As part of the summer holiday program, the association organized and financed SchMitt e.V. three trips for families with children. 13 adults and 17 children took part. Below is a report from group leader Shamira Sandran:
"A multi-hour outing with family and strangers looking for a place to kill time and finding a place and memory full of hope, joy and laughter that they will return to again and again.
It's 2024 and the long-awaited six-week summer vacation is finally upon us... Although the anticipated summer vacation seems very tempting to most students, children and even teachers, the thought of having 42 days off from routine and the responsibility of finding activities and events for their children leaves some parents daunted.
This idea made our club SchMitt e.V. puzzled and thoughtful. So we set about creating a program. We planned day trips to Lake Steinhude, Wilhelmstein Island and the new town hall. As a first attempt, we chose destinations that were closer and easy to reach. In the hope of finding parents and families who would like to do something different during the holidays, we spread the word about this project.
As organizers, we were concerned about the mothers who were willing to bring their three or even four children alone, especially because the age range was so wide. While we wanted to ensure that all children made memories to look back on for years to come, their safety remained one of our highest priorities. Knowing that we would have to travel to the destinations by tram, train, and a 20-minute bus ride, followed by at least a 15-minute walk, we had concerns about the children. But looking back, we realize how wrong we were.
The children were all so excited to be in a new place and they were not unwilling to express this excitement. Despite all these emotions, they behaved as they were advised to. But most of all, they looked after each other. The older siblings not only looked after their brothers and sisters, but also the new little friends they had made. It was a beautiful sight to finally see people who are as loving and caring towards each other as they can be. The children on one side and the parents on the other were an equally pleasing sight. We were accompanied by a mother who had recently moved to Germany with her family. After further conversation, she revealed
us that her two-month stay had not been very convincing for her and that she intended to return to her home country of South Africa. She spoke about the monotony of her life due to her lack of German language skills and the size of her circle of friends or even acquaintances. Fortunately, our group was a diverse community from day one. This confession only led to more confessions from mothers who expressed similar feelings and fears when they first arrived and their final acceptance and satisfaction with their decision to stay.
Not only did we welcome them and their children with open arms, but strangers on the bus, on the train, on the street, who didn't know any of our stories, decided to make them feel warm and welcome. The trips were filled with sweet and endearing moments like these: children who didn't want to leave and parents who told their friends about this adventure. The days spent with people who have only been in Germany for two months and those who were born in Germany and have not yet seen these sights, and who were overwhelmed by the views and the kindness that Lower Saxony has to offer."
