Since may of this year, climbing courses of a special kind have been taking place at the climbing tower of the german alpine association (DAV) in the former state garden show grounds. Focus on the integration of young refugees. The project is supported by the diaconal work of kronach-ludwigsstadt/michelau.
The program includes experiential climbing. The integration project is aimed at asylum seekers and german youths. In addition to young people from the district, the participants are mainly from afghanistan, but young refugees from african countries or syria can also try their luck on the climbing tower.
In groups of five to 15 participants, they meet bi-weekly on thursdays. The participants are boys and girls between the ages of 15 and 20. The participants know each other from the struwwelpeter youth and culture meeting in kronach. Struwwelpeter is the second cooperation partner besides the DAV. The project is supported by the federal program "living democracy"!". The DAV is represented by the committed members reimund heinlein, who is also in charge of the climbing facility, and david reinhold. Both of them are there in an honorary capacity and guided through the climbing course.
Hardly any language barriers
Kristina fritz, educational supervisor of struwwelpeter, informs about the content of the climbing program. The most important terms are explained before the correct auarmen is explained. The main focus was also on learning the safety techniques and understanding why they are so important. There were hardly any language barriers, since most of the participants could already understand and speak german quite well.
She sees climbing the tower as a meaningful leisure activity with a learning effect. Mutual trust is built up by securing the individual participants among each other.
"The course is well received, fun and fun and the young people follow our instructions and understand the safety procedures", added reimund heinlein.
Asylum social counselor gerd weickert and social pedagogue julia schmidt (diakonie) emphasize the high social pedagogical value of the project.