All participants who have been active for at least one semester can request a certificate of participation from us. We will send you a form for your experience report. Once you have returned the completed form, we will send you a certificate that you can use for your application documents.

Leisure activities with my guest friends tend to be private get-togethers. I show the students a lot about the typical life of young people in Mainz and also include them in my circle of friends. We go out or have barbecues, movie nights, cook, go to wine festivals, etc." (Gertrud, hostess, 2013)

I think this program is great. I'm even going to visit my student from last year at home next year. So I would say: mission accomplished ;-) I'm looking forward to the coming semester." (Anja, host)

“All I can say is: finally! I've always missed something like this!” (Signe, Mainz)

“FWF is a wonderful idea for both sides, because you can learn a lot from each other and get to know each other... We have a lot of fun with the young people!” (Doris and Peter, Ebersheim)

“It's nice that my host daughter also comes when there are problems and we try to solve them together, e.g., a broken car.” (Gabriele, Nackenheim)

“We just said goodbye to Franziska, who is returning home, with a heavy heart. We have been friends for a year (and will certainly remain so for a long time to come). I have found that friendship becomes more beautiful the longer it lasts.” (Konstanze, Mainz)

For us, the students and “Strangers Become Friends” mean that we get to know a few corners of the world through the stories that the visiting students bring with them, and vice versa, you sometimes learn to appreciate things again because you see them through the eyes of those who didn't know them before. It's just fun to share your own culture and get something from another culture in return – without ever having been to the other country. In any case, we have become real fans of ‘Strangers Become Friends’. It's also good for our everyday lives that we can arrange individually with the students when, how, and where we meet or what we want to do together." (Margrit, Mainz)

“Fremde werden Freunde – a great opportunity to make international contacts, meet nice people, get to know other cultures, and improve your foreign language skills at the same time!!!” (Axinja, Mainz)

“I find it very enriching to get to know young students from abroad. I have a lot of fun with my student partner; we have many interests in common.” (Maria, Mainz)

“A friendly association of old and young. Memories of my student days. We promote international diversity.” (Hans-Jörn, Mainz 2010)

“It's a great idea to introduce foreign students to our culture and get to know others at the same time. To be there when help is needed. To be a substitute family. Just to make new friends!” (Gabriele, Nackenheim)

"I had two students this time and had a wonderful time with both of them. Today I received a very, very nice email from one of my students who has finished her semester and thanked me very much for the time we spent together. I will say goodbye to the other student (from Korea) on Thursday; I also had a wonderful and interesting time with her. That's why I'm happy to take in two students again next semester." (Viviane, Mainz)

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the entire FWF project. I think it's a great idea, and it would have been wonderful if something like this had existed at my university back then, because I was an ‘exchange student’ myself. From what I could tell, foreign students are very well accepted in Mainz and have many opportunities to network and integrate quickly.” ! (Anna, Mainz)

“We gave Mandy from Korea a warm send-off. There are still reminders of her everywhere in the apartment.” (Gabi, Nackenheim)

“Our Taiwanese student enriched our lives so much. We had so much fun together, and now we have helped her secure a place at university in Germersheim. She loves Germany very much and didn't want to go back to Taiwan. I am now turning 70 and would like to mentor 20 more students from all over the world over the next 10 years.” (Willi, formerly Nackenheim, now Mainz, and still involved)

“My student, who found it very difficult to settle back into life in Turkey, sent me a certificate at Christmas stating that 18 oak seeds had been planted in my name in a memorial forest in Turkey. What a lovely idea!” (Ulla, Mainz)

"We are still in regular close contact with Jiajie (Chinese), Narae (Korean), and Vasilis (Greek). We all had an interesting year in 2012 with family celebrations, baking afternoons, hikes, theater and pub visits. Our experiences have been great, and I would describe our friendly relationships with a smile as grandparents and grandchildren. (Hans and Christa, Mainz)

“The best experiences were spending our weekends with the student, who was very grateful for a wonderful weekend during which he got to know German culture.” (Petra, Mainz)

“One highlight was the 6-hour hike with our student. We explored hunting stands together. And the Rheinsteig = German hiking trails. Now she knows what ‘hiking’ is. Oh dear!” (Hans-Jörn, Mainz)

“The last-minute Christmas party with the Chinese student was great. We cooked together and looked up the right ‘cooking words’ on the internet on the laptop that was in the kitchen.” (Maria, Mainz)

"Siegfried (actually Zongwei) visited our school yesterday and introduced the Chinese writing system to class 6c. The students were very interested and all in all it was a successful event." (Oliver, Mainz)

"Last Monday, Jaeyeon flew back home. We had a wonderful time together at our regular meetings and she felt very comfortable with us. With her cheerful, open-minded nature, she grew very dear to our hearts. Occasionally, we invited her friend Chloé (we don't know her Asian name, also from the University of Seoul) to join us. At the end of her stay, we also had the pleasure of meeting her mother and aunt, who spent another 10 days here. A friend kindly put them up at his place. We had a wonderful time and can't think of anything negative to say. We did all kinds of things together: cooking, excursions, Christmas markets, flea markets, walks, celebrating Carnival, etc.) We haven't taken so many photos in recent years. We gave them a photo book as a farewell gift. So we made plans to meet up in Seoul in 2015." (Karin and Wolfgang, Mainz)

I said a tearful goodbye to Chia-Wei and her two friends, who were usually there. We met almost every week, cooked, played games such as “Mensch älgele Dich nicht” (Don't be mean), and practiced rolling our “R”s until we had stomach aches from laughing. Before Christmas, a cousin who was studying in Heidelberg joined us, and I was able to teach the girls how to knit. At least it was enough to make scarves for their respective boyfriends. A friend of Chia-Wei's celebrated Christmas with us with church service, singing, candles, and a tree—the whole program. When I asked her on the last evening what she particularly enjoyed about her stay in Europe, she said: London, Neuschwanstein Castle, and Christmas Eve. That made me very happy." (Christa, hostess)

"I have a pretty good relationship with my current student. We meet up from time to time. I recently took her to the travel fair in Mannheim, where I was an exhibitor, and we're going to Laser Tag in Frankfurt soon. She also got the obligatory city tour, and yes, it's working out great. Before that, I also had good experiences with students from Turku and Minsk. I'm still in contact with both of them, with Anna very often because she's still in Mainz." (Ulrich from Harxheim, 2013)

"The last semester was a lot of fun. Gregor from Poland and Kata from Hungary will both be leaving soon. It usually takes one or two attempts to find a guest student who is really interested. Sometimes you're lucky, sometimes less so. Personally, I don't think it's such a big deal, as more students apply and you can usually find someone in the end. (Kathrin, Mainz, 2013)

“I know that great friendships can develop. Gregor from Poland has already invited us to visit him. And next month we're spending our vacation in the USA to see Liz and her family again. She was my guest student last year. So: keep up the good work!” (Anja, Mainz, 2013)

"We would like to give you some feedback on our first encounters with Malgorzata, who is no longer a ‘stranger’ to us and no longer feels ‘foreign’. We have met several times – sometimes at our home, sometimes we enjoyed a concert evening together in Ober-Olm, and sometimes we took a trip together to Germania near Rüdesheim and to Rochusberg near Bingen. We and Malgorzata have already become friends. So in our “case,” everything worked out perfectly. (Anemone and Axel, Mainz, 2013)

We think your commitment is wonderful and effective, and we would like to thank you for your work. I know that our friends agree. And they are: Jiajie (China, no longer studying in Mainz), Vasilis (Greece, continuing his studies in Greece), Mai (Vietnam, studying in Finland), Alena (Belarus, studying in Poland), Yinan with Shimin (China). In the meantime, we have received requests from parents asking if they can visit us." (Hans-Jörg and Christa, Mainz, 2014)

"It has been a long time since I have met so many interesting and friendly people, and it has given me incredible new insights into this world. In a way, it's a bit of a shame that I had to turn 52 to experience this. I really have to confirm that it is an enriching give and take. I wish you many Mainz residents who embark on these exciting adventures. And they are adventures every time, because you are confronted with things and thoughts that otherwise have no place in everyday life. (Steffen, Mainz, 2014)

Toni-Lee left on Tuesday. We had a wonderful, interesting time together, going to a concert, the movies, the Christmas market, Christmas shopping, watching the game at the stadium, eating and drinking, talking about our languages and traditions, and getting to know each other's friends. We will definitely stay in touch and Skype soon! I also get on well with Elena and Leo and still meet up with them both, depending on how time allows.  That's the current situation... For me, the program is a complete success, please keep up the good work!! :-)" (Sarah, Mainz, 2014)

Unfortunately, Ulzhanay is now also leaving us for Kazakhstan on Sunday, and we have arranged to meet up at the science fair on Saturday. The nine months we spent with her were enriching for all of us, and we already miss her, especially Sarah, who always enjoyed her company. We could spend hours telling you stories about how Ulzhanay's life has changed, where she has been with us and what she has enjoyed here. We have welcomed her into our family and would love to visit her in Kazakhstan when Sarah is older. Ulzhanay is a warm-hearted person who is very empathetic and has broadened her horizons in many ways during her time with us. She says it was the best time getting to know strangers who became friends, and from a Christmas party where she only spoke English, she has developed into a German-speaking returnee who took over 10,000 photos on her phone during her stay and will tell her family, relatives, and friends about FWF and us. I like to compare it to my first three-week student exchange in the USA, which I can still revisit virtually on Google Earth. Unfortunately, I lost contact with my host family after a year because they moved away. But with Ulzhanay, we exchanged all our WhatsApp numbers, Facebook accounts, cell phone numbers, and email addresses so we could stay in touch and share news with each other. That way, we have time for new international students again." (Family, Ingelheim, 2014)

"We have arranged to meet Vivi and another Greek friend, Vaso, whom we met through her, for Greek Easter on Corfu, but not without visiting Violetta in Athens first. In the summer, we hope to see Franziska again in California, whom we asked for help for a friend of Vaso's (Irini) who wants to study in Chico, where Franziska currently lives (and studies?)...  We got in touch and will meet Irini (a Greek woman living in Germany) at the beginning of February... Isn't it great how friendships lead to friendships?" (Konstanze and Horst, Mainz, 2015)

"I had very different experiences with the three students this time. Lenka was with us in Frankfurt, but after that we didn't meet up again. She always canceled, apparently because she was very busy with work. Jakub visited us regularly, and we will also visit him in Poland at Easter, as our daughter Clara is currently participating in the Erasmus program in Wroclaw. We also met Chao-Jie several times. He spent New Year's Eve with us and friends, but hasn't been in touch since then. However, he now wants to come again. Overall, everything went very well and we would like to continue participating in the program. If you need host friends again, we would be very happy to make ourselves available. (Martina from Östrich-Winkel, 2016)

“Our friend Dongyoon is going back to Korea soon, Yinan isn't in touch anymore, and Jiajie has happily started a job in Munich and keeps in touch from time to time. Mai from Vietnam is visiting us over Easter, and we see everyone else on Facebook.” (Hanne, Mainz, 2016)

"We had some wonderful and fun times with Tayeon: I showed her the city and the bars, she cooked Korean food at our place with two other Korean friends, and we baked cookies together! Before she left, we went to the old town to celebrate Altweiber, the start of Carnival! We got along very well; she was very interested, curious, and eager to travel!" (Gaelle, Mainz, 2016)

I was fortunate to meet Paulina again. We got along well, and since her German was excellent and we had similar interests, we had many good conversations. As always, there wasn't much time to do things together. During the week, she was at university and didn't have much time. Then she was sick, then I was sick, then she was in Poland, then I had other plans. Even on Sundays, time was limited because she attached great importance to going to church. So my plan to show her more of the area couldn't be realized, especially since the days are short in winter. But that meant we often had a proper Sunday dinner at my place, which was also nice and cozy. At our farewell evening in a wine bar, she was introduced to “Handkäs mit Musik” (cheese with music), which she liked and enjoyed. I am still in close contact with Bianca, whose host I was before, and she is going to Hamburg in the summer. My first student, Sara, is now in the USA." (Ulla, Mainz. 2016)

"The whole world situation, both near and far, also gives me the impression that our FWF is a very important institution, and even our little daughter Sarah (6 years old) has already decided that she needs to learn everything so that she can then peacefully resolve disasters as UN chairwoman with all her international friends. That was her solution to her questions about how and why wars and poverty arise and her thoughts on what can be done about them. So you see, we have already developed a successful way of thinking in her with the FWF program, and the fact that FWF friends get in touch with us after years and we are still in contact also shows me that these students from the FWF program have taken some important decisions with them for their lives. If everything works out, Dina from Kazakhstan will return to Frankfurt for three months as group leader of the youth fire brigade. Then we could definitely visit her there.  (Family, Ingelheim, 2016)

"Everything is going great for us right now. It's a whole new feeling with three students at once... After the cookie baking went well, we tried cheese fondue, which is more daring for Asians. We also went to a Yumi concert in the Red Hall. It was absolutely impressive how she became a “monster” at the grand piano....;-)" (Gabi, Nackenheim, 2016)

I met Li from Taiwan in October 2011 when she came as a guest student and stayed for just one semester. Nevertheless, we had so much fun and became such good friends during that time that we are still in regular contact. Since she is a flight attendant, she has been staying with us 1-2 times a year whenever she has a flight to Frankfurt.  I met my first guest student, Chrissy from Texas, through another guest student, Howard from North Carolina, in October 2010. I am still in regular contact with both of them. I hadn't seen Howie since 2011 until he flew to Washington DC in September 2016 especially to spend a day with us when I was there. I also met another student (Liz from Anja die Studentin) from FwF in DC, and through her, I got a private tour of the Capitol with Nils. The next evening, we went out to dinner together. It's great to meet old friends again :) All because strangers become friends! Connected all over the world :D" (Annika, Mainz, 2017)

"I had a girl from Greece staying with me at the same time, and one from Italy—Francesca hadn't made any friends at all before FwF, and was really happy when she got to know us. Voula and Francesca often went out with us in the evenings, to cocktail bars, dancing, we even went to the theater together and saw the ballet Swan Lake, as Francesca also dances. I'm still connected with both of them on Facebook. Voula even came back here at Christmas, but unfortunately she couldn't find a job in Germany. I often see photos of Francesca dancing and modeling—she has really developed her skills and is sure to have a successful career!" (Corinna, Mainz, 2017)

I spent half an hour in the cafeteria with Antonella talking about her interests, university sports, the university cinema, and the com Campus Mainz app. Then I took her with me to Sarah's to pick Sarah up from the childminder. It took them 1 minute to get to know each other. From then on, Antonella was part of the family, and Sarah bombarded her with information. Then we climbed the Kaiserturm tower in Ingelheim with Andrea, enjoyed the view, and Antonella saw a tiger for the first time in her life from a distance of 4 meters. On Thursday, we're going on an Italian trip to visit my in-laws in Donnersberg with Antonella and Martina, whom we already met at the get-together evening." (Martin from Ingelheim, 2017)

"We've been traveling around Poland since August 1. Dorota wanted to show us her homeland, so we visited her for a few days in Suwalki (near the Russian border). Then we drove to Masuria, where Dorota's friend Magda let us stay in her villa for free. Magda is also studying in Mainz, where we met her. We are staying here all by ourselves in a huge house by the lake with a park-like garden. Tomorrow we will continue our journey to Elblag and then via Gdansk and Poznan back to Mainz. We will be back on September 1. As you can see, FwF is going well. We also attended Emily and Stephen's wedding eve party and Dorota went to a wedding in Poland. Monia is coming to visit us on September 13. We're going to Berlin with her for eight days; she wanted us to show her our hometown. I've rented an apartment, so we'll be painting the town red in Berlin." (Klaus and Elke from Mainz, 2017)

"And I can tell you that Lizzy and I had some very nice get-togethers and outings last semester.  We went to a jazz concert, a wine guild meeting (which she would like to repeat), shopping, and of course we explored Mainz. I think she also had a lot of fun, because she had many other activities and did very well in her studies here." (Birgit from Mainz, 2017)

"It was always really fun to do things with Erin. We got along very well, and above all, it was cool that we were the same age. We often met up in town or at my place, but since she traveled a lot and was busy studying, we saw each other less often when she was in Mainz. But I totally understand her need to travel. I would take advantage of that too :)" (Annika from Mainz, 2017)

"I also had a lot of contact with my Chinese student Jiatong. She was initially at the preparatory college and is now studying film studies for a semester. We worked a lot on her German together, which was still terrible after the preparatory college. I invested a lot of time, which of course I enjoyed. Jiatong was like a little bird that had been thrown out of the nest too early. She is expected to go to Munich for the winter semester." (Christa from Mainz, 2017)

A few days ago, we said a tearful goodbye to Lulu and also met her parents, who came to pick her up. We plan to visit them next year! Lulu was once again a wonderful addition to our lives, so friendly, very polite and attentive, so interested, and she also enjoyed drinking wine... Yesterday evening we had dinner with Josephine, one of the three Italian graces who came to us “in a package” with Flavia last winter semester. Thanks to a tip from our FwF network, Josephine was able to organize a three-month internship in Mainz and was staying with a friend of ours who had gone to India for a few weeks. We really cast our net (network) far ;-)... Yesterday, she sweetly described how all three of them cried on the flight home...  In the summer, we're traveling to England to visit relatives, but we're also meeting up with Katie in London and want to visit Lulu and her parents in Devon. All three (!) of them grew very dear to us during the summer semester. During the winter semester, we took care of Hsin Jung, who was traveling the world alone. She is a loyal soul and very sweet. She wrote us heartbreaking letters at Christmas and when she left. Her parents were also there in November, visiting a trade fair. We then invited them to Frankfurt for a delicious Hessian meal (ribs, pea soup, green sauce). Until the beginning of April, we wish you a happy Easter and only charming and grateful “clients”... (Konstanze and Horst from Mainz, 2018)

“I found my first semester with Fremde werden Freunde to be a positive experience. I enjoyed meeting with both students, Lisa and Mathilde. Contact via WhatsApp was and is very convenient and easy. Depending on our interests, we went to museums, the Hochheim market, or the Christmas markets in Mainz and Wiesbaden.” (Katrin from Mainz, 2018)

"We became friends. Even after Adel left Mainz for work reasons—he has to complete an internship as a dentist and is doing so near Trier—and Dima followed him, we stayed in touch. We met his and her parents and other relatives, and a few days ago we spent four days in Palestine, more precisely in Beit Jala near Bethlehem, on a return visit. It was a great experience and we gained insights into the situation of Christian Palestinians that we would never have been able to gain without these days. So thank you very much for everything you do. My report shows that it's worth it. (Henning from Mainz, 2018)

"We are happy with our American angel. Everything is going great. Tonight we are going to Steins Traube with Sally for a goose dinner. Last week we went to the premiere at the Finthlings with Sally, Dorota, and Rebeka." (Klaus & Elke from Mainz, 2018)

"With Umberto, Ola, and Kamil, we have hit the jackpot this semester. It's ambitious with three young friends, but it's also a lot of fun. You can sense how much their study visit here means to them and how committed they are to their work. Adel and Dima now live in Trier, where Adel has found an assistant position – so everything is fine there too." (Carlo & Angelika from Mainz, 2018)

“In 2016, I met Dragana, a scientist from Portugal. She was also part of Fremde werden Freunde, but she was already over 40. We only saw each other a few times because she was very busy, but we still write to each other. A few weeks ago, she had a layover at the airport, and I met her with her baby, husband, and sister-in-law. It was really nice.”  (Susanne from Mainz, 2019)

"The many years we spent with students showed us what makes young people tick today. We learned and understood a lot from each other during our many activities and trips together. This led to real friendships, and we are still in close contact today. Last year, Keivan, Monia, Dorota, Xhesika, Olga, and Emily visited us. Monia visits us every year, and this year she introduced us to her fiancé and asked her “German dad” if she could marry him. Almost all of them now live in other countries. Only Dorota lives with her husband in their own home in Bavaria. Due to COVID-19, we will only be celebrating their church wedding this year with 100 guests in Warsaw." (Klaus, host, 2022)

“I spent half my professional life working internationally, and I see this as an opportunity to maintain that connection even in retirement. Besides, staying in touch with young people keeps you mentally agile.” (Wolfgang, host, 2023)

Without making friends with strangers, my time in Germany would have been completely different. I came here to improve my German language skills and see real German life, and I am absolutely certain that without the program, I would not have achieved either of my two goals! Now I know that Erasmus exchange is the worst way to study foreign languages because all the foreign students speak English with each other, but I can say that I really made the most of my time here! Thank you for the great program!" (Mari-Liis, Estonia)

“This program is fantastic! I'm spending New Year's Day with my new family right now! I have learned so much about German culture being with this family and we really enjoy our time together! Today I learned some hilarious jokes about the Mainz/Wiesbaden rivalry and the meaning behind different German city names. What more can I say... I love this program!” (Howard, USA)

“FWF is a great program because my host friends have given me so much. For example, the experience of meeting many Germans, such as families and their friends, and this contact is not so easy! Of course, we went on many trips and did lots of little things, but what was special for me was knowing that I could call my host friends for help at any time. They were very helpful.” (Howard, USA)

“Strangers become friends” is really great! I met Peter and Doris, and they are super nice and open-minded. At first, I was afraid that the family might be very arrogant and unfriendly. But they are totally nice! We talked a lot about history, culture, language, etc. This program is a great way to get to know typical Germans. Tips: cook together and go on trips." (Meidi, Indonesia)

“In a new place, it's practical because you can quickly get to know people with whom you can enjoy life more. It also helps with speaking and learning the language. When you are often with foreigners or local residents, you speak German most of the time. Then you quickly gain a lot of language skills.” (Xiaojun, China)

“I think the program is a great idea to bring students and hosts together. As a student, I learned a lot from it, about the German way of thinking and also about everyday life in Mainz.” (Yang, China)

“Painting with Maria – I didn't think I would be painting here, and I thank her for helping me paint many beautiful pictures.” (Joanna, Poland)

“Of course, it was a great opportunity to get to know a real German family, even though I've already done several exchanges with students: the advantage was that it lasted longer than a week, and you have time to do a lot more together. [...] We meet regularly with my host mother, and that's the best thing ever!” (Amélie, France)

“Thank you for this program, I really enjoyed it.” (Máté, Hungary)

“A wonderful idea, a chance to meet amazing people and have a great time.” (Joanna, Poland)

“Strangers at the beginning, friends at the end” Thank you so much for the great program, in which I found the most important friends in my life. I was lucky to have met my lovely host family. The time we spent together was very, very nice, and I didn't even want to fly home. I really enjoyed cycling with my host family, going to jazz concerts, visiting museums, watching horses, playing table tennis, drinking coffee, going on trips, learning the Mainz dialect, watching Mainz 05, and much more.... Whenever we met, there was always happiness and fun. We enjoyed sharing everything that happened in our everyday lives. Whether happy or sad, we talked about everything! We were like a real family. I didn't need to say a word; my host family already knew everything. Without this program, I would never have met so many wonderful people. Many thanks to Eva and Petra for connecting me with such a wonderful host family! Now I am back home in Taiwan. Most of the time I missed Germany. I missed my host family... It was really wonderful that you accompanied and helped us during these six months! Thank you very much!" (Yi-Jen, Taiwan)

“My name is Fakhrie and in advance I want to thank you for recommending Willi and Gabi to me, they are great, very friendly like my family. After knowing them my Germany was improved, we meet each other at least 1 or 2 time in week and they help me to have general knowledge about Deutschland. I had to move to Heidelberg and be in Mainz not anymore but I keep my contact with Willi and Gabi.” (Fakhrie, Iran 2013)

My host is wonderful, always cheerful and optimistic, and he doesn't need a doctor because he has a great sense of humor. I've had such a wonderful experience with this family. I love them. And thanks to him, I've been able to use my German here. (Monika, Latvia)

“My host mother and I exchanged recipes: I can now cook/bake delicious German dishes, and my family is already looking forward to it.” (Amélie, France)

"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to meet such a great family. [...] My situation can be an example of ‘strangers becoming family’. Thank you with all my heart and of course a big thank you to my new family (they didn't know about this letter). You and them and this program have contributed to improving my situation here." (Xhonjela, Albania, 2015)

"It cannot be denied that the FBF program has greatly enriched my cultural experience here in Mainz, as I have been given the opportunity to have a host who has introduced me to the local lifestyle, places, and festivals. My host is Mr. R., he is a very nice and funny guy, and we had a good time together. We met up and he showed me around the city, we went to the program activities together, we went to a few festivals together, he even invited me to his home for dinner. If not for this program, I could never imagine how else I would be able to immerse myself culturally in this beautiful city. There is no better way than becoming friends with the locals!" (Yim, Malaysia, 2015)

"for me it was a new and a wonderful experience to take part in FWF. In my opinion, what the international students miss here the most is their circle of known ones (relatives, friends) which they take it for granted back home. Here as well, we make friends but FWF kind of makes you feel that there are people around you whom you can rely upon to have an opinion, suggestions, expertise, help and lot more concerning the way of life, culture, language, social norms, legal regulations etc. And this aspect makes us understand the German society better to integrate in it and feel that we are not alien in this society. This feeling of "feels like home" makes it lot  easier to enjoy our time here rather than thinking in every step while going through the cultural shift that we experience. (Nabin, Nepal, 2016)

“I am more than satisfied with the project. I met some very nice people, Heribert and Petra, we saw each other regularly throughout the year and we will remain friends. I am not staying here, I am going back to Georgia.” (Eka, Georgia, 2016)

Thanks to the FwF program, we met many nice people when we were exchange students at the University of Mainz three years ago. Now we are friends and visit each other regularly. Our stay in Mainz will remain in our memories for a long time. We are very happy that we were able to become friends with Sonja, Uwe, and Martina and stay in touch with them. Without the FwF program, this probably would not have been possible. (Ela and Jakub, Poland, 2016)

“I just wanted to say that the project ”Fremde werden Freunde" (Strangers Become Friends) always gives us excellent feedback. Last weekend I was with Petra (Werner's wife) in Dresden. She is really so nice and we had a beautiful time together in this wonderful city. I really appreciate this trip. I will never stop to thank you for the great job that you do everyday with this project and students." (Xhonjela, 2017)

The aim of Fremde werden Freunde (Foreigners Become Friends) is to bring together citizens of Mainz, Bingen, and the surrounding area with new German and international students in Mainz and Bingen.

Every year, several thousand German and international students come to Mainz and Bingen. However, the goal of studying is not just the studies themselves. Some students also want to get to know the federal state or host country in which they are studying. As we know, this works best through direct contact with the people who live there.

The motto is: away from campus and into the city. To experience the everyday life of the region's citizens, contact with fellow students is not enough, because the life of students differs from the everyday life of “normal” citizens.

FWF students choose to experience everyday life. In addition, friends can go on trips together, have lunch, drink coffee, discover a city, go for walks, go hiking, celebrate festivals, cook, play sports... These are just ideas; everyone can design and expand the program individually.