Ruhollah sitting in front of the advent wreath and Christmas star with his family on the living room table. He’s drinking tea, eating gingerbread, and told. Exactly three years ago, at Christmas, the today 18-year-old Afghan hound to the family Harth. “As a Christian child, so to speak,” says foster-father Alexander Harth.

With 15 years fled Ruhollah from Afghanistan. His father had to give up to the pressure of the Taliban, his work as a police officer. Also, Ruhollah was threatened: The Boy who was called it to work to the father as a spy. The parents feared for the life of her oldest son, and not without reason: The father, learned Ruhollah on the phone, was murdered two months ago, as several friends and relatives in front of him. The mother lives with Ruhollahs five younger siblings in a rural area of Afghanistan. Where, exactly, wants to Ruhollah say just as little as his last name – too dangerous for the remaining family. “When I call, cry is my mother,” says Ruhollah and even moist eyes.

Accompanied by a two-years older friend he made at the time on the way. After a forced March of 31 days by eleven of the countries he came in October 2015 to Germany. In Frankfurt the friends were separated by the authorities. The a, Ruhollah, remained, and the other came in a home in the Odenwald. In the home Ruhollah felt lonely: “I was very, very sad.” A helpful supervisor advised him to apply for a foster family.

At the first Meeting with the Harths he did, all the time shaking “like a little bird,” says foster mother, Christina Harth. Ruhollah laughs. Especially the stately Alexander Harth had made him the first to be nervous: “Such a big man!” he says. At the time, he still needed an interpreter. Now his English is good, and if him to Tell me a word is missing, he asks quietly, “How’s that, mommy?”

“I had no doubt about it,”

Nine days after the first Meeting, he moved in with the Harths in Oberrad. The family wanted to have him on any case before Christmas, and has therefore set all levers in motion. “I had no doubt about it,” says Christina Harth. Thanks to their Turkish-German foster child, the family had already experience with a child. A room you had, as the eldest son and the foster daughter had just moved out. Only the youngest son Max was still at home. All three of the children support the parents ‘ decision. Max, now 22 years old and currently studying business Informatics, the thing is quite loose: “Because they had a sibling.”

As well as in the case of the family Harth it runs not always. In mid-December, 2016 21 unaccompanied minors lived years of refugees in Frankfurt foster families. At that time there were several Neuvermittlungen, some of the Connections were completed. Since 2017 will have stabilised the Situation with 16 foster families in Frankfurt, with shares of the social service for care of children’s aid.