Start with a Friend e.V. (SwaF) is a non-profit association with 23 project locations nationwide. Our vision is a society that lives its diversity. To achieve this, we create personal encounters between people with and without an immigration history. Through exchange and joint commitment, we strengthen people, social cohesion and democracy.
You want to meet new people and get involved in a stronger community? Then you've come to the right place!
The idea is simple and at the same time makes it so beautiful in our eyes: We meet people, get to know them personally and then place them in a tandem - based on common interests, life circumstances and last but not least our gut feeling. In the ideal case, a friendship grows out of it.
Our tandem partnerships are as diverse as the people who join us. What they experience together, they decide themselves. This is what makes SwaF so flexible and uncomplicated. We support our tandems: as contact persons for questions and through our numerous events.
Simply register for a personal meeting and find out more about SwaF!
You can find more information on our homepage.
We recommend meetings of about 2 hours a week. You decide when you want to see each other and how much time you have.
Start with a Friend connects immigrants and locals in tandems based on interests and needs. Ideally, a friendship develops out of this, but in any case, a social network is created that makes it easier for immigrants to have a good start in Germany. Start with a Friend accompanies and advises the tandems after the matching and organises events to bring the tandems into contact with each other. It is also important to us to create structures in which people can get involved, even if they are tied up in their work and family life. The time schedule is therefore flexible; further training courses are offered but are optional. So far, Start with a Friend is available in 21 cities nationwide.
More about the organisation