Thank you to my friend Stine Mari for conducting this short interview with me 💚 You can read the original (with awkwardly staged photos) on her website.

Melchior Blum is a Swiss volunteer and teacher in the making, who is currently finishing his degree in Trondheim, Norway at the prestigious university of NTNU. We sat down to chat about his recent experience working with vulnerable youths and adults at the Mosaik Support Center for refugees on the Greek island of Lesvos.

1. Melchior, thank you for sitting down with me! Firstly, what should our readers know about you?

Hmm difficult to say, but I guess I should start by saying that I am originally from Switzerland, however I have lived in Norway for the past three years to study. I really love languages, so in addition to speaking German (my mother tongue), English and Norwegian, I also have varying degrees of fluency in French, Russian and Polish. I can also hold a basic conversation in Italian, which is useful. My drink of choice is beer, and in my spare time I really enjoy working out and staying active, as well as writing – I worked as a writer for a while, and I still really enjoy it.

2. You say you like to stay active, which is evident in your many volunteering-positions over the years – what has been your favourite experience as a volunteer?

So I have done quite a bit of volunteering over the years, especially as part of student-life: I participated in ISFIT (International Student Festival in Trondheim) in both 2021 and 2023, where I worked as a magazine executive and head of social media, I worked briefly at Studentersamfundet (Trondheim Student Society), and I was also a writer for the university newspaper back in Bern, Switzerland. One of the most exciting opportunities that came from the latter was the chance to interview an international attorney at ICORN (International Cities of Refuge Network) from Eritrea. It was a very interesting experience – you rarely get to ask people like this very personal questions. In an interview situation you have the opportunity to ask these questions, dig deeper, and really learn a lot.

3. Did you always know you wanted to become a teacher?

I initially started my degree in English and was considering getting into academia, however I soon realized I enjoyed teaching. When I began my proper teaching-studies I very quickly discovered that I really enjoy it! I’ve always been able to bond with others easily, and I think that is why I really love working with people. I feel like it comes naturally to me – however it is obviously still a hard job.

4. Last month you went to Greece to work as a teacher with refugee children and youths at the Mosaik Support Center at Lesvos . What was your biggest takeaway from this experience?

It sounds so simple, but they really are just normal people. They are all just humans who have had their lives changed drastically and they have been through a lot, yet they are so motivated and excited to learn, even through the potential language barrier. You always hear about refugees as sort of this abstract concept, but this experience of being there, seeing the camps they live in, meeting them and hearing their stories really puts things in a whole new perspective. I think this experience has been important for me as a teacher, but also as a citizen of a democratic society that helps shaping the societal discourse.

5. And lastly: what is next for you?

I just accepted a job offer in Switzerland as a teacher in German and English, so I will move back home soon. It is bittersweet: on one hand I really look forward to being with my friends and family, but on the other hand I am sad to leave Norway. It has become like a second home to me, and I think I am in for a bit of a culture shock going back! For the moment I can also see myself teaching as a long-term endeavor, but never say never. Working with refugees has also made me far more sensitive and aware of the ongoing crises, and in the future I hope to be able to continue working or volunteering with refugees. It is not a problem that should be ignored – having met so many people in this difficult situation has made this very apparent to me.