With this publication, we begin a series of stories about organizations that help Ukrainian citizens abroad, who, after the start of the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine, were forced to leave their homeland and seek refuge in EU countries.
Today we will talk about KAAD in Germany.
The KAAD is the scholarship organisation of the Catholic Church in Germany for postgraduates and academics from (developing) countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. Due to the war situation in Ukraine, KAAD provides scholarships for study/research projects in Germany with a flexible and simplified procedure for short-term approval for students and academics affected by the war. The target groups of the programme are: refugees from Ukraine who want to take up studies or a research project in Germany, as well as students from Ukraine, who are already studying in Germany and who need support because the previous support from their home country is no longer possible.
Detailed information about the program can be found on the organization's website https://www.kaad.de/ueber-uns/geschichte. We were lucky enough to have a personal conversation with the university chaplain, Dr. Alfons Motschenbacher. To be honest, we were worried before the meeting, because we had never had the opportunity to communicate with a chaplain before. Worries were in vain - Dr. Alfons Motschenbacher turned out to be very sincere and friendly. He is a dedicated person. We were greeted like old friends, with respect and a genuine desire to help.
We sincerely thank Dr. Alfons Motschenbacher and the entire KAAD community for the support and help they provide to all who need it!
In the photo: Chairman of the Board of the NGO Dr. Olena Kotykova, members of the NGO Mykola Babych and Bohdan Babych at a meeting with the university chaplain Dr. Alfons Motschenbacher.