In Germany since 2017 How a young Syrian became a hairdresser in Troisdorf
Troisdorf · Karam Alhajmohamad didn't speak a word of German when he came to Germany from Syria in 2017. He has now completed his hairdressing training and has a job in his profession.
When Karam Alhajmohamad began his training at the Troisdorf hairdressing salon "Haireinspaziert", his boss Manuela Andreas and his colleagues had to keep telling him to "smile". Today, Andreas observes, he wears that smile on his face every day. When she took the now 23-year-old Syrian on as an apprentice, he was overwhelmed by the language and at vocational school, too shy to answer the phone and speak to customers for fear of saying the wrong thing. With the help of his boss and a training mentor from the "Paten für Ausbildung" (PfAu) project run by Diakonie An Sieg und Rhein, he recently completed his training with an average grade of 3.0 and was able to overcome his fear of speaking
Coming to Germany at the age of 17
Karam Alhajmohamad came to Germany from Damascus in 2017 at the age of 17. His brother was already in Eitorf and was able to bring the young man over from the war in Syria through family reunification. In his home country, Alhajmohamad had helped out his uncle in the hairdressing salon during the summer holidays, but actually wanted to study after school. However, after he had to leave Damascus behind and flee to a foreign country, education seemed to be the best path for him. "He called me, and a short time later he was standing in my shop asking me for an apprenticeship. At first I was a little unsure, but after a short trial, I realised that he would be a good fit for us and wanted to give him a chance," recalls master hairdresser Manuela Andreas, who has been running her salon for five years.
Language was a problem at first
Alhajmohamad began his training with the fear of not being able to speak to customers properly and not being accepted due to his poor language skills. "But my boss encouraged me all the time to answer the phone and I slowly became less shy," he says. He practised his craft with Andreas in the salon. This was possible with observation and imitation, even without perfect language. However, Alhajmohamad soon became very worried about vocational school. "I didn't understand much, especially the technical terms," he remembers. He got poor grades and lost hope that this would change. "You could tell that he saw a big block in front of him that he didn't know how to get rid of," says Andreas.
Unexpectedly, but as an example of how important language is in the hairdressing trade, Alhajmohamad's boss found a solution. Rita Maiwald had been a customer of Manuela Andreas for a long time. When the hairdresser asked her what Maiwald was doing now that she was retired, the qualified psychologist told her that she was volunteering as a "mentor for training". The Diakonie project offers young people support in starting a career by providing them with volunteers to accompany them. As soon as Manuela Andreas heard this, she cautiously asked Rita Maiwald whether she could imagine helping Karam Alhajmohamad. She could and soon met the Syrian regularly at the vocational school after lessons to revise the material with him. At first, the two met once a week, then - as the exams approached - several times. Alhajmohamad even visited Maiwald at home on Sundays so that he could learn even more with her.
Achieving everything under her own steam
Gradually, his grades improved. "Once he got an A in economics and joked that he could now become a politician," Manuela Andreas recalls her protégé's successes. She and Maiwald repeatedly emphasise how hard and diligent Karam Alhajmohamad has worked to achieve this. Maiwald: "It's not really my job to give private tuition. But in Karam's case, I saw it as a way of giving him self-confidence and confidence in what he was already capable of. And in the end, he managed everything on his own." Andreas also praises Alhajmohamad: "He's a good role model for others who think they can't do something and almost lose hope.“
Manuela Andreas hired the Syrian, who still lives in Eitorf, permanently after his training. He is particularly good at cutting short haircuts. He now chats to customers about this and that, as is part and parcel of life as a hairdresser. Andreas knows that he still has more to learn: "It's the same for every hairdresser. Nobody masters every cut after three years. Even I'm still learning." But Karam Alhajmohamad now knows that he has a good foundation and can continue working in a much more relaxed manner than three years ago. His goals are to gain a master craftsman's certificate, improve his language skills and become a naturalised citizen.
Mentors for training
"Paten für Ausbildung" (PfAu) is a project run by the volunteer agency for the Rhine-Sieg district, which is part of the An Sieg und Rhein social welfare organisation. It offers young people support in starting a career. Currently, 38 mentors are involved on a voluntary basis. Ten sponsorships are running in Troisdorf. The Troisdorf Children's Foundation supports PfAu financially. Further information about PfAu, the volunteer agency, the volunteer exchange and the opportunity for personal advice on volunteering can be found at http://webdefence.global.blackspider.com/urlwrap/?q=AXicFctBCoMwEAXQfwUvEgnRheKiFIoL6b4uY0x1YEwkBgdvX7t-vKJHVwPnG0h8aTOpI51qs8QuhpwiKxc3mOer_oz7oCvdVA1iYAr-sVg1e6w5721Zisjd3Cr2-CZPQsy0_B3oDfADa5Ef-w&Z.
(Original text: Sofia Grillo; Translation: Mareike Graepel)
