Initiated and sponsored by Stiftungsgemeinschaft anstiftung & ertomis
Ouafae Ouafae, 31 years old, born in Morocco, lives in Germany since 1996 and her daughter Miriam, four years old, born in Göttingen.Her nature: She has an ability to master crisis situations, a loving devotion to old people and a heartfelt relationship to plants who comfort and heal her. She is graceful and has good self-esteem, Her goals: To complete an apprenticeship as a physiotherapist or a nurse for the elderly. After she met her husband in Morocco and got married in 1996, she moved to live with him in Göttingen. Soon after this, her daughter Miriam was born. Then the couple split and Ouafae found herself in a life crisis, which she had to master on her own, in a foreign country. In this difficult situation, the "space" she had in the international garden proved to be very helpful in her struggle to get back on her feet. The garden and the gardeners were simply "there" and gave her all the support they could. And they gave her strength. Ever since, Ouafae speaks of the gardeners as her "family" in Germany. Ouafae finances her and her daughter's life with the money she earns as a nurse in an old people's home. Since she really enjoys working with elderly people, she wants to become a physiotherapist or a nurse for the elderly. But one thing is for sure: Even if she starts the apprenticeship, she will definitely continue working in the garden. It is refuge, hideout and medium to her: "Without the beauty of the garden I could not survive. When working on my piece of land, I feel completely different. I forget what has happened and feel at ease. I talk to the flowers. Really, I do. I believe that they can hear what we are telling them. Flowers also have a soul. I always tell them something." |