By Ute Kaiser
“Thank you for helping other people to find their way in Mössingen.” That’s what Mössingen’s mayor (OB) Michael Bulander said to Kamila Alali. The city awarded the 38-year-old Mössingen resident the city’s pin of honor for her multifaceted commitment.
The war in Syria fundamentally changed the lives of Kamila Alali, born in Deir al-Zour, and her family. She fled with her husband, her son, now 13, and her daughter, now 11. The four arrived in Germany in September 2015. At first, the family lived in Ofterdingen. Then they moved to the Bästenhardt district of Mössingen.
Alali studied Arabic in Syria and taught young people at a high school. For the teacher, it was clear that language is the key to arriving in society. That’s why she quickly learned German. Her language skills were of use to other refugees. Alali accompanied Arab families and translated during conversations with doctors, at the district office or at the job center.
She enjoys dealing with children and teaching. In 2018, a friend and Alali founded a native-language program for Arab children. They should be able to speak the language of their country of origin, know its traditions and be able to talk to relatives there. The project is now part of the “Mother Tongue School Mössingen”. The teachers receive a fee from the city.
During the Corona crisis, Alali supported families who, according to OB Bulander, “could not be reached by the schools.” She tutored children and explained school-assigned tasks.
Early on, Alali trained as an intercultural parent mentor and translated, for example, at parent meetings at school or at doctor’s appointments. This honorary position has since become a profession. Alali works for the Mössingen city administration in school support and as co-coordinator of the “Intercultural Parent Mentors” project. For example, she arranges interpreters for parent talks in daycare centers and schools. OB Bulander praised Alali as a “bridge builder between families and schools”.
Communication and education have always been close to her heart. That’s why Alali is also involved in the all-day program at Gottlieb Rühle Elementary School. There, she not only helps children with their homework, but also does handicrafts and plays with them. She also teaches them about art and oriental traditions.
Since 2020, Alali has organized the international women’s breakfast. There, women from different countries can meet and talk to each other. This exchange between people from different cultures is important to the 38-year-old. In June 2017, Alali was already part of the tünews team that offered talks for refugees in the Steinlach Valley. At the “tünews vor Ort” meetings, for example, topics such as raising children or finding a place to live were discussed.
OB Bulander described Kamila Alali and the second refugee to receive the honorary pin, Widad El Quassem, as people “who have found a new home with us and have long since become members of Mössingen’s urban society.” Alali is also building bridges to her new home. She has applied for naturalization. Now it just needs to be approved.
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Kamila Alali erhält Mössinger Ehrennadel. Foto: tünews INTERNATIONAL / Michael Seifert
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