I have achived my first year as manager the student house of Zurich. I remember a great year.

Almost all the rooms were occupied at all times. In summer, we were delighted to welcome a summer school from the Netherlands, who stayed with us for around two weeks. June also saw a major change among our residents.

Currently (and over the course of the year), 57 young men and 22 young women live with us, from the following countries: China, South Korea, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Ghana, Germany, India, Romania, Australia, Switzerland, Turkey, Albania, Spain, France, Mexico, Kosovo, Brazil, Belgium, Portugal, Netherlands, Croatia, Slovakia, Greece, Liberia, Finland, Uruguay, USA, Tanzania, Montenegro, Sweden, Northern Macedonia, Bulgaria, Armenia, Ethiopia, Ukraine.

Together, the team, the students and I were able to put the house in order. A number of areas were tidied up, including the archives in the attic, the maintenance living room and various cupboards in the upstairs corridors. Further tidying will take place in the basement.

We were able to replace the old chairs and tables on the terrace with new furniture, and even install a raised planter, which was used by many residents last summer. The new barbecue has also encouraged students to organize barbecues and spend evenings together on the terrace.

As in previous years, two semi-annual dinners were organized to welcome new residents and facilitate their integration into the community. One took place in the spring, the second in early October. For the first time, at the request of some residents, a Halloween party was organized. Let’s not forget our Christmas dinner, celebrated with raclette, a glass of wine and roasted chestnuts in the garden. Following the proposal to organize a “Secret Santa”, many residents enthusiastically participated by secretly offering gifts. The beautifully wrapped gifts added a festive touch to the Christmas-decorated dining room.

As a team, we also really enjoyed our Christmas meal. Despite a few language barriers, we took advantage of the opportunity to talk about more personal matters.

What I found particularly pleasing was that our own scholarship holders, along with those from MAS, were able to take part in the soccer tournament in my village (Langnau am Albis) at the end of June. The registration fees were covered by the organizing committee, and part of the transport costs by the Foyer. This enabled six scholarship-holders to showcase their talent over two days, while sharing moments of fun and conviviality.

Nathalie Hüppi