It all started with one question: What comes after graduation?

While scrolling through social media, an unexpected opportunity opened up for me. Without a big plan, without much overthinking – I simply decided to go. I left the serious thinking for later.

My volunteer year began in October 2024 and lasted until September 2025. It feels a bit unusual to look back at the beginning and realize how many new life experiences I gained.

I volunteered in Halle, at a cultural workshop called Grüne Villa. There, I made many friends and took part in numerous creative workshops. That green place is full of laughter, play, and fun—and you never know who might drop by that day: a child, a teenager, a student, or some new and interesting person.

Completely by chance, a new world opened up for me. The world of theatre. When I arrived, acting classes for schoolchildren had just started. Soon after, I became involved in a theatre project. That’s when my own life story gained a new stage.

I was often a “master in the making” – from assembling cabinets to handling various small repairs. What stands out the most is the wall cabinet for sanitary pads that I installed with the help of my mentor. In addition, I experienced my first camping trip and canyon ride – memories I will carry with me for a long time.

I learned German spontaneously, through everyday situations. I discovered the city of Halle through walks, photographs, and small street discoveries. Finding discarded items on the street that often become new “treasures” was a real cultural shock for me – and then it turned into a hobby.

Through the Weltwärts project, I attended a total of five seminars. There, I met other volunteers from different countries, each with unique experiences and stories. The exchange with them was especially enriching.

Being a volunteer in Germany was an unforgettable experience for me—one I would gladly repeat. Besides volunteering, I also had the opportunity to travel. Thanks to affordable tickets, I visited Leipzig, Magdeburg, Berlin, and many other cities.

In the end, I realized: if you don’t try, you will never know what you might experience, learn, or what stories you will carry with you for future generations.

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*The Weltwärts program is a development policy volunteer service of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). It enables young people from Germany to volunteer in developing countries, as well as young people from the region, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, to complete a one-year volunteer service in partner organizations in Germany. The Addiction Prevention Competence Centre currently cooperates with the organization Friedenskreis Halle.