Street children | Safe in the night

Modest but warm: a room in the “Butze” street children’s home Photo: dpa/Britta Pedersen Annika was 16 when she ended up on the street. “I woke up under the bridge most mornings,” she remembers today. She had lived in a youth welfare facility for a while and was supposed to try living with her parents again. But it didn't work. “I no longer had anyone to contact at the youth welfare office because my file was closed,” says Annika. There was no longer a permanent place to sleep. She was doing training at that time and had to beg for school fees for the private vocational school.

The turning point came when she was scrounging one afternoon in front of what was then the Kaiser's supermarket on Warschauer Strasse. A social worker handed her a care package. “I can still remember the contents today,” says Annika and smiles. A cold blanket, a chocolate bar, hygiene products. And the street worker had another tip for her: If she wanted to talk, there was an advice center right around the corner.

Today Annika lives in her own apartment, has completed her high school diploma and is now studying social work herself. She believes that the fact that she made the leap from the streets is also due to the support from the Street Children Association. “I received a warm welcome,” she remembers of her first visit to the drop-in center. The social workers helped her apply for student loans and later helped her find an apartment. “They even brought a floor lamp into my apartment,” says Annika. She also received a used laptop and the club took care of her even when she already had an apartment.

According to figures from the Child Protection Association, there are 15,700 homeless underage children in Berlin, and 137,000 across Germany. Only some live on the streets, others are accommodated in dormitories or make ends meet by changing sleeping places with friends. Only in rare cases are they street children in the literal sense, which is why social workers usually refer to them as “street youth.” From Tuesday you will have a new contact point in Lichtenberg. Then the “Butze” street children’s home opens its doors in the immediate vicinity of the Lichtenberg S-Bahn station. The ceremony was already celebrated on Friday. On the sidelines, “nd” spoke to Annika.

The building of the new facility stands out from the surrounding area even from a distance with its bright green shimmering facade. The “Butze” should be “a house of opportunities,” said Eckhard Baumann, chairman of the Street Children Association, on Friday at the opening ceremony. There are several options for street youth on seven floors. There are consultation rooms on the first floor. “Many people need help applying for their personal documents,” says an employee. They also offer psychosocial and legal advice. A pro bono lawyer comes to the house once a week and advises young people.

An emergency overnight accommodation has been set up on the second floor. Teens can register during the day and then stay from 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. There is dinner and a packed lunch in the morning for the journey, says an employee. The simply furnished rooms each have two beds. Ideally, only one should be used. “The young people should be able to have a night to themselves,” says the employee. If there is increased demand or for couples, the rooms can also be occupied twice. Up to 34 young people can stay here. The rooms are consumption-free, but unlike many other facilities, pets are allowed.

What makes the “Butze” unique is that you can’t just stay for one night. Young people can temporarily stay in rooms on the third and fourth floors for several weeks or months. The rooms have their own bathrooms and even their own kitchens on the fourth floor. The fact that such different types of housing and advice are combined under one roof is something that cannot be found anywhere else in the Federal Republic.

»It's about finding your way back from survival to living.«

Annika would have wanted something similar, she thinks back to her time on the street. "There were always opportunities to find somewhere to stay, but it wasn't safe," she says. "Many of those who offer a place to sleep don't have the most charitable interests." In emergency overnight stays aimed at adults, the conditions are cramped.

The street children's house was financed through donations. The married couple Birgit and Thomas Rabe alone contributed around two thirds. Thomas Rabe is CEO of the Bertelsmann Group. The project, which has been running since 2023, has had problems with exploding construction costs. “But persistence paid off,” he said at the ceremony.

Lille knows that working with street youth is not easy, even with good infrastructure. She is a social worker. “It’s about a very vulnerable target group,” she says. There is a lot of potential for something to go wrong. Many young people who live on the streets are affected by violence in their parents' homes; others grew up with drug-addicted parents and later fell into trouble themselves. It is not uncommon for young people to struggle with serious psychological problems at a young age.

“The more that has already happened, the more difficult it will be to come back,” says Lille. Many young people find it difficult to build trust, including in aid institutions. “Everyone is fighting their own battle,” she reports. Life on the street is stressful for your health, both physically and mentally.

Lille has a lot of hope in the new house. “We want to create comfort here,” she says. The “Butze” should be a “home for those who have no home.” She is particularly happy about the woodworking workshop in the basement, where a carpenter accompanies the young people on small projects. “You can see what else you can do outside of the street,” says Lille. This would allow young people to discover their strengths. »It's about finding your way back from survival to living.«

“If we notice that people are ready for the next step, then we can offer it straight away,” says Lille, summarizing the concept of the house. But she also knows that you have to be prepared for setbacks. “No deterioration is sometimes a success,” she says. For most young people on the street, it is a long road back to regular living conditions - with ups and downs.

“There were a lot of ups and downs,” says Annika about her journey. When the now 27-year-old remembers her time on the street, she also thinks of the other girls with whom she set up camp back then. Some were even younger than herself. “Many are still looking for their way,” she says. The smile disappears from her face. "And others didn't make it."

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