Berlin's Neighborhood Mothers help immigrant moms find their feet

DW (English)

"Neighborhood Mothers," an initiative that began in Germany's capital, Berlin, has since been replicated in cities across the country. It helps immigrant parents to integrate into life in the country.

Transcript

00:00Rania Shaban is a mother to a whole neighborhood of Berlin.

00:15For women from around the world who are new to Germany, like Lebanese mother of three Isra,

00:20adapting to life here can be tough.

00:22That's where neighborhood mothers come in.

00:24Tonight Rania is helping Isra get her eldest daughter ready to start school.

00:30I didn't have anything to help me.

00:33And when I got married to her daughter,

00:35they made me feel very happy in this country.

00:39Neighborhood mothers like Rania are paid by the city to help foster integration.

00:43The program began here in Berlin's Moikun district in 2004.

00:48It's since been replicated across the capital and nationwide.

00:51After a chat about the German school system,

00:53it's off to the local library to borrow some books for the kids.

00:57To read is important.

00:59And many children cost them a lot of money to buy books.

01:06And here you have a great choice, also in different languages.

01:10Central to Rania's role are her own experiences of the challenges of parenting and integration.

01:16When my parents came here, it didn't exist.

01:19It didn't exist.

01:20It didn't exist anymore.

01:21It didn't exist anymore than before.

01:23It feels like you were here in your own country.

01:27Yes, it didn't exist anymore.

01:29Yes, it didn't exist anymore.

01:30It'll be effective.

01:31It didn't exist anymore.

01:32Yes, it didn't exist anymore.

01:33Yes, absolutely.

01:34It does not exist.

01:36No, no.

01:37It is worth it for a long time.

01:38It is worth it.

01:39Yes, that's wonderful.

01:40You, you, you, you, you, you, you, you.

01:41Let's go back home.

01:42You, you, you.

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