Youth exchanges and voluntary services between Germany and African countries can have a positive impact on young people throughout their lives, but they also present challenges. At a workshop in Addis Ababa at the beginning of September, 30 experienced training experts from Benin, Germany, Kenya and Tanzania discussed how young people can best be supported before, during and after their time abroad.
The aim of the workshop was to identify the success stories that exist in the different countries. Furthermore, the workshop sought to close gaps in the content and methodology of the educational measures. The around 30 participants in the events first defined the target group of youth exchange, and this alone showed: Youth does not equal youth.
Young people in all countries of the African-German Youth Initiative are distinguished by their heterogeneity. This should be taken into account in the training so that each young person individually feels understood in their overseas experience. The presentations from the point of view of alumni and exchange organisations, an exhibition of various training materials and a presentation on the part played by the subconscious in stereotypical perceptions provided ample scope for discussion for the workshop participants. It became apparent that a smooth exchange between Germany and partner countries depends not only on good preparation and follow-up.
Well-trained local mentors are becoming increasingly important. The trainers also recommended an even closer communication between all involved organisations and individuals about their expectations, their offers and the basic conditions locally. After all, real-life encounters through exchanges and voluntary services provide access to contextual knowledge that is difficult to access - the more customised accompanying measures are, the more they help young people to navigate the new cultural contexts successfully, so that they and others can enjoy the exchange.
The results of the Trainer Exchange were collected jointly and differentiated by country. For example, alumni are to be integrated even more closely into educational work, a database of African trainers is to be established and topical specialisations promoted. The creation of an online knowledge platform on which training and mentoring concepts are shared was formulated as an overarching goal.
