Abdu sets foot on German soil for the first time. After months of travel after fleeing Damascus, he has finally arrived in Germany. He had to leave his home and his family in Syria as a result of persecution and war. With no papers, no accommodation, no job and no knowledge of German at all, Abdu has landed in Munich. 

It is a great stroke of luck for Abdu to meet Matthias. Mathias is one of many voluntary helpers who are involved in refugee aid. Through Mathias, Abdu learns of the integration project at Motel One. As he already has previous experience of working in a hotel, Abdu applies for the five-month internship preparing for an apprenticeship. Abdu is invited to the assessment day and makes a great impression even without German language skills – his high motivation, interest and personal initiative make up for it.

It is not only with working in the hotel and learning German that Abdu receives support. Like every other participant in the project, he has a mentor assisting him. The mentor supports him with external issues, like finding a flat and dealing with bureaucracy. Moreover, they are in close contact with social workers and voluntary helpers like Mathias.

All employees have been trained so that they can cope well with cultural differences and better understand the challenges the refugees face. In their free time, Abdu and his team get to know each other better at football training or partying together.

On 1 September 2016, it is Abdu’s first day as an apprentice at Motel One! Back in August Abdu was informed that he was ready to begin an apprenticeship to become a specialist in the hospitality industry from September 2016. As a result of the language course and practice during the internship, his German has improved significantly, meaning there is no barrier to him attending a vocational school. There is unbelievable joy on all sides. Including from the leader of the integration project, Katrin.