Challenges Facing The African Community in Hamburg

Mr James Darko

Saturday, September 13th 2014 will go down in Germany as a day of African Unity. Pastor Wulff, Founder of the First Foundation, initiated a town meeting where all Africans could come and talk, discuss, contribute, as well as question the hindrances to the development of Africans in Hamburg.

Several concerned Africans gave insightful speeches which revealed in details where the problems within the African community in Hamburg lie.

The problems pointed out were:
Team Work:
Work done by several people or institutions collectively to attain a common goal is strange to the community, nevertheless this is the most efficient way of attaining best results. The efforts are visible; however the ability to coordinate and a few taking the credits is overshadowing this noble attempt.

Politics;
Africans lost the golden opportunity at the just ended local elections that took place in Hamburg, they paraded 5 candidates and yet still wondering why non was able to make it. We needed for the first time only one or maximum two candidates.

To some extent we presented two candidates at a constituency. We do not have huge numbers of voters. The inhabitants would only rally behind us when they notice we are fully behind a candidate as a community. It succeeded in Bremen with Elombo Bolayela and Karamba Diaby in far Halle (Saale), who could imagine a black, could become a parliamentarian in that corner of Germany.

Leadership;
Most people are yet to see themselves in this position, though they influence the masses negatively and positively. The two most outstanding groups are the Pastors and Chiefs. It is worth noticing that since the community started breeding churches in the society, crime, selling of drugs and fighting at social gatherings is on the decline.

It also came out that the churches spend larger part of their earnings in the payment of rents; this is not healthy for the community. Two or three of the smaller churches could share premises therefore saving cost.

Nevertheless it is expected of the Pastors to go beyond the spiritual needs of their people. They should also be seen playing active roles in education, health, recreation and other social related sectors.

It also came out that the chiefs have limited their usefulness to funerals, though they could do more in the socio-economic development of their people.

The Media;
The significance of the media is of no relevance to the African community, there is no major media platform that can serve the people and the few media practitioners have not seen the need to work with one another. Until they understand their strength lies in working as a team they can forget it.

Language Barriers;
Although most of the Africans in Hamburg speak the German Language, they cannot read nor write German articulately. This language barrier hinders most from getting better jobs, helping their kids with school home work but most importantly it stops them from getting the vital information they require to get help from the Government.

African Mind Set;
The average African in Hamburg works extremely hard in Germany but does not feel like Germany is home. They rather have the mindset that they are just here temporarily. This leads them to investing back home in Africa rather than investing here in Germany.

Lack of Education;
The lack of education within the majority of the Africans in Hamburg has drastically caused the slow progress in the community. With no education they cannot get the higher paying jobs nor can they reason tactically. They are content with being second class citizens who can't come together and work as a team nor do they see the importance of their role within the society.

So many other issues were raised. Issues such as Africans not working together in the political arena of Hamburg, Afro shops not coming together so as to create a much stronger buying power, no major Media house for the African community, fathers not playing their roles within the African families, and much more.

Overall, the meeting was a success and Pastor Wulff as well as all the attending pastors from different churches hope to organize another meeting that will hopefully start tackling all the issues.

Speakers of the Occasion;
Mr. Desmond John Beddy, CEO of TopAfric Media, Mr. James Darko, Software Engineer. Mr. Clement Klutse (CDU) Politician, Rev. Stephen Twumasi-Ankrah Bonsu. River of Life Missions (Accra) Mr. Dawouda Oumar Journalist / Zongo News, Mrs. Sylvaina Gerlich, IMIC / Integration Beirat Hamburg and Mr. Tejan Cham (Industriekaufmann)

TopAfric Media