Lisa

So, what do you want to be when you grow up?

I’ve been asking myself that question for as long as I can remember, and I’m still searching for the right answer. But let’s start at the beginning.

My name is Lisa Luka, and I come from a Franconian village near Erlangen. I attended school there for twelve years, during which time I came up with many different ideas about my future: princess, paediatrician, gardener, teacher, baker, vicar, human rights activist… Now, after finishing my A-levels, I have the chance to go to Jordan with the Ecumenical Volunteers Programme (EVP).

On the outskirts of the capital city, Amman, lies the Theodor-Schneller-School (TSS), where children from challenging backgrounds can attend school and live in a supportive environment.

Over the next ten months, we German volunteers – Felix, Lisa S. and I – will be studying, working and living there too. We will be living in a shared flat on the school grounds and will mainly be assisting and supporting the teachers in looking after the individual ‘families’ (small groups in which the children live). In the following blog posts, I will describe exactly how I will be integrated into the daily routine at TSS.

I will need to overcome the language barrier, the feeling of being a stranger and the separation from my familiar way of life, family and friends back home. There will certainly be difficult phases, yet I am excited to see what awaits me in my ÖFP dream destination of Jordan and at TSS. Over the next ten months, I would like to learn Arabic and gain an insight into this country, which is located some 3,000 km away. Of course, my perspective will always be limited and entirely subjective given the diversity of a nation of 10 million inhabitants and an incredible number of refugees. Nevertheless, I’d like to use this blog to regularly share with you what I experience and learn during my voluntary service. I’d love it if you’d read along and send me comments and messages!

This opportunity to spend a year abroad is brilliant, and I’m very grateful for it. Who knows what impact these experiences and lessons will have? Hopefully, over the next ten months, I’ll also find an answer to the question of what comes next. 🙂 But first – let the adventure begin!