Interview
STELP: What is your STELP story?
Sina: After my job in the press office of a ministry, I was looking for a purpose and wanted to try something new, find something that really suited me. I knew a little about STELP through NATAN, but I didn’t know exactly what STELP did (it has to be said that STELP was a lot smaller before the start of the war in Ukraine). Today I’ve been there for almost two years and can say from the bottom of my heart that it was exactly the right decision to quit my permanent job in the public sector and take the plunge into the grassroots start-up NGO world.
STELP: Which project is particularly close to your heart?
Sina:Actually, I think all the projects are really great and worth supporting. But our two projects in Yemen are particularly close to my heart. We are one of the few NGOs on the ground in a country plagued by war and famine, helping the population and especially the children. With our soup kitchens at schools, we not only ensure that the children get a meal a day, but also that the parents send their children to school. I met Mohammed, who is in charge of our projects on the ground in Sanaa, in the spring and our conversation really touched me deeply.
STELP: When is the perfect time for a meeting with you?
Sina:Actually, preferably first thing in the morning. I work best between 7 and 9 o’clock. The only problem is that the rest of my colleagues don’t.
STELP: What does your perfect lunch date look like?
Sina: Order delicious food and take a lunch break with the whole crew at our large community table in our new office – and chat a lot.
STELP: How do you clear your head?
Sina: Cycling in spring and summer. In winter on my cozy couch with lots of candles and a good book.
STELP: Home-Office or coming into the office?
Sina: Since we’ve had our new office, definitely the office. When I started at STELP, we had a small office in the west of Stuttgart that was bursting at the seams. Our new office is really great and working with colleagues is more fun than working alone in a home office anyway.
