When the integration café "Aller-Café" opened in August 2016, I set up a new Arabic-German learning center there. Alongside many wonderful moments, a terrible tragedy suddenly occurred: A refugee, 20-year-old Yacouba Meite from the Ivory Coast, drowned on July 25, 2017, in the Bernsteinsee lake in Stüde (Gifhorn district). I didn't know him, but the thought that this person had to die simply because he "didn't want to attract attention" and therefore entered a shared and dangerous section of the Bernsteinsee beach, and that he wasn't warned by other bathers, but on the contrary, was even mocked by some bathers after his death, gave me no peace. At the Aller-Café, I suggested a collaboration with a swimming pool so that the refugees could learn to swim there. The Aller Café replied that they had already inquired at various swimming pools, but that they refused to offer courses to the refugees. I then went to one of the ones mentioned and spoke to the pool manager. He confirmed that they did not offer swimming lessons for refugees, as they had had bad experiences in the past. I was unable to change his mind. After I informed the local newspaper, the manager's attitude changed, and swimming lessons were planned for the refugees. We then visited the pool with the refugees on three different days and prepared them for the future swimming lessons, whereby the different cultural images of women played a very important role. I paid the entrance fees and also provided the swimwear, as it was important to me to start right away while the "iron was still hot." At the same time, the Aller Café also offered a theoretical briefing on the dangers of swimming in gravel pits. The subsequent swimming lessons were supervised by volunteers from the Aller Café, and the lessons are still held today. There have never been any problems at the pool, and the refugees are now completely normal swimmers, like everyone else. Some refugee children soon proudly showed me their "seahorse" badges.
Who knows, maybe this seahorse has even saved lives. Since then, no refugee has drowned in the Gifhorn district.
