community.

Why did you decide to get involved?

I chose ArrivalAid because I was interested in the focus on one task. And it corresponded to my opportunities to get involved. I would not have had the time and perhaps not the ability to look after refugees in a group of helpers, even on a long-term basis. But I want to focus specifically on this topic.

In general, I consider volunteer work to be a given. The question is: Why don't you actually get involved? That's part of what you should bring into a society.

To what extent does your involvement with ArrivalAid benefit you on a personal level?

When I was 20, I fled Czechoslovakia for Germany after the Soviet army invaded Prague. This is certainly an experience that I can bring to ArrivalAid . Knowing what it's like when you arrive in a society you don't know your way around. But that wasn't my primary motivation.

I have always been concerned with the issue of asylum – more or less. We also founded an initiative in Gräfelfing – where I live – during the first wave of refugees. We wanted to get the community to provide spaces for refugees - unsuccessfully at the time.

Would you recommend that others volunteer?

Basically, I would recommend everyone to look for volunteer work. Especially in the phase of life I am in now – retired. In the first few years of retirement, it's also a positive thing to have something to do. But I think that it also broadens your horizons at a younger age when you go out of the familiar circles in which you move privately and professionally and get to know other worlds. It is very useful also for checking your own positions.

I can highly recommend ArrivalAid because it is an organization that thinks very carefully about how to prepare and support volunteers. I think the offers such as exchange of experiences, further training and supervision are very good. I don't know this so much from other organizations.

Is there an experience from your volunteer work that you particularly remember?

Some events remain in memory, probably especially the negative ones, e.g. B. the long waiting times at the BAMF (Federal Office for Migration and Refugees). I had a Anhörung where we were summoned at 8 a.m., the Anhörung took place at some point at 4 p.m. and we weren't finished until almost 9 p.m.

I think almost every encounter with one of the refugees I have cared for is a positive experience. You realize that you can actually make a difference, namely to help the refugee find his way and perhaps also to give him a bit more chances in the entire asylum process. Opportunities in the sense that he or she knows what is important, not in the sense of helping to gain recognition. I think that would be a false expectation of our work. As volunteers, we cannot ensure that the refugees are recognized; that is where we have the least influence. But we can contribute to a fair process and I believe that is not a small thing.

Anything else you'd like to say?

Just encouraging others to find a job with ArrivalAid . The spectrum of ArrivalAid has become much broader through Anhörungsbegleitung , and there are many options that you can take advantage of. Or: get involved elsewhere!

Oskar Schmid

“Just career and self-realization, something is still missing. And it’s not as altruistic as you might imagine – that’s good for you too.”

How did you get involved with ArrivalAid ?

That was 2015/16. There was the “refugee crisis”. I don't like this word. So many refugees came there. And it was clear that it was actually a big story and would definitely be. And then I thought, how can I get involved? What can I do? I don't remember how, but I came across ArrivalAid . And back then there was only Anhörung advice and Anhörungsbegleitung . And I thought it was a really great story that I could easily imagine taking action on. That it suits me. I then had the impression that I was standing in the right place.

Was this your first volunteer position?

No, I've had countless ones. I just reconsidered. I think I only attended the second training session at the beginning of 2016. The first one didn't work out in terms of timing.

How many hours per week do you commit to ArrivalAid ?

That's really hard to say because I don't write it down. I would say definitely 5 hours a week.

Have you actively decided to join ArrivalAid ?

I came across ArrivalAid by chance and when I read what it was about, the decision was clear to me. I didn't have to think about it for long.

Did you know exactly what you wanted to do as a volunteer?

No, I didn't know that for sure. But when I saw the offer, I knew that this was a really great opportunity for me.

Would you recommend that others get involved with ArrivalAid ?

At any time. I'm just not a gifted persuader. But I can only warmly recommend ArrivalAid to everyone. As a club where you can get involved and where you also have a lot of freedom. Where you basically have to figure out how to get along on your own, but at the same time you always have the organization behind you. I think it's great to work like this.

Would you recommend volunteering in general?

Yes, anytime! Only career and self-realization, something is still missing. And it's not as altruistic as you might imagine - that's something you'll get. And now that I think about it: all the refugees I have to deal with now. In a way they are friendships. These are often really great relationships that last for years.

That was also the case with ArrivalAid , after the Anhörung advice came the lawsuit advice and then came the integration advice. I haven't formally taken part in the training, but I do it automatically. And run along. The refugees call me when they receive letters from the BAMF or the court. And then I go to the lawyer because he often doesn't make decisions based solely on the minutes.

Does this mean that your involvement goes beyond mere Anhörung preparation?

Yes, definitely for me.

Do you have an experience that you particularly remember from your volunteer work?

There are often incredibly great constellations with the listeners during Anhörung . They can be extremely itchy. But then the next day there is one that is just normal. And I find something like that really uplifting when you see how normal something like that can be. That there is someone there who has already dealt with the case in detail. This is of course a help if you put your mind to it.

I do it in such a way that I don't try to persuade the listener and I don't mess up the craft just when I see that mistakes are happening. And there are many mistakes made during Anhörung that are not meant to be bad at all. And you just notice it when you've heard the case before. And then the listeners appreciate that too. When they realize that this isn't someone who's constantly babbling, then they appreciate it.

And of course there are also negative events, but I don't want to give them any space.

This is how you can support us as a volunteer companion

Steps to volunteering

Complete the registration form by clicking “Apply Now” at the bottom of this page
After receiving your application, we will arrange a phone call with you to get to know you better
We will then invite you to the appropriate introductory training course

You should bring this with you

Open and communicative manner in dealing with people from different cultures
Time and motivation for a commitment of around 4 hours per month for around 1 year
Advanced knowledge of German
Lives in Munich or the surrounding area

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