Create personal encounters between people with and without an immigration history | Participation in the volunteer team (mediation/events/PR)
Start with a Friend e.V.
- Migrants & Refugees
- Democracy & Human Rights
- Education & Language Support
- Equal Opportunities
- Mentoring, Sponsoring & Career Coaching
- Organisation & Administration
- PR & Communication
- Sports & Leisure Activities
About the volunteering opportunity
Start with a Friend e.V. (SwaF) is a nonprofit organization with over 26 locations nationwide. More than 450 volunteers work together to promote unity, acceptance, and inclusion. Our vision is a society that embraces its diversity. To achieve this, we facilitate personal encounters between people from different backgrounds and with different life experiences, both those with and without a history of immigration.
The Tandem Project is at the heart of SwaF. The idea: A person who is new to Germany (a “newcomer”) is paired with someone who has lived here for some time or was born here (a “local”). Over the course of 6 months, they get to know each other, do things together, and, ideally, become friends.
The Tandem Project is at the heart of SwaF. The idea: A person who is new to Germany (a “newcomer”) is paired with someone who has lived here for some time or was born here (a “local”). Over the course of 6 months, they get to know each other, do things together, and, ideally, become friends.
Your Tasks
Would you like to meet new people, volunteer, find the right tandem partner, and contribute to an open society?
Then our Tandem Project is the perfect fit for you!
We bring together people from different backgrounds and walks of life, with and without immigrant experiences. In a tandem, you’ll meet regularly, share experiences, learn from one another, and discover everyday life, the language, and the culture together. This fosters encounters on equal footing, new perspectives, and often friendships as well. You can also support our volunteer team in forming new tandems.
WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT?
Then our Tandem Project is the perfect fit for you!
We bring together people from different backgrounds and walks of life, with and without immigrant experiences. In a tandem, you’ll meet regularly, share experiences, learn from one another, and discover everyday life, the language, and the culture together. This fosters encounters on equal footing, new perspectives, and often friendships as well. You can also support our volunteer team in forming new tandems.
WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT?
- Personal encounters on equal footing
- Mutual learning
- Shared leisure activities, conversations, or outings
- Flexible scheduling—tailored to your daily routine
- Guidance and support from our project team
- Opportunity to participate in Tandem events and be part of the Tandem community
- Opportunity to receive a certificate of participation for Tandem or volunteer work
WHY GET INVOLVED?
Through your involvement, you strengthen community, inclusion, and social cohesion. You’re helping to build a tolerant and open society that excludes no one. At the same time, you’ll gain enriching experiences and make great connections.
Through your involvement, you strengthen community, inclusion, and social cohesion. You’re helping to build a tolerant and open society that excludes no one. At the same time, you’ll gain enriching experiences and make great connections.
If this sounds exciting to you, just send us a message, and we’ll tell you everything else you need to know during an introductory meeting.
We look forward to meeting you!
What's needed
For this volunteering opportunity, intermediate German skills are required.
Otherwise, no previous experience is necessary. Our team welcomes every new team member with open arms - join us in shaping the society we want to live in.
Time required
Regularly
Discussed individually
You are welcome to bring as much time as you like.
Important notice
Erfahre mehr über uns auf unserem Instagram-Kanal: https://www.instagram.com/bochum_swaf/
Start with a Friend e.V.
Start with a Friend pairs immigrants and locals into tandems based on their interests and needs. Ideally, this leads to a friendship; in any case, it creates a social network that makes it easier for immigrants to get started in Germany. Start with a Friend supports and advises the pairs after they’ve been matched and organizes events to help the pairs connect with one another. It’s also important to us to create structures that allow people with busy professional and family lives to get involved. The schedule is therefore flexible, and training opportunities are available but optional. So far, Start with a Friend is active in 26 cities across Germany.