Beauty of helping others can get overlooked by the horrors in the world

By the end of my first year studying, I had started to find my feet at DMU. I was surrounded by some amazingly supportive tutors who suggested it would be a hugely valuable experience to try an international trip, and only a quick search was needed to find the one for me amongst the array of opportunities available.

Travelling in a small group, with a good mix of freedom and structure, seemed ideal. Since I was already passionate about helping vulnerable communities, getting to expand my network and the impact that can be made for new groups particularly appealed to me, so volunteering with refugees in Berlin seemed the perfect fit.

Day one

When taking off in that plane, it was clear a new adventure was on the horizon, which had the potential to be life-changing. Upon our arrival into the summer heat of the city, we navigate our way to the hostel via the first of many variations of German transport.

After a brief moment to settle in, we made our way to a lovely little cocktail bar called Gestrandet, with a view out to the water and a couple of drinks to ease into the evening.

A beautiful coincidence allowed me to share this time with a friend and colleague whom I had only met online, since she is from Germany. Then, it was only the luck of a work event that brought her to Berlin from the other side of the country, making this the ideal, yet quite surreal, opportunity to meet.

A hot trek through the forest and up towards Teufelsberg proceeded this, to capture a breathtaking view from a location now transformed by art, away from its negative historical roots.

The site is constructed on a mound of rubble from WW2, with the buildings previously used as a radar communication base, monitoring Soviet and Eastern Bloc communications.

Now repurposed through creativity, the place holds its significance while empowering new voices of incredibly talented graffiti artists.

Despite a lack of magnificence in the (day after) Summer Solstice sunset, it was still a brilliant experience to see the city above before our ground-level exploration to come.

Day two

The following day commenced with a meeting at the Alexanderplatz clock, greeted by Carsten Otto, who shared some discussion around his role working with the Berliner Sparkasse bank.

Their initiatives help to build a more sustainable and supportive society. While it seemed worlds away from our experiences with British banking, it still shone a light on what could be possible, highlighting how crucial it is to get involved with community activity, be politically aware and engaged (particularly to maintain the rights to democracy) and that small changes can make a huge difference.

After this, we enjoyed walking through the city with our excellent self-taught tour guide, Dr. Mark Charlton.

As Berlin is so rich with culture and history, there were endless avenues to explore as we passed by the Fernsehturm (TV tower) to reach the Rosenstrasse, which acts as a monument to the wives of Jewish men who publicly stood up for their spouses in the face of adversity.

We discussed the role of statues, with many dotted around to ponder the morality of their existence. More locations of significance included the Hotel Adlon (think Michael Jackson, baby balcony), the site where the 'burning of the books' occurred, and the Reichstag government building, before reaching the Brandenburg Gate.

We also spotted the Victory Column (lovingly dubbed 'Chick on a Stick' by the locals) and the hauntingly moving Holocaust memorial, and other dedications to those targeted during Hitler's regime.

We even saw the site - now a car park - where his bunker was. Where buildings are still scarred with bullet holes, and all that looks old is in fact remade, there will always be an essence of remembrance for the suffering that came before, and an air of change bringing the city of Berlin into the thriving hub it is now.

A quick kebab stop then led to a visit to Mark Heffron, a high-level manager in the Royal Air Force, at the British Embassy for a very insightful presentation about the connection between the UK and Germany, particularly with their military operations.

It was enlightening to know a little more about how this works and the benefits of working together for defence programmes to offer better, more efficient outcomes. Being offered tea in the very formalities of the British Embassy is not something you expect to be doing on a regular day!

The remainder of the evening was spent exploring the Berlin Mall, doing a spot of souvenir shopping, dodging storms, seeing some lasting parts of the Berlin Wall, and a long sunset walk back to base, stopping to relax with a view of the cathedral - rather magical.

Day three

The next day saw us working with Serve the City to paint the children's playroom at a local refugee centre.

Although we didn't really get to meet those who are staying there, a curious little lad wandered in and allowed for some beautiful communication through play, disregarding any language or cultural barriers.

Soon, the walls were adorned with bees, butterflies, clouds, a hot air balloon, the sun, palm trees, a penguin, a plane and more. Despite two fire alarms, the industrious morning left us hoping the families enjoy their new murals.

With a spare half an afternoon ahead and a city full of more than we could ever possibly pack into one trip (basically suggesting a repeat is necessary...), a whole list of places we wanted to tick off.

Splitting into groups to cover more of our own choice of ventures, mine began by reaching Checkpoint Charlie, which was one of many incomprehensible moments where its history cannot be fathomed without living it.

After a short walk, we popped into a little vegan cafe, which had some delicious pastries and a very Instagrammable vibe.

Unbeknownst to us, on the way up to the bathrooms, it transformed into an elegant and quirky bar, looking straight out of a Netflix original! This extremely cool experience was followed by walking outside to a group dressed as gorillas - the real sights of Berlin!

Next was The Global Stone Project, a collection of five large rocks from all the continents to represent the unity of peace... except Venezuela has reclaimed theirs from the South American plot in the Tiergarten, so only four remain.

However, it was still worth a look and the chance to reflect on the international connections between countries. We then made our way to the East Side Gallery: a remarkable vision, being the largest piece of the Berlin Wall still standing.

The creativity from the artists made a piece of division into a masterpiece to admire. Our last stop of the day was the Fernsehturm, but this time, with the opportunity to embark on its lift into the sky.

This was a particular highlight of the whole trip, seeing the evening sun shining across the city, with Teufelsberg visible perched upon its mound in the distance. A quiet night in playing games together in the bar was much needed after such a busy and exhausting day!

Day four

As a particularly special celebration for all involved, it was no ordinary Wednesday at the Marienfelde Refugee Center Museum.

After a short tour around the museum section of the site, which fascinatingly depicts the act of migration for many Germans who became refugees in their own country, we had the incredible opportunity to listen to Atefa Waseq talk to us.

Offering an inspirational insight into her life in Afghanistan, she discusses becoming an academic and having this stripped away under Taliban rule yet refusing to give up on her dreams.

Fleeing to Berlin gave her family a chance for a new life, and connecting with DMU means we have the privilege of supporting this.

Through years of work on 'Project Atefa', the time to reinstate the award had finally arrived. Atefa was granted Visiting Professorship, and a formal graduation was held, including the official robes.

In attendance were friends, family and colleagues, all of whom listened in awe at the hope that was radiated around the room.

We proudly watched on, with some of my peers doing some fantastically engaging speeches. The brilliance continued into the evening, with a celebratory graduation dinner seeing many of Atefa's support network come together and share their stories. Soon, there will be plans for broadening this fantastic project even more. 

Day five

Now that the trip was nearing its end, there was only time for a few more places to be included, but they still proved to be very important ones.

The Holocaust Museum was a must-see. Even from its exterior, which we had managed to pass several times across the previous few days, its poignancy cuts deep with emotion, yet the vast array of stories is unimaginable.

Our afternoon consisted of passing the Volksbühne Theatre to pay a visit to the third refugee centre of the trip.

Here, they are one of the places housing the most refugee children in Berlin. We had a look around and saw an example of the living conditions, as well as the other spaces available on site, such as the children's room.

A key moment was when Joanna Lundt, the coordinator of our visit, expressed that the most common conflicts amongst those arriving from all over the world seeking refuge do not stem from race or religion or culture: they are merely the everyday arguments that you or I would encounter living in such close proximity to one another, such as whether to have the window open or not.

An intrigued young boy, who very quickly adapted to learning both German and English since his arrival in Berlin, then helped us round up many of the other kids to play in the courtyard with us, where we forged some precious bonds through some shared fun and resentment of the overwhelming heat... Brits abroad can still manage to make conversation about the weather!

It even helped practice my German skills a little too. This activity was especially thought-provoking for me, given my interest in working with vulnerable communities and supporting the next generation to experience the fulfilled life they deserve.

As home time approached, we made our way to the airport for one last German beer, and an immense collection of lifelong memories to treasure.

While it's impossible to cover everything that we jammed into five days, this summary is still missing a few things...

Firstly - a sandwich, pretzel, croissant or fruit pot from Yorma's in the station was a staple of the trip, along with trying not to be late to the meeting point.

Despite the fact that the train service just gets abandoned in a storm that only lasted a matter of moments, the value for money on the tickets is fantastic.

The airport has some lovely music at the baggage carousel, whereas upon our arrival back in the East Midlands, we were greeted by a gloriously screechy conveyor.

There are Berlin bears everywhere, and the guy playing building equipment offers some great entertainment. It is (somehow) possible to have a store open for '25 Hours', and lastly, Berlin loves to profit off the little Ampelmann in the traffic lights, and we can't help but oblige.

So, what have I learnt? Pushing the boundaries to go places out of my comfort zone (sometimes) can help to grow my confidence massively.

I now want to travel more, spreading the positive impact of global connections even wider by helping the world become a better place, with happy, sustainable futures.

Even though we all started the trip not knowing each other, it was extremely meaningful to spend that time together, fostering the potential for long-lasting friendships. It's inspired me to share my projects further and build on my knowledge, while offering my own experience to others: foundations for great things that can only come to fruition with joint efforts.

There were many notions of helping one another and being inclusive that are so beautiful yet get overlooked by the horrors of the world - we must shout louder about these.

The trip has posed an opportunity for a deeper understanding of refugee communities, which is an area I'm now particularly keen to weave into my work going forward. But most importantly, do not comment on someone's distinct footwear choices when they are likely to be standing behind you.

My concluding reCrop imagemarks are a massive thank you to everyone who facilitated the trip. I am hugely appreciative of having been able to do this, and I look forward to what the future holds from what we have gained.