Geretsriederin Helene Schoßig goes to the end of the world for a year
Created: 08/03/2022, 20:00
By: Doris Schmid
That's where it goes: Helene Schoßig flies to Chile in South America on August 6th.
She stays there for twelve months.
© Sabine Hermsdorf-Hiss
After graduation, it's off to the big, wide world: Helene Schoßig will support mentally handicapped children and young people in Chile for a year.
Geretsried – Where the world ends: That's where Helene Schoßig is drawn to.
The 19-year-old from Geretsried passed her Abitur with an impressive average of 1.4 and is packing her bags.
She will live in Chile for a year to support children and young people with intellectual disabilities at an all-day school there.
Helene Schoßig goes to the end of the world for a year
It was clear to her from the start that she would not go directly to university after graduating from high school – social work or biology are her favorites.
"I was thinking about doing a voluntary social year or an internship," says Schoßig in an interview with our newspaper.
As part of her career orientation, she came across the World Volunteer Service of the Archdiocese of Augsburg (see box).
Schoßig applied last year and was selected.
Get to know the country and culture
In addition to Chile, Peru, Uganda and Tanzania would also have been possible locations.
But the 19-year-old wanted to go back to Chile.
"I was there once for a student exchange in 2019," reveals the former high school student.
At that time she was mainly at school.
Now she is looking forward to getting to know more of the country and the culture.
"I would like to go down to Tierra del Fuego," is her wish.
Three travel guides will certainly provide plenty of further inspiration.
The place of use is the “Sternkinder” support center
In Chile, the Geretsried native will work at the "Sternkinder" support center, a school with a day care center for mentally handicapped people located in Los Angeles, about 500 kilometers south of the capital Santiago.
The facility began operations in 1998 and now supports 130 children and young people.
For the handicapped children and young people, who live well below the poverty line and mostly come from rural areas, there is otherwise hardly any chance of support, since promotion often fails, according to a description of the school.
"I'm looking forward to the project and the work there," says Schoßig enthusiastically.
She will share a flat with two other young women who are also taking part in the program.
Chile is twice the size of Germany
The woman from Geretsried will stay for a year and will not see her parents and siblings.
This thought doesn't make her queasy.
"There are so many ways to keep in touch," the 19-year-old is confident.
The adventure begins on August 6th.
Then it's on to Madrid via Chile, which by the way is twice the size of Germany and the narrowest South American country.
It stretches over 4300 kilometers from north to south and has 15 million inhabitants.
In the language of the indigenous people, Chile means "where the world ends".
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Keyword World Volunteer Service
The World Volunteer Service is part of the World Church department of the Diocese of Augsburg and offers young adults between the ages of 18 and 28 the opportunity to go abroad for a year and work in social institutions there.
A high school diploma or a completed apprenticeship is required.
The costs for flight, accommodation and meals, pocket money and accompanying seminars for preparation and follow-up are covered.
The application deadline is October 15th.
Information on the Internet at www.weltfreiwilligendienst-augsburg.de.
info
The non-profit association Sternenkinder based in Birkhausen supports the support center in Chile financially.
Anyone who would like to donate can do so via Sparkasse Nördlingen: IBAN DE11 7225 0000 0000 6063 43, BIC BYLADEM1NLG.
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