UNI-INFO: Mr Mailitafi, what motivates you to get involved in social causes alongside your time-consuming chemistry degree?
MAILITAFI: Given the current state of the world, it’s important to me not to bury my head in the sand. Getting involved gives me the feeling that I’m still making a difference. I’m playing my part in making the world a better place. Above all, I want to raise the profile of the experiences of Black people and people of colour in Germany. I’d like to see a society in which people understand one another and find common ground.
UNI-INFO: In which areas are you active?
MAILITAFI: I hold two local council seats in the small town of Bersenbrück in Lower Saxony, in the district of Osnabrück – on the town council and the joint municipal council. There, I try to ensure that the voices of young people, particularly those affected by racism, are heard. I run workshops in schools on political and anti-racist education and give talks on the subject at events. For example, a lecturer at the University of Oldenburg once asked me to lead a workshop. I’m very active online and, amongst other things, I’m a spokesperson for the ‘Justice for Lorenz’ initiative. Through this initiative, we are campaigning for a full and thorough investigation into a horrific incident in Oldenburg: on Easter Eve a year ago, a 21-year-old man, an acquaintance of mine, was killed by police gunfire. I’d like to see an honest debate about racist police violence and structural changes that protect everyone in this society.
UNI-INFO: How do you manage to juggle all this with your studies?
MAILITAFI: Juggling everything is, of course, quite a challenge. It takes stamina – and a lot of motivation for the cause. My chemistry degree, with its fixed lab hours and numerous research placements, pushes me to my limits at times. I do a lot of travelling for my council work in Bersenbrück, and I often have evening events across Germany as well. What helps me is keeping a strict hold of my diary. And I have to be disciplined enough to hole up in the library and be unreachable when I’ve got major assignments, like seminar papers, coming up. Sometimes it works out. (laughs)
UNI-INFO: Representatives from the Institute of Chemistry recently nominated you for a major award for student engagement …
MAILITAFI: … which I found very gratifying! I also sense this understanding in my day-to-day university life. I can actually make individual arrangements with lecturers from time to time, for example when there are clashes between council meetings and lectures. Fortunately, the lecturers are very accommodating in that regard.
UNI-INFO: You’re politically active and have a keen interest in the structures of social interaction. Why aren’t you studying social sciences, for example?
MAILITAFI: By studying chemistry, I want to lay the foundations for later research into environmentally friendly methods of recycling electronic waste, rather than simply incinerating it. I was born in Ghana and have given this a lot of thought, as the country is home to Africa’s largest e-waste dump. Recyclable materials from Europe, America and other parts of the world are shipped there. The people who live there try to make use of the waste in their own way, repairing electrical appliances and recycling aluminium. One problem, for example, is that tyres are used as fuel, which produces highly toxic fumes. I visited the site myself in 2023: many children and vulnerable people live there in appalling conditions. I’d like to use my research to help bring about change in this situation.
UNI-INFO: What advice would you give to fellow students who are interested in getting involved in social causes but aren’t quite sure where or how they can get involved?
MAILITAFI: Oldenburg is a university town: people come and go. This often makes voluntary work difficult because there’s a lack of continuity. But even if you’re only there for a limited time, there’s always something to do – in lots of great organisations, clubs and initiatives. In my experience, everyone is delighted to have new members join them.
Source: Uni Info (class of 53, 3rd quarter 2026; page 9; Author: Saskia Heinze)