Two generations of Mig_mit

Today we will have a quick chat with Golde Ebding, co-founder and former general manager of migration_miteinander to get to know her a little better and see how things have changed for her recently, not only due to Corona.

  • First of all, thank you for your time, Golde. Can you briefly introduce yourself (your background and your hobbies)? 

     I’m Golde, 31 years old, and grew up in Wuppertal, not far from Witten, where mig_mit has its head office. I did a Bachelor degree in social work and then I wanted to do something more theoretical, science related and so I did a double Master degree in European studies in Strasbourg and in a city next to Berlin. I then started working in the migration field.

     When it comes to my hobbies, I have always enjoyed sewing and cycling during the week, especially after work- even if, right now, I have only very little time to dedicate to my hobbies as I spend most time with my daughter, Ava.

  • How long have you been involved in mig_mit and what has been your main role?

     I’m involved from the very beginning, from April 2017 and I was the one who initiated the association because at that time I was coordinating a binational partner project of the Associazione Interculturale Universo in Italy and Germany. From this project was born the idea to found an association in Germany, too, and I gathered a group of people, among them as well Karla who now manages mig-mit. Our association thus from the very beginning on had this very strong link to Universo and even today more than half of the members of mig_mit are formal interns from Universo (find out more on this association here). In the first months mig_mit  was very small but I was looking forward to it becoming as big as it is today. From the very beginning on, I was part of the executive board and then around 3 years ago, when I was looking for a job after moving to Italy, I decided to invest in mig_mit and to build the association that we have today. 

  • What has been the greatest achievement of mig_mit so far, from your perspective?

     For me from a very egoistic point of view, that mig_mit managed to do it and grew in a way that I can now do the job that I want to do. This is also connected to my personal desire to work in the mobility area and to promote inner-European migration for refugees and it’s a personal achievement but it is as well a professional achievement of the association, that aims to give visibility to the topic because it was never taken before.

  • Would you like to tell us how your life has recently changed? How has this influenced your perspective?

     Two months ago, Ava, my daughter, was born, so I am officially on maternity leave, but as mig_mit is a bit like my first baby, I’m of course still part of this association and am very regularly in contact with Karla, as well as with the other team members. 

     What has changed for sure are the priorities, because I was really very focussed on mig_mit before Ava’s birth because you really think about it all the time and there’s not too much free time as well and there are so many ideas and team meetings. This has changed now for me, but I am very happy that I can still follow the activities. It is a very nice combination, especially because mig_mit’s structure is very digital and I can still participate in many things even if I am not there (especially in this corona times). 

  • What do you wish for the near future? For you and for the association?

It’s of course connected. I wish that the next months are going to be serious, that Ava is growing fine and she is going to be a happy baby, developing the way she wants to and she should. 

     Then for me, I am looking forward to spending the next months being in this remote role for mig_mit because I like it and I want to write some new projects in these months and then I am looking forward to coming back in the beginning of 2021.

      What I wish for mig_mit  is that it continues and develops the way it does, that we grow and at the same time going in the right direction, really focusing more and more on everything that is connected to moveurope! and invest in that. This is what I wish for mig_mit, to become the leading actor in the promotion of the inner-European migration for refugees, so that I can continue as well working on that topic when I officially come back.

Thank You Golde! We wish you and Ava all the best for the next months and are looking forward to your return!