Embracing Change: Zakaria's Journey in Frankfurt
The new documentary series "Welcome to Frankfurt - New in the City" follows the lives of eight individuals embarking on fresh starts in this vibrant metropolis. Among them is Zakaria Ben Moussa, a former social pedagogue and accomplished athlete from Morocco, who has chosen to begin his new journey working in waste management in Frankfurt.
Zakaria’s daily routine is nothing short of remarkable, involving an impressive 30,000 steps and approximately 25 kilometers of walking during each shift. He humorously refers to his job as a form of sport. Since September 2025, he has been participating in a qualification program at FES, the Frankfurt Waste Management and Service GmbH, where he is training to become a truck driver and loader in waste disposal.
Currently, Zakaria is preparing to obtain his commercial driver's license, and his first driving lesson is being filmed by a documentary crew. His experience is part of the broader narrative of the new hr documentary series, which showcases the lives of people who have started anew along the banks of the Main River.
As he steps into the massive truck, his driving instructor, Marco Neun, emphasizes the importance of safety, urging him to use all the steps to enter the vehicle and to hold on firmly. Despite feeling a bit anxious about the numerous rules he must follow, Zakaria has already successfully acquired his Class B and C driver’s licenses during the qualification program, all within just a year of arriving in Germany.
Zakaria discovered the program while still in Morocco, where his family, including his parents and two sisters, reside. He had studied philosophy and social pedagogy, worked in a school, and was a middle-distance runner for the Moroccan national athletics team until an injury interrupted his athletic career.
Although he found his teaching job meaningful, it did not provide sufficient financial stability, prompting him to move to Frankfurt in April 2025 with just a 20-kilogram suitcase and a 10-kilogram backpack. Leaving his homeland, family, and career was a tough decision, but he aspired to establish a stable life—complete with a home, a car, and opportunities for travel—none of which seemed feasible in Morocco. Today, he speaks excellent German and has passed an IHK examination in addition to his driving licenses, proudly acknowledging, "I am already proud of myself," with a smile.
Zakaria has never felt truly foreign in the international city of Frankfurt, often exploring its diverse culinary scene. He has become so skilled at eating sushi that he now teaches friends and colleagues how to use chopsticks effectively.
Residing in a shared apartment in the Fechenheim district, he frequently visits the neighboring Bornheim area. The fact that many Moroccans in Frankfurt hail from Nador, his hometown by the Mediterranean, has helped him acclimatize to his new environment. While he occasionally misses the sea and his family, he has established a solid bond with his colleagues at FES, communicating almost effortlessly during their shifts. He admits that he prefers collecting residual waste over organic waste, adding with a wink that the waste collection service here enjoys a high level of respect among the locals.
Initially, Zakaria intended to save money and eventually return to Morocco, but now he feels so well integrated into life in Frankfurt that he envisions starting a family here.
As reported by tagesschau.de.
