Hi there! I’m Maëlle, a 22-year-old volunteer and this is my report of how things have been going so far!
If there’s one thing I’ve learned during my six months (already!) in Germany, it’s that Deutsche Bahn and punctuality are two very, very opposite words. As an example, I could say that the train I was supposed to take for my very first day of work was completely cancelled, and I had to send an emergency email to the teacher I work with profusely apologizing for being late on my very first day… Would not recommend, honestly, it was pretty stressful. But I still made it in the end and had a really great first day. I think that that particular moment set the tone for my ESC adventure: things might not always go according to plan (that is to say, sometimes things look really bleak and like nothing is gonna work out), but somehow, spoiler alert: they do work out in the end!
So, apart from complaining about the trains, I actually work here! I work at the Tobias-Schule, which is a special school following the Waldorf “philosophy”, which is a “holistic educational style intended to develop its pupils’ intellectual, artistic, and practical skills, with a focus on imagination and creativity”, and yes I’m quoting Wikipedia because I would not know how to describe it myself. And, on top of being a Waldorf school, it’s also a school for children with special needs! It’s on the outskirts of the city, as I mentioned I have to take a train to get there, but the scenery is truly gorgeous, the main building is a gorgeous old villa, with a big forest right next to the school where you can take walks… it’s honestly magical!
So, I work at the school, but I more specifically work with the gardening teacher: the school has its own huge garden, with crops and even chickens! Now, I’m gonna be honest, I don’t really have much experience in gardening, or even a strong like for it in the first place. The offer really caught my attention from the school itself, and the prospect of working with children with special needs (having worked with a few in the past). I was both excited and slightly terrified at first, but now I can say that it’s quite fun!
I especially love seeing the students be so genuinely invested in their work, and the amount of maturity and respect for one another and for nature that they show at their age. One of my biggest fears coming here was that I wouldn’t be able to really connect with the students, since I don’t speak German. But, despite the language barrier, some communication doesn’t always need words. Complaining about how cold it is outside during the winter, struggling to get a stubborn weed out, or that one time I accidentally broke a shovel (yes, I broke a shovel)—those moments connected me with the students in ways I never expected, relating to one another and laughing together.
But not everything has been easy: moving to a new country that speaks a foreign language, starting a new job I know basically nothing about and trying to build a new life for a year from scratch can be exciting, but it can also be very overwhelming. I’ve struggled with my mental health for years now, and coming to Germany didn’t magically fix that. There were days when I felt overwhelmed, days when I missed home, and days when I just wanted to sleep and hope it goes away.
At some point, it got so bad that I felt physically ill, and literally could not get out of bed, which only made me feel guilty. I even thought about just giving everything up, packing all my stuff and hopping onto the first train home (well actually it’s three trains, but you get the idea). But I kept pushing through, because I knew that I didn’t want to end this early. That this is an amazing opportunity, and that I want to see it to the end, if only to tell myself “Hey, look at that. You did that. You survived.”
And guess what? Thanks to the support from my family, my friends (both from back home and here), my coordinator, my colleagues, I managed to find the best way for me to get help, and right now things are getting better. I won’t say things are perfect, because of course you can’t just fix years and years of mental struggle just like that, but it’s a start. And right now, things are okay, and I am so glad.
But, really, one of the (if not the) biggest reason why I chose this experience, and why I have no regrets doing so: the people. I have met some of the most incredible, kind, and hilarious people during my time here. I’ve made some amazing friends, and I could not have wished for better people to share my time here with.
We’ve had late-night talks about life, watched series and movies, redecorated our apartment… These friendships have been the best part of my ESC experience, and I truly hope they’ll last far beyond my time in Bremen.
So, to sum it all up: six months ago, I arrived in Germany with no gardening skills, barely any German, and a whole lot of uncertainty. Now, I can oil chicken feet like no one’s business, fight against weeds like my life depends on it (even if it costs me a shovel), and have grown and learned more than I have in a long, long time. I’m not sure what’s next for me, but I know this: my time in Germany has changed me, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Well, except maybe for a DB train that actually arrives on time on my first day of work.
Maëlle is hosted by Tobiasschule und Kindergarten e.V. on our project co-funded by the European Union.