As a single mother and working doctor, Franziska Graf* faces organisational challenges every day. “My son is only eight months old and he keeps me very busy,” she says. Finding a balance between work and family life is often difficult. The young mother was therefore delighted when she came across the Hand in Hand project run by the ZHAW School of Health Sciences while online. The programme connects students with single parents to offer them support. She subsequently signed up and also attended the get-together that forms part of the programme. “It simply feels good to exchange experiences with people in similar situations.”
To make her daily life a little easier, she was paired with two students from different degree programmes. Over the course of a semester, they took turns or worked together, caring for her child or helping out with other tasks such as shopping or accompanying her to the airport. “I got along with them both right from the start and we quickly built up a relationship of trust,” says the single mother. She is grateful for the support, which has made a noticeable difference in her daily life. “At last I can find the time to do some sport again,” she says with a laugh. One of the students is Erena Hili. She is in the sixth semester of her nursing degree and did not have to think twice when she heard about the programme as an elective module. “I find the project very helpful,” she says. “It offers hands-on experience, gives students a great deal of flexibility, and you are rewarded with credits.” Yet it was not only the practical benefits that appealed to Erena Hili. She also felt a personal connection to the topic. Her mother had raised her and her siblings on her own. “I know how challenging everyday reality can be,” she says. “Fortunately, my mother had a strong support network.” However, as not all single parents have access to such support, she wanted to give something back.
The support provided to Franziska Graf was tailored to her individual needs: she posted her requests in a group chat, and Erena Hili or her tandem partner Michael Mathis, a fourth-semester occupational therapy student, responded with their availability. On average, the student spent a few hours each week with Franziska Graf. Erena Hili found the interprofessional collaboration particularly rewarding. “As a future occupational therapist, my tandem partner was especially focused on fine motor skills, while I paid more attention to the relational and holistic aspects,” she says. “This allowed us to learn a great deal from one another and combine our strengths to the full.”
A late-night phone call as the starting point
The Hand in Hand project was initiated by Marion Huber, Head of the Department of Interprofessional Teaching and Practice at the Institute of Public Health. The idea originated from a phone call she received in the middle of the night several years ago in her role as a godmother. “A friend of mine, a working single mum, was ill and needed help urgently. She also told me that she often struggled because she did not know whom she could turn to. Her family did not live nearby.”
Subsequently, in 2021, a Bachelor’s thesis examined the support needs of single parents in the Winterthur region, confirming that such requirements clearly exist. The study also revealed that many people need not only short-term help, but also long-term solutions that they can incorporate into their daily lives. Based on these findings, Marion Huber got in touch with the relevant services and developed the project as an elective module for Bachelor’s students at the School of Health Sciences. “In addition to support from students, we also wanted to create a network that encourages exchange,” she explains. This led to the regular gatherings that take place every two months in the form of a Sunday brunch. “The feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive,” says Moira Trüb, who works on the project as a research assistant alongside Marion Huber. In future, the networking events will also feature a 30-minute presentation on a specific topic, based on the needs of single parents.
Deborah Scharfy
Hand in Hand team member
“The project not only offers students practical experience, but also an insight into the everyday realities faced by single parents.”
Insights into other realities of life
Deborah Scharfy has been a member of the Hand in Hand team since the very beginning. As a single mother of two children and a midwifery student in her third semester, she understands both sides of the programme. She knows what single-parent families need and where there is room for improvement, while also appreciating the workload faced by students. At present, there are more single parents seeking support than students willing to take part. Deborah Scharfy suspects that many people are put off by the perceived effort involved. “To keep the workload manageable, support is provided in tandems,” she explains. This offers several advantages: on the one hand, it reduces the burden on students. On the other, it promotes collaboration between the different professions. “The project not only offers students practical experience, but also an insight into the everyday realities faced by single parents.” For Scharfy herself, the need for support is less pressing these days, as her children are now five and seven years old. “Now that they attend kindergarten and after-school care, things are working quite well.” However, things used to be different when the children were younger. “At that time, I had no family nearby. I was therefore extremely grateful when a woman from the local neighbourhood would occasionally help me put the children to bed. That support was worth its weight in gold.”
Franziska Graf’s situation has also eased somewhat since February, as her baby now has a place at a nursery. Even so, weekends and appointments such as a visit to the dentist still create occasional bottlenecks. In those moments, all it takes is a quick message in the chat, and Erena Hili or Michael Mathis step in. Their support has also continued beyond the formal project. “As long as I can fit it around my studies, I’m happy to continue,” says Erena Hili. And the mother adds: “I am extremely grateful to have got to know them both through the project. Initiatives like this are incredibly important.” Marion Huber, who launched the project, hopes to create further support options in future for vulnerable groups who are underserved. “We want to help and, at the same time, offer students practical training that will benefit them in real life.”
From the magazine Vitamin G, No. 18, May 2025, pp. 18–20
