Hi everyone,

I’m so glad to write again something on this blog.

I’m Mirindi Espérance, I’m 25 years old and I’m from the East of DR Congo in Africa.

Last year I made a video to introduce myself as a new UEM’s volunteer expected to work in a homeless center in Dortmund and I was so excited because at the time I was making that video I was in my country’s capital city, in Kinshasa for my visa application. It was in April 2020 last year that I should have travelled. I couldn’t wait to meet new people from everywhere, share experiences with them, have good time together, learn new things and be challenged to work as a volunteer. All seemed settled but God had different plans.

Corona virus was there and stopped everything, and that was a nightmare 🙁

I stayed over 2000 km far from my family for 7 months in lockdown with no idea when I would be back home and this was really not easy.

But in all that moment everything was not too bad. I was physically far from my family but in spirit we were together 🙂 we were praying for each other and that was our strength.

But also, I had the particular chance to meet Carolin with her kind and wonderful heart. I have never physically met her but it’s been as if we know each other since we are in contact and I’m so grateful. She has always been there for me, and has been such a support to me involving me in activities organised in Dortmund like the Global Ecumenical hangout where we discussed about different interesting subjects, also the international project choir and that was such a wonderful experience. I’ve already written something about it 🙂

I went back to my home in September and I was so glad and some weeks after I went to my job place in Bukavu for some works and then came back to my family in Goma and had some times together, thing that was wonderful.

I’m so glad and thankful to prepare myself again for my volunteering year.

It was so challenging and stressful because I couldn’t imagine that this would anymore be possible, my traveling was everyday postponed and the Embassy was not giving visas to volunteers and this was really not easy to hear because it was not depending on our will.

But they began giving visas to volunteers and at the beginning of this month I contacted again the Embassy about my application; I have received a message from them saying that they are going to print my visa and that is so wonderful to hear and I’m so grateful 🙂

I can’t wait to meet you all and to begin my volunteering year finally 🙂

See you very soon…