Encounters between people strengthen cohesion in our diverse immigration society. Starting out in a new country is also easier with friends. That's why we've been bringing together newcomers who are starting out in Germany and locals who have been living in your city for some time - since 2014. We call this Tandem. They often become friends.
You decide what you do together. The shared experiences are as diverse as the participants at SwaF. Some tandems share their different experiences, cook together, learn languages together, explore the city, art and culture. Others go to the authorities or meet up with other friends. They come to the SwaF community events together.
If you would like to get involved with Tandem, you can become a mediator. As a facilitator, you organize information evenings and tell people about SwaF Tandem. You will try to recruit new participants for tandems. This means that at the beginning we get to know everyone personally, look for common interests and life circumstances and trust our gut feeling. We send the participants an email with an initial tandem proposal. You will accompany the tandems for the first 6 months. This means you are the contact person for the tandem participants.
To become a mediator, it is important that you want to meet new people. If you are curious and empathetic, this will help a lot. You also need enough time to be able to accompany the Tandem participants. You should be able to set aside around 2 - 3 hours a week for volunteering. As communication within the team takes place in German, you need a good knowledge of German. If you also speak other languages, this can be a great help.
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.
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