Success Story – From Refugee to Published Author

Success Story: From Refugee to Layali Share this Facebook Youtube Linkedin Instagram In 2015, Layali Jafaar came to Germany from Iraq with her teenage son. To this day, she speaks little about her escape. In Iraq, Layali was a self-employed entrepreneur with a catering company. She says she learned to cook from her father, who […]

Morteza – From Refugee to Manager

Former refugee and now manager Morteza with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz

Success Story: From Refugee to Manager Morteza Share this Facebook Youtube Linkedin Instagram Morteza Haschemi came to Germany with his family in 2016. A few months after his arrival, he took a temporary job as a glass collector in a beer garden. A few days later, the management of the beer garden was so impressed […]

Doctor of Hearts Honored for his Humanitarian Commitment

In Berlin, Andreas Tölke, founder of “Be an Angel e.V.” and recipient of the Federal Cross of Merit, was honored with an honorary doctorate from Arden University for his exceptional contributions to humanity. The ceremony took place at “Kreuzberger Himmel,” a restaurant Tölke founded and staffed by people with refugee backgrounds. Numerous prominent guests from his network, including Prof. Gesine Schwan and Hajo Schumacher, attended the event and praised Tölke’s dedication and its significant impact on society.

Interview with our Ukraine Team – TAZ.de

Nataliia Gocharova, Julia Zara, and Ekatetrina Mikheitrva work as volunteers in Odessa, supported by the Berlin-based association Be an Angel. They provide food and medicine, evacuate those in need, and ensure medical care for sick children and elderly people in Europe. They describe the harsh living conditions in Odessa, with frequent power and heating outages, and the psychological strain on the residents. Despite these challenges, they stay in Odessa to help their fellow citizens and raise donations for those in need. Art events offer a welcome break from the war’s daily realities.

Together to the Mortician – Berliner Morgenpost

Ulrike Lessig, a board member of the “Be an Angel” association and former social worker, takes care of both her elderly mother with dementia and refugees in Berlin. Despite her own physical limitations, she handles her daily life with remarkable energy and joy. After the death of her friend Raffi, she took on the responsibility of caring for Raffi’s daughter Lou, whom she refers to as her “gosling child.” Her professional experiences with terminally ill patients have deeply influenced her, fostering a desire to support others in their final moments. For her own funeral, Ulrike wishes to have food from the “Kreuzberger Himmel” restaurant, run by refugees.

Bringing the Refugee Crisis Home in Berlin – The New Yorker

Three weeks after his Berlin apartment was photographed for a lifestyle magazine, Andreas Tölke turned his home into an emergency shelter for refugees. Tölke, a journalist specializing in architecture and design, spontaneously took in three Egyptians, a Bosnian teenager, and a Moldovan. Since then, he has hosted 38 refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Albania, assisting them with bureaucratic tasks, taking them shopping, and helping them integrate into Germany. The willingness of Berliners like Tölke to help reflects a larger cultural movement that critically questions government policies and responses to the refugee crisis.