Initiated and sponsored by Stiftungsgemeinschaft anstiftung & ertomis
Tahsin Tahsin, 38 years old, born in the Kurdish part of Iraq, has been living in Germany since 1995.His nature: The strength to reconstruct his own life after experiencing violence, a close connection to the earth. His goals: A peaceful life for him and his children, a permanent employment In Kurdistan, Tahsin was a farmer. Since the traumatic escape from Iraq and the settlement in Germany, he has been longing for the earth his family had been ploughing for many generations. As an alternative, he used the chance to cultivate a piece of land in the intercultural garden in Göttingen. This did not only establish a connection to his own roots but furthermore brought him many other advantages: Due to the social interaction and communication he was able to improve his language skills and consequently his chance for an employment. How could you learn German if you have no chance of getting to properly speak to someone? Of course Tahsin, the farmer, has a closer connection to the earth then other gardeners, of whom some have never worked in a garden before. Tahsin advises and helps these "beginners" and occasionally actively assists: To the building of an oriental bread oven, to the land clearing for a new garden or to the carrying of water crates on the occasion of the numerous festivals taking place in the garden. If you see Tahsin digging and planting, you can feel the close connection he has to the earth. That is where he finds security and freedom – after the traumatic experience of his escape, this is the most important premise to establish a new life for him and his family. |