"A simple and committed lifestyle can lead to great satisfaction."
Are there moments in your everyday life when you realize that my commitment is now bearing fruit?
Through my various commitments, I know many different people. These contacts enrich my everyday life and always show me new perspectives. This allows me to regularly reap the rewards, sometimes even exotic ones!
Through my various commitments, I know many different people. These contacts enrich my everyday life and always show me new perspectives.
Where has commitment been particularly rewarding in your life?
Two commitments come to mind. As a teenager, I was a group leader and later a step leader. There, as a shy girl, I learned to take responsibility first for a group of children and then for an entire level. My current commitment is as a guide for blind runners: I can enable blind runners to take part in regular running training sessions and races. It makes me more aware of my surroundings and I appreciate being able to see my surroundings with my eyes.
When was the last time a person impressed you with their commitment?
I am very impressed by a couple I know who retired about two years ago. They invest a lot of their time, their knowledge from their professional lives and their gifts in voluntary work: In accompanying refugees and migrants, in giving German courses for them, in organizing interesting events for the local EVP.
You volunteer as President of the Board of ena - that impresses us. How did you come to do this work?
I have known ena or Tearfund for over 20 years through Christa Bauer, who attended the same service with her husband for a while. During the service, Christa told me about Tearfund. As a result, I took part in a short-term assignment in the water project in Uganda, which was a very impressive experience. After two more project trips to Africa, I became a member of the association, later a member of the board and last year Marianne Streiff asked me if I would succeed her as president.
What are you most looking forward to in your new role as President?
On the one hand, I have respect for the task, especially as I have never been involved in the work of an aid organization. As I am very impressed by the projects supported by ena and I think that helping disadvantaged people is more important than ever, I am looking forward to getting to grips with ena's current issues even more intensively.
As I am very impressed by the projects supported by ena and find it more important than ever to help disadvantaged people, I am looking forward to the even more intensive involvement.
What helps you to keep going, even when things get challenging?
My experience as a marathon runner is that it is worth continuing to run, even when everything hurts in times of crisis and my body says I don't want to do it anymore. This has taught me that challenges in life, no matter what kind they are, will help me move forward if I face them and tackle them.
It's worth continuing to run, even if everything hurts in times of crisis and your body says I don't want to do it anymore.
How do you experience the interaction between professionalism and volunteering at ena?
On the one hand, I find it challenging when I have to make groundbreaking decisions as a volunteer and non-expert on the Board. On the other hand, I think it makes sense for me as an interested donor to volunteer on the board and have my say. In my opinion, there should be more contact between professional and voluntary staff.
Where is simplicity an issue in your life?
Simplify your life is an important motto in my life. Especially after my experiences and encounters in small African villages, I realized that I wanted to simplify my life. My husband and I have partially implemented this by moving out of our house into a two-room apartment in the multi-generational housing project 'erfahrbar' two years ago. We are also trying to learn from the simple lifestyle of the Benedictine nuns in the neighboring Fahr monastery.
Especially after my experiences and encounters in small African villages, I realized that I wanted to simplify my life.
"Simple & committed" - what do these ena values mean to you personally?
As you can see from my answer above, these values mean a lot to me personally. I believe that a simple and committed lifestyle can lead to great satisfaction. Jesus also modeled such a lifestyle for us.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to get involved?
Listen carefully to yourself: what does your heart beat for, what particularly touches you? Look for an opportunity in that area where you can get involved. Openness, the willingness to embrace new and unknown things and the ability to accept corrections are helpful prerequisites.
