„Finding a home in Germany is difficult, but not impossible. We will give you some tips, at least one of which is not known by many people. I will also say what should not be done in any case” - this is how one of the easy newstime clips begins – the channel whose purpose is to give useful information to migrants in Germany, in a language that is as understandable as possible.
Here's what users can learn from this video, which can certainly be of help to other people, not only migrants: there are definitely many options for finding housing on the Internet, including community cohabitation. Of course, you can run an ad properly translated with a computer translator, but it would be nice to accompany it with a video – because landlords would not want to be unpleasantly surprised.
However, there are also many scammers on the Internet, so do not send money under any circumstances until you have a signed contract. The special advice they give from easy newstime is to think about the elderly who get their information mainly from newspapers. They may not be online, but many of them have homes for rent. That's why it is recommended to those looking for a place to place an ad in the newspaper – in the most popular local print edition. Another useful tip is to regularly monitor the notice boards, which are usually placed in universities or neighborhood supermarkets.
"Don't lose hope"
The comments below the video show that there are, for example, users who do not know exactly how to place an ad in a newspaper. And for that, the portal offers help.
Along with thanks, there are also posts from people with bad experiences when looking for housing. For example, from a user who says he can't find housing because his name is Ali. Easy newstime replied that, unfortunately, there is often discrimination in the offer of housing, but there are also people for whom the name does not matter. Therefore, the advice to Ali is not to lose hope.
From easy newstime you can also learn about the seven types of residence permits in Germany, how to obtain citizenship, and also – what to look out for when buying clothes on the Internet, how diplomas are legalized in Germany or what are the legal requirements for employment. Users can also receive information that they can do without, but will help them understand the country in which they have decided to live – such as five facts about bread in Germany or ten football terms explained in the simplest way. There are also answers to why German railways are so inaccurate, how to write a cover letter in 60 seconds, fun facts about the differences between West and East Germany, and more.
Political topics are also discussed – such as the relations between Germany and Turkey or the European elections held in June. Or as the founder of the channel Franziska Heiler says: "Education is the best help."
Easy newstime reaches 1 million people per month
Easy newstime from Stuttgart was among the social projects recently awarded personally by Chancellor Olaf Scholz – because it gives migrants the opportunity to expand their common culture, improve their knowledge of German, and improve their ability to cope with life in Germany in the most practical way - online on YouTube and TikTok and completely free of charge. At the same time, they can get information about both job vacancies and products in Germany that are suitable for their ethnic group, and the work is done by the easy newstime team entirely for charity.
The channel was launched in April 2023, and a year later it already has over 30,000 subscribers - mainly on TikTok. As the statistics show – news from this channel reaches one million people monthly.
It is for everyone who is new to Germany and wants to build a life in the Federal Republic. In order to provide the most relevant information for them, the data of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, as well as the Labor Agency, are used.
The author of the clips is mainly the journalist from Baden-Württemberg Franziska Heiler. She tells her audience who elects the chancellor, what the Bundestag does, how the composition of the Bundesrat is formed.
When he started his project a year ago, he gave up his job at a news agency because of it. “I didn't have a home where I could shelter people in need, but I had knowledge that I could share”, Hailer explains to ARD.
In Germany, around 29 million people are engaged in charity work.
Author: Bilyana Mihailova