After the “Waffle Baking” campaign in cooperation with the soup kitchen of the Franciscan monastery in Pankow at the beginning of May, we were given the opportunity at the end of summer 2024 to once again become socially involved in Berlin – more precisely in Berlin-Hellersdorf. It is home to the headquarters of the Arche, a Christian children’s and youth organization whose “work began in 1995 on the initiative of pastor Bernd Siggelkow [and which has since been] committed to helping children and adolescents coming from socially disadvantaged backgrounds [and] to fighting child poverty in Germany.”*

We also want to contribute to a socially better world and encourage others to volunteer in their neighborhoods or even develop their own social projects, not only through the SBW Berlin scholarship program, but also through our own social days. At the end of August, we – members of the SBW Berlin and the Wienecke Immobilien construction team – therefore helped to redesign a dance/music room at the Arche’s recreational center in Berlin-Hellersdorf.

Arrival at the Arche and first impressions

One Monday morning, we made our way past construction sites, through green avenues and along the Kienberg with its suspension railroad to the Arche. Upon approaching a green fence and the building behind it in Tangermünder Str., we had no idea how many friendly and helpful Arche employees we would meet that day. After all, the former school building seemed a little dreary at first.

Before long, however, we saw the Arche’s colorful sign and noticed a banner reading “Let the children come to me / and do not hinder them [The Bible]” above the main entrance. To the side of the building, we spotted a large construction container. This we would later fill to the brim with a discarded mirror wall, some dismantled bookcases and filing cabinets as well as parquet and wallpaper scraps.

After we were warmly welcomed by the regional manager and other Arche employees, we explored the premises of the local recreational center and learned a lot about the history of the Arche and what it has to offer.

The Arche: Its beginning and main tasks

When Bernd Siggelkow began his work as a pastor in Hellersdorf in the mid-1990s, he often saw many children who were unsupervised in the yard. “The key to a child’s heart, [he says,] is love and relationship.” So Siggelkow began playing soccer with the children in the yard and would simply listen to them. Soon, he and a team were helping them with their homework and trying to find solutions to other problems they had as well.

As a result, the Arche’s facilities have not only been drop-in centers for children and adolescents, but also for their families, who are often confronted with many challenges due to living in socially disadvantaged circumstances. The Arche staff help them and work together to find practical and realistic solutions to their problems. So that ultimately these can be overcome. The children and adolescents can develop and grow freely in the Arche centers. After all, this is where self-esteem is fostered, potential is awakened and nurtured.*

Of course, none of this is possible without good support and a great network. For this reason, there are now numerous volunteers and permanent employees who “are active at more than 32 locations throughout Germany, creating free offers in the areas of leisure, food, school breaks, learning, friends and family and thus reaching over 6,000 children and adolescents.”*

From play and sports equipment (indoor and outdoor) to handicrafts, children’s choir, dance projects, theater courses, guitar lessons, cooking courses, bicycle workshops, etc., there are many ways for children and adolescents who visit the Arche to spend their free time. In addition, “the Arche offers the children [in its centers] a full hot meal [and] homework help every day” and much more, depending on the location. We learn that the children and adolescents often regard the Arche as a second home, as they find security, stability and support here.

There are now other locations in Switzerland and Poland, the Arche employee told us. We also learned from her that another Arche employee, who used to live with her family in Berlin, is currently setting up a new location in Bagamoyo, a small sea port city north of Tanzania’s capital Dar es Salaam, together with her partner from Tanzania. This information was particularly exciting for us to hear. After all, some of our former SBW Berlin scholarship recipients come from Tanzania. It’s a small world!

*Source: Die Arche Website

Our social day at the Arche in Hellersdorf

After hearing so much about the Arche as a charity and about the recreational center in Berlin-Hellersdorf, everyone was full of enthusiasm. As our teams wanted to support the center in the first steps of redesigning a room that was planned as a multi-functional space. It was intended to be used for language and dance lessons and would also provide space for a small mobile music studio.

Once we had an initial overview of the day’s tasks, we began by dismantling small and large shelves and carrying all the parts down to the large container. The Arche had also taken care of our physical well-being and provided both an inviting breakfast and a delicious hot lunch. This meant we were able to recharge our batteries while we worked. After all, it wasn’t easy to dismantle the large mirror wall and remove the entire parquet floor and dispose of both accordingly. Before our social day came to an end, we still had time to remove the wallpaper from two large walls. To be honest, we were all a bit exhausted. Nevertheless, we were also very happy because we were able to help at the Arche recreational center in Hellersdorf that day.

We were already thinking about the children and adolescents who would later use the redesigned room and the fun they would have there. That made everyone smile, despite any physical exertion beforehand. It was definitely an exciting and eventful day.

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