Initiated each year by the Bavarian Government, the contest in which voluntary organizations are invited, to enroll this time had the motto “Passionately Involved! Inspire and win volunteers”. It attracted over 400 applications and independent judges, including Government minister Christa Stewens and actor Jutta Speidel and led by State Secretary Johannes Hintersberger, awarded the prizes. The Nehemia Team received one of five awards in the category New Ideas, for their project, Integration through Participation.
Its aim is to train suitable citizens from migrant backgrounds, (mostly from the Contact Café) as bridge-builders and as mediators of culture, so that they can pass on their knowledge to others through voluntary projects in their local areas.
In this way, the migrants get the opportunity to interact positively in our society and to contribute something worthwhile to the community. This is an important step towards integration and builds their sense of personal value. To achieve this we have applied in various places for financial support. We are full of anticipation as to how this project will develop. Of course, we are still reliant on donations for this.