Alternative Civilian Service at Don Bosco-Haus für das behinderte Kind e.V.

When I finished school conscription was still in practice in Germany. I decided that I didn’t want to join the military but instead wanted to partake in alternative civilian service. I got the opportunity to do so by helping to aid disabled people at the Don Bosco-Haus from 2008-08-01 till 2009-04-30.

Trough this service:

• I discovered that I enjoy working with people, taking care of others and trying to enable them a lot.
• I had a chance to test out my endurance in a demanding workspace. The work was taxing, both physically and in terms of stress, but it was also a lot of fun.
• I know that I can handle working close with humans and getting my hands dirty. This appeared to be in part a question of being willing to listen and to put in some empathy. It was a joy to get to know the people and it was an empowering experience to learn that my work can be useful to others.