SHARING KNOWLEDGE, DRIVING CHANGE
Six years after her own escape to Germany, Bjeen Alhassan founded the Facebook group “Learning with Bijin.” Many refugee women were unable to attend a German language course during the Covid pandemic. Bjeen faced the challenge and developed a digital solution that allowed women to learn the German language. She used videos and posts to teach the participants German in Kurdish and Arabic. This not only provided them access to the language but also offered support for their daily challenges.
To this day, her main intention is to encourage women and show them that it is possible to integrate linguistically and culturally into a country. Her personal message is: “If I was able to master the language and complete my studies after six years, then so can everyone else.” The platform “Learning with Bijin” was specifically designed for women from diverse cultural backgrounds who have a strong need for social connection and mutual support.
You can learn more about “Learning with Bijin” on the “About Us” page.
“Learning with Bijin” is now part of the great strength of TOK e.V. and is supported by the organization in its growth, even though this heartfelt project initially emerged from a small individual initiative. Together with TOK, the project has been further developed and has now expanded to over 440 women. Today, it serves as a reliable network and important resource for many women, creating futures and positively impacting lives.
TOK’s Mission – from an online community to a strong network
“Learning with Bijin” aims to provide refugee women and girls with learning methods and knowledge. Through TOK e.V., we seek to enable women to lead a self-determined life and achieve social independence. Participants receive support early on in their linguistic integration steps and in everyday situations, particularly in dealing with authorities. The TOK network boosts their self-confidence and helps them on their path to independence.
Our plan is to further expand this project and to develop the existing online community of TOK into an active, regularly meeting group to continuously grow the network. In the future, we aim to offer seminars and coaching sessions.
These seminars and coaching sessions will be conducted by the founder, Bieen Alhassan, as well as external experts, both online and in-person. At TOK, the principle of “help for self-help” is at the core of our mission, providing support on the journey towards social integration and independence. For more information about “Learning with Bijin,” you can visit the European Commission’s website.