In an article of the Südwest Presse (South West Press) Noor Alwachi, who is in Berlin since the 28^th of January 2012 together with her fellow countryman Ammar Abduljabbar for a 6 weeks internship as part of the Iraq Horizon program, speaks about their lives in Bagdad. This article reflects the attitude and behavior of these young people again, with their cheerful and tactful manner, their high motivation and innovative ideas they have enriched our company already these past weeks.

As the oldest of four children Noor Alwachi was born in 1985 in Baghdad.At that time, the country was ruled by Dictator Saddam Hussein and was at war against neighboring Iran and Kuwait. Despite the difficult external conditions Alwachi visited the kindergarten and when six years old, started primary school. As soon you leave the house, there is violence in Baghdad. "We do not even turn our heads anymore, when a bomb goes off somewhere around us, " the young, cheerful woman says almost casually. Once, when her father went shopping, there was an explosion outside the store. Some cars were totally destroyed; her father’s car just lost a front shield. He went home and unpacked the groceries . . . After primary school education and completion of three years of secondary school Noor Alwachi graduated from the high school and studied computer science at the University of Baghdad. "I love math," she laughs, and her brown eyes shine... "My father would have preferred that I had studied medicine, but mathematics and technical processes interest me so much more „she says.

The Goethe Institute in Schwäbisch Hall caught her attention, when her father was sending details about the Iraq Horizon Program to his students.Iraq Horizon sees itself as a project for the future "Iraq Horizons 2015", which is a joint project of the Foreign Office, the Goethe-Institute, the DIKH (German Chamber of Industry and Commerce) and the BDI (Federal Association of German Industry). The aim is the training of young Iraqi academics to form a network between Germany and Iraq.Noor Alwachi liked the idea immediately. "I would like to continue my education and learn about other countries and people," says Noor. The program includes a four-week German course in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region, followed by another four-week German course at the Goethe Institute in Schwäbisch Hall. Finally, an internship takes place in a German company. Noor Alwachi as Database Manager will be with the Birkholz Group in Berlin for the installation, modification and maintenance of data.