Finding + supporting mentors for pupils in Berlin

Dear friends of PaSch,

there has been a lot going on in our PaSch project in the last few months of this year. We celebrated parties, we went on a field trip together, we brought mentees and mentors together and much more.

We also exchanged views on the horrific events in the Middle East, tried to strengthen mentors and continue to build bridges and stand up for peaceful coexistence.

We would like to tell you about some of these PaSch events – not least thanks to your donations we were able to make them possible!

In September and November, we offered preparatory workshops for volunteers, training a total of 7. Four of them wanted to continue after the workshop and they have already been matched. sometimes volunteers realize in the workshop that the responsibility for a mentorship may be too big or no longer suitable for their own current life situation. Even if this is a pity for us, it is always good when volunteers realize this before entering the matching process. There are still families waiting for new mentors, but they don't have to experience sudden dropouts.

This year's thank-you party also took place in September. A group of mentors and the PaSch team met before the party started and had an exchange meeting. Once again, we gave each other tips, talked about challenges and learned about the beautiful moments that the mentors and their mentees experience. We also presented the idea of creating a group via a messenger service for all mentors in order to send up-to-date information and tips in an uncomplicated way instead of an email that often gets lost. This was very well received by everyone and practice shows that people help each other even at short notice.

After the exchange, we joined the thank-you party for all the volunteers who work with us in the different projects of the community center. There was a delicious buffet, good atmosphere, music, conversations and of course a small creative part (putting photos together for a picture of a boat titled "all on board".

On October 14th, we went to the Berlin Zoo as a PaSch group of 23 people. The excitement was great to see so many animals and of course some the favorite animals of which everyone revealed during our little welcome in front of the zoo - lions, monkeys, elephants, panda bears... The tandems walked alone or in groups through the zoo until we met again for a warm drink, for which we could also invite the mentees and mentors thanks to the donations, and everyone excitedly told what they had seen and how many steps they had already walked in the 3 hours. Some tandems went to the aquarium afterwards with the combination tickets we had and were even allowed to experience this highlight. It was an all-round successful field-trip.

From the end of October to mid-December we matched a total of 4 tandems. During our series of 3 get-to-know-you meetings for each new tandem, everyone is always quite excited at the first meetings, and it is nice to observe how mentor and mentee get familiar with each other. We are all very happy to receive updates from the tandems about how the meetings are going, what they are doing and see that all 4 tandems manage to meet well. At the beginning of next year, the new tandems will also be lucky to be part of the first PaSch excursion. I'm sure it's going to be exciting for them too. For the first time in a few years, PaSch is visiting a theatre with the tandems. We are very happy and will report on it next year.

At the end of the year, our community center always organizes a winter party for all neighbors and participants of the projects in the center. PaSch tandems and families are also invited to warm themselves with hot apple juice at the fire bowl in the courtyard, to take part in various activities with the mentees and to have a good time. Like every year, we packed Christmas bags for our tandems with materials for handicrafts, learning, laughing and small gifts. In total, we were able to distribute 8 Christmas bags because some tandems came to our party. It was a nice end to a full year with many events.

We are looking forward to a new PaSch year, which we will start with a theatre trip, further matchings, hopefully many new interested volunteers and beautiful moments.

Every donation to PaSch helps to make our project more extensive, thank you very much!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the PaSch team!

Dear friends of PaSch,

we hope you are doing well and that you have enjoyed this summer so far.

There has been a lot going on in the PaSch project since May and we want to take you with us and tell you what we have already organized for our PaSch tandems, what activities we have undertaken and what else has happened at PaSch.

As already announced in the last report, the first PaSch excursion this year took place in May. Together with about 20 people from the PaSch project and a nature educator, we went to Pankow Schlosspark. Some children attended with their mentors, others were there with a parent and siblings. Apart from the anticipation of a picnic together in the park, our children and families didn't really know what to expect. Our idea was to discover, seek out and collect the colors of spring, to build, sneak, fly, play and relax with natural materials and also to observe and listen with ears, eyes and magnifying glasses.

Our nature educator quickly recognized the needs of the children and at first the desire was great to share and eat the delicacies they had brought with them and to get to know the other participants. Everyone was allowed to collect a piece of nature that they found interesting or beautiful. Every find was shown in and introductory round and we discussed what we collected there.

While walking through the park, we discovered more exciting things and learned which trees grow there and why it is good that a dead tree trunk remains, because it can become the home of animals and insects. Afterwards we played extensively. The kids between the ages of 4 and 13 played very well together and became a real team.

A little later, in search of a tree that that formed a cave in its hollow trunk, we collected more beautiful objects and were able to decorate a card with self-adhesive foil with our finds. This was a beautiful memento. Everyone had a wonderful day in nature, the kids watched the ducks on the water and we said goodbye balanced and satisfied.

About two weeks later, the neighborhood festival “Fest der Nachbarschaft” took place in the yard of Fabrik Osloer Straße. Here, too, some of the families and tandems joined us. The festival was well attended after the Covid years and the participants enjoyed themselves at the various stands, with the kids rally, with music and delicious food from the buffet.

Since celebrations are so nice, we decided to organize a special PaSch summer party. In addition to the tandems currently participating in the project, we also invited some of the former mentors and mentees – because reunion is fun. One 17-year-former mentee even met both of his former mentors. At first, they hardly recognized each other. The mentee was surprised how “small” his mentor was, because when his mentorship ended at the age of 11, he was of course much smaller. The mentor for her part hardly recognized the now young man, because in her memory he was still a boy. Soon they were familiar again and told each other what had happened in their lives during the last years.

Another mentor, who had started her mentorship in 2013, now attended with her own two children. Both mentor and mentee were very happy to see each other again and exchange stories.

Not only were we touched to bring them all back together, it was also nice for the newer tandems to see how the bond between two people can grow over time and how the trust and connection can be so strong and intimate despite sometimes years of lack of contact.

The buffet with food brought along by everybody, the barbecue and games were of course also well received. With best weather we spent a wonderful afternoon. A photographer was also there so that everyone could get a nice and up-to-date tandem photo.

The sponsored children were creative and painted a picture on which they wrote "thank you" in their respective languages for you and for everyone who donates to PaSch. Only thanks to your donations we are able to continue our work to the fullest extent. Thank you!!

We also want to give you a small insight in the everyday activities of our tandems. One tandem goes swimming very often and it turned out that the mentor had suggested to go swimming once, but the boy couldn't swim at the time. The mentor is a trained lifeguard and has actually taught the boy to swim over time and the boy likes to go swimming with him almost every time they meet. We were so grateful for this little success story, because now one more child has learned how to swim, which unfortunately many children have not been able to learn during the past two years due to Covid.

In September, we will organize an exchange meeting for mentors and give them the opportunity to talk about their experiences, challenges and beautiful moments. This time we will afterwards join the annual thanksgiving party for volunteers, organized by all projects of our community center. We are looking forward to the exchange and the celebration afterwards.

A preparatory workshop for new volunteers is also planned in the end of September. And as you already know, after the workshop new matchings will start.

And because the joint activities at PaSch are always so nice, we will go to the Zoo together with the tandems and families in autumn and spend a nice afternoon there.

We will tell you about this in the next report!

We would like to thank you very much for your donations and support, because this is the only way we can make the project so comprehensive.

Enjoy the remaining days of summer!

Your PaSch Team