German clinics are urgently looking for healthcare workers. This is why the Federal Employment Agency concluded a cooperation agreement with the Indian state of Kerala two years ago. It is now that the first nursing staff arrive.
Jeenamo Thomas, 26, has been preparing for this day for six months. She learned German five days a week, for four hours, in Trivandrum, the capital of the southern Indian state of Kerala. The young Indian will now leave her native country in a few days and start a new life in Hamburg, thousands of kilometers away.
“I’m a nurse. I work at the hospital,” she says proudly in German. The most important vocabulary is in place. Jeenamo is one of 200 young people who launched the so-called “Triple Win” program last year, a cooperation between the Federal Employment Agency and the International Cooperation Corporation (GIZ).
The program has been running since 2013. Since then, more than 5,700 qualified nurses have been recruited for German clinics and care facilities, for example in Bosnia and Herzegovina or the Philippines. And now also from India.
Both parties benefit
It is crucial that all parties benefit, says Liju George, who coordinates the GIZ program in Trivandrum. In Kerala, there are more nurses than job opportunities. “From the point of view of the State of Kerala, it is an advantage that the candidates find interesting employment.” And of course, young people also benefited from the program. They would get a job corresponding to their wishes and dreams “in the country of their choice”.
Lijo Joseph also deliberately chose Germany. The young man has an employment contract with the Kempten Clinic Association. The 37-year-old from Trivandrum has been working as a nurse since 2006. When one of her patients was advised to continue his treatment in Germany, he realized that he could learn much more about his profession there .
competition with English-speaker countries
Many Indians speak English well. Learning a new language is a big obstacle. That’s why Germany competes with English-speaking countries like Ireland, England and Canada for young, skilled workers, George says.
Jeenamo also almost ran away crying on her first day of language class, she recalls. She can now carry on simple conversations in German, has an intermediate B1 level and has completed a four-day German nursing course. The great desire to be able to send money home quickly pushed her to persevere: “I absolutely have to provide for my family, my friends aren’t doing very well financially either.”
From Kerala to Hamburg: Jeenamo Thomas, 26, starts a new job in northern Germany.
The 26-year-old worked for three years as a nurse in an Indian hospital. The work here is hard, the salary is small. She earned 25,000 rupees per month, the equivalent of around 280 euros. If all goes well, it could be ten times higher in Germany later. According to GIZ, Indian healthcare workers receive at least 2,800 euros gross. However, to achieve this, they must continue their training.
Employer provides living space
Once they arrive in Germany, participants go through a year-long recognition process, George explains: “They must complete language level B2. They also receive continuing education from their employer.” Today, they start as practical nurses, then are considered qualified specialist nurses.
After their arrival in Germany, young women and men are no longer alone, underlines GIZ. They would continue to be supported throughout the recognition process and, if necessary, beyond, for example when dealing with the authorities or when opening an account. The employer is also responsible for the living space.
Upper Education standard
Kerala, India’s southernmost state on the tropical Malabar Coast, has a long history of emigration, particularly in the health sector. This is also due to the high level of education here. The state has the highest literacy rate in the country at 94 percent. Nowhere else in India can so many women read and write. Moreover, in Kerela, it was very early socially accepted that women should have a job.
But there are not only successes. Just a few days ago, a young Indian woman made headlines when she found herself suddenly jobless and in deep debt in Britain. This is not an isolated case. There have been repeated reports of nurses being stranded in Kerala. Or women have to pay dearly for their dream of a better life. According to Jeenamo, some of his friends have spent tens of thousands of euros in employment agencies. However, she has to pay virtually nothing for her training. According to GIZ, the employer pays almost 7,000 euros.
German lessons take a long time
They have no problem finding candidates for the Triple Win program, says coordinator George. At the Goethe-Institut in Trivandrum, the next Indians are already preparing for their future in Germany. Their German teacher Kiara practices verbs with prepositions with them. The courses represent a big change for many, but everyone arrives very motivated.
In total, 300 young women, most of them, registered for the next round, says Liju George. Every once in a while, someone gives up because family planning gets in the way, he admits. The German course takes a lot of time. Participants must visit him five times a week for at least six months. Of course, this also poses a financial risk, says George. After all, men and women could not work during this period.
Waiting for the new house
But despite all the risks and difficulties, enthusiasm for Germany remains intact among most people. They usually only know their new home through photos, images and videos. Jeenamo has also never left India before. However, she also praises Germany: “Germany is a good country. It offers many opportunities for nurses. The work is pleasant and life is comfortable.”
Germany is her absolute dream destination. Language barrier, stressful daily clinical life, culture shock – Jeenamo mentions none of this. Only time will tell if their high expectations will be met. In a few weeks she will start her new job at a clinic in Hamburg. The 26-year-old is confident she will settle down quickly.
