Of course, numerous mentorships have been arranged here as well. The mentees reach us in many different ways, some of them come directly to us, others via external platforms. One example of such a platform is Patenmatch. A Ukrainian-speaking woman from outside Hamburg contacted us in need of support in finding a place to live. Wir sind Paten Hamburg found a matching person who also spoke her language and arranged and accompanied a meeting. That worked out – in short – very well and the mentor has now been supporting her mentee for a while. Even though it has not yet worked out with the flat, she also supports the mentee in everyday life, so that the mentorship is already a success.

In order to accompany the placement of mentors, to recruit new mentors and to offer the existing tandems a comprehensive range of services, Wir sind Paten Hamburg has always organised (and continues to organise) various events. For example, weekly guided tours of a mosque in Hamburg are organised for school classes. Here, the pupils have the opportunity to learn about Muslim life in Germany and experience Hamburg’s diverse urban society on the one hand, but also to learn about the possibility of helping or receiving help within the framework of Wir sind Paten. „The combination is particularly important,“ explains Daniel Abdin, head of the mentoring office, „because in this way we often initiate tandems across supposed cultural borders and this direct contact strengthens not only mentee and mentor, but ultimately democracy as well.“

Keyword democracy. Here, too, Wir sind Paten organised various workshops in Hamburg, where mentors and mentees got to talk and exchange ideas about democratic forms of decision-making, but also about the dangers to democracy. And how these can be countered, for example the so-called fake news.

But the „relaxed part“ was not neglected either. A barbecue was organised for active mentors, and of course everyone could bring their tandem partners along. So there was not only something delicious to eat, but also the opportunity to exchange ideas, network and help each other more.