Our Challenges: Social commitment in case of providing assistance with individual distress and sexual assault

What is the reason for establishing Jadati?

Unfortunately again and again we get messages about

sexual assault in accommodations for refugees,
young women (refugees), who prostitute themselves on the street,
drug problems,
rapes and
suicides.

This news is distressing us. We feel powerless and have a guilty conscience, because of the fact that something like that can happen in a country like Germany, and we -the ones who are being well - can´t do anything.

We know that we are not able to solve all the problems and injustice all over the world. But at least we want to have a hand in making life easier.

Aber wir möchten zumindest, einen kleinen Betrag leisten, das Leben zu verbessern.

As Muslims, Christian, Jude and Humanists we are engaged to help other people.
As residents of a democratic country we should not only vote but also play an active role in society, because otherwise democracy is not working.
As people with an international background, we have to help people, who are new in the country.

What is the starting position ?

Live in Germany has a beautiful and also a dark side.

On the one hand it has favorable conditions.

Here, we are living in a constitutional state. Our government, our public authorities and the police can´t do what they want. They are dependent on the law and on the parliaments democratic decisions.
We have a division between people who make laws (legislative), who protect laws (judiciary) and who implement laws (executive). This is called "separation of powers" and means that nobody alone gains too much power.
The police sees itself as a kind of "friend and helper". Of course, policemen are only human beings and that is why there are good and less good experiences with the police: But overall, the police can and should be approached in case of problems.
We have a system where youth welfare offices, social welfare offices and charities deal with social problems, child protection and youth protection.

On the other hand there are many negative aspects.:

The importance of family, extended family and neighbourhood has declined.
People haven´t got time, less patience and a lot of mental pressure.
Although people live in material wealth, a lot of them are dissatisfied and get angry quickly about insignificant things.
Some people have problems to handle freedom.
Values and moral become less important.
A lot of refugees and migrants with bad language skills, an uncertain residence permit status and bad integration conditions haven´t direct access to people or institutions, which could help them. This doesn´t refer not only to young prostitute, which are lured to Germany as waitresses but also people who gained bad experience and feel weak and unconfident.

What does this mean for us ?

Even in modern times, fraternal and sisterly help cannot be "delegated" to the state and the system.
We have to interfere, look, help, act.
But thereby we have to stick to the rules.
We have to be aware of our limitations and have to consider them – even it is hard for us.

What is jadati able to do accomplishing this?

It´s easy.

Jadati means "my grandma" - Jadati means that we are trying to close the gap between the individual and the small family on the one hand and the social systems and the police on the other. We want to be the grandma, the grandpa, the sister, the brother for those people who need help.
So jadati means that we build the bridge, arrange contacts -we are not competing against the youth welfare office, the social work or the police! We just inform, dig deeper, remember and motivate.
We would like to strengthen cooperation with Muslims, Christians, Jews and humanists. We want to deal less with the differences. We would like to deal with the similarities. Because when it comes to humanity, charity, social issues and values, cooperation is right, important and valuable.