Integration guides help immigrants find their way in their new environment and avoid misunderstandings; they accompany them to government offices or doctor’s appointments, and encourage them to learn German. They offer assistance with everyday life, enrolling in preschool and school, and finding housing.
Key areas of focus in the three-month basic training program included communication, intercultural competence, knowledge of government agencies, reflection on one’s own role, and familiarization with local networks and partner organizations. The health navigators also received training on additional topics such as the German healthcare system, migration and health, mental health, and chronic illnesses.
The following individuals have completed the basic training to become integration guides:
1. Ingrid
Früchtl 2. Christoph
Kümpel 3. Bernhard Sitzmann
The following individuals have completed the basic training to become health navigators:
1. Nadiia
Yurevych 2. Dagmar Zoth
“I want to support people with an immigrant background and help them integrate more easily. Learning German plays a key role in this,” says Bernhard Sitzmann, a newly appointed integration guide, describing his motivation. The retired German teacher is planning, together with integration guide Ingrid Früchtl, to offer a language café where immigrants can learn German. Health guide Nadiia Yurevych herself fled Ukraine, where she worked as a doctor: “I now want to help other people with similar experiences settle into life in Germany. Through this training program, I was able to further my education in the field of health care in Germany.”
The state-wide program for volunteer integration guides has been in place in the Fulda district since 2016. The training is supported and funded through the Hessian WIR state program by the Hessian Center of Excellence for Diversity.
The mentors are coordinated by the WIR Coordination Team at the Fulda District Integration Office. The Integration Office organizes regular joint reflection and networking meetings to foster communication among the mentors and support them with any questions or issues they may have. Currently, there are about 20 active mentors.
Good to know:
The Integration Office is the central point of contact for refugees, volunteers, organizations, and employers in the Fulda district. For more information, please visit: