In collaboration of the Project partner - the Cologne Refugee Council, the Cologne Volunteer Agency and the Municipal Integration Center the project "Godmothers and Godfathers for Refugee Children" has been implemented since May 2014.
The main aim of the project is to provide children and young people, in close coordination with the schools, with a individual, extracurricular support which enables their faster integration into the regular classes. The project focuses on Refugee children of primary school age.
The children learn the German language more quickly and find their way around the school and the city more easily. They reach a level of learning more quickly that allows them to transfer to regular school classes. The school-age children who do not attend school are motivated to attend school. The refugee families of the children feel welcomed in Cologne by the volunteer caregiver. In this way, they receive support so that they can feel at home in Cologne's urban society more quickly.
The project partners work closely together to achieve this goal. The two project sponsors ensure that a child is matched with a sponsor in such a way that the child's needs and the support offered by the volunteers match.
The Municipal Integration Center provides technical support for the project on the part of the city and endeavors to create access to schools, including school social work, homes and regular municipal services.
The project partners meet regularly every six months and additionally as needed. The aim of the meetings is to exchange information on the development of the project and its necessary changes, to determine needs, for example, for information and qualification of the godparents and to plan appropriate offers and measures.
Contact person for godmothers or godfathers:
Leon Oerder, Cologne Volunteer Agency e.V.
Phone; 0221/888 278-11
Email: leon.oerder@koeln-freiwillig.de
Contact person for refugee families and schools:
Rebecca Maurer, Cologne Refugee Council e.V.
Phone: 0170 / 650 362 0
Email: maurer@koelner-fluechtlingsrat.de