Munich: Germany’s ‘Willkommen’ spirit has seen the country’s borders opening up for thousands of refugees who are fleeing war and violence in their home countries.
But Munich residents are going one step beyond to show their warmth and support by opening up their hearts as well as homes for refugees.
Through an initiative called ‘Abendesser Connection’ that roughly translates into “Welcome Munich Dinner’, local residents are inviting refugees to their homes and cooking dinner for them.
German couple Lena Odell and Craig Odell who hosted Syrian refugee Adnan Al Bashir in their house in August said it was a dinner they will remember forever.
“It did not feel like we were meeting him for the first time. We spoke a lot — about his past and the terrible situations in his country. There were also light moments and we laughed a lot.
“Next week, he was there for my birthday party — like an old friend,” said Lena, who works as a translator.
Over a three course meal of Goulash (meat stew), cucumber salad, bread dumpling and Chocolate mousse, lots of conversations and culture were exchanged.
While Lena made sure there was no sensitive items (hog, beverages) on the menu, Adnan was grateful for giving him a normal evening in a warm setting that reminded him of his home in Syria.
This cultural bridging exercise across a dining table is proving very successful, according to the founders of ‘Abendesser Connection.’
“The response we are getting is amazing,” Marie Burneleit, one of the founders, told Gulf News.
“We want to encourage people to be open-minded and understand the life and difficulties a refugee goes through. And we thought the interaction should happen in the warm and intimate setting of their own homes,” said Burneleit.
Residents willing to host a dinner register on the Abendesser Connection’ website, and they are then linked up with refugees who are interested to share a meal with a local family. The hosts and guests are matched based on mutually agreed criteria like neighbourhood, gender, culinary preferences etc.
Syrian Anas Al Khayat, 33, who came to Munich in 2014 to pursue his studies is eager to replicate the concept in other German cities.
“I know how difficult it is to survive in a foreign country when you have nothing. So when I heard about this initiative, I jumped in to offer my support,” Khayat said.
But he said enthusiasm shown by Germans to host refugees is not always reciprocated from the other side. “It was a surprise for us that there was more hesitation from among refugees to be hosted by German residents. Clearly there is a lack of trust and that is exactly what we are trying to address,” said Khayat.
