Success Story
On the right track
By Sameer Ibrahim
Year after year, the number of refugees who receive financial help from German authorities, for example job centers or employment agencies, decreases. In this article we present an example. “Nothing is given to you in this life, but there is nothing too difficult if you have a strong will”. This is what Mohammed Khalaf says, a 40-year-old Syrian who found a job as a bus driver in Tübingen.
Before the war, Mohammed also worked as a bus driver in Syria. He came to Germany in 2015, attended an integration course and learned German. He got the opportunity to introduce himself to the Tübingen bus organization. The company agreed to give Mohammed a job on the bus driver team. Based on this confirmation of employment, the job center paid the costs for the driver’s license fee.
Mohammed managed to pass both the theoretical and practical part of the exam on his first try. He now transports thousands of citizens from Tübingen and the surrounding communities to their destination every day by bus. Mohammed says: “I am very satisfied with my work and thank the population and the German government for the position and acceptance. You have done a good humanitarian job. I thank Mechthild Stottert and Dinah Murad for their help and I thank tünews for this nice interview.”
I asked Mohammed what he thought of creating a trail for cyclists on the Neckar Bridge regarding the idea. Mohammed says: “It is a good idea to have a special lane for cyclists so that neither of us cross the other’s path. And finally: The security and well-being of the citizens are the most important thing for us.“
