Black Dads Germany

The Challenge?

When Alain Missala was 16, he left his home in Cameroon. Travelling through several countries in Africa and Europe, he eventually settled in Germany two decades ago, where he is now a proud father of three children—two sons and a daughter. As a Black man living in Germany, Missala has faced racism in many forms. The birth of his daughter in 2018 motivated him to confront these experiences directly.?

“For so long, I felt very isolated as a father in Germany—not just as a father, but specifically as a Black father. People here are often reluctant to discuss racism; it’s a topic they’ve grown tired of,” Missala reflects.?

Frequently finding himself the only Black father at the playground, he began to imagine a different reality.?

The Solution?

Missala’s initial response was modest but impactful: he created a WhatsApp group for Black fathers in Berlin, allowing them to gather with their children at playgrounds. He shared his story on Facebook and created a group there, receiving over 60 messages from Black fathers across Germany overnight. The community quickly grew to 500 members. Recognizing the scalability of his idea, Missala transformed Black Dads Germany into a decentralised, volunteer-run non-profit organisation.?

“It was important to create a safe space for fathers—somewhere we can talk about the challenges we face,” he explains. “We want to connect beyond just the colour of our skin.”?

Today, Black Dads Germany operates in seven cities with over a thousand members. Membership is completely free, and each chapter hosts meet-ups and events led by volunteer community leaders. Missala’s approach allows community leaders to manage their chapters independently.?

When asked how people can get involved, he says, “I don’t have a one-size-fits-all answer. Tell me what you want to do, and we’ll make it happen. I want people to bring a part of themselves, to realise that Black Dads Germany is bigger than any one of us.”?

This grassroots structure has empowered members to step into roles they never thought possible. One member shared that he felt brave enough to take on leadership because Black Dads Germany felt like family—a source of safety and support. “I believe we each have something inside of us that’s dormant,” Missala says. “When we feel supported, we can truly thrive.”?

This vision—to build a community of leaders and changemakers—made Black Dads Germany an ideal candidate for the Ashoka Fellowship, a global network supporting leading social entrepreneurs. Ashoka’s team and Missala’s fellowship cohort have helped him refine the organisation’s impact, encouraging constant innovation and growth.?

Looking Ahead?

One of Missala’s upcoming projects is Black Dad Readers, a program encouraging fathers to read with their children at home, in libraries, and in schools. The initiative aims to promote diversity and inclusion by providing books that reflect a range of characters and experiences. However, such books are scarce in Germany, prompting Missala to launch ZULA, an edutainment platform dedicated to diverse and inclusive storytelling.?

“We’re focusing on intersectionality. We operate as a big family and call ourselves ‘Tribes’—including neurodivergent individuals, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ members. Our goal is to create stories with multiple perspectives,” he says.?

While Black Dads Germany has always operated as a non-profit and Missala has never drawn a salary, ZULA will include both for-profit and nonprofit components. Initially, writers and readers will be sourced from the Black Dads community and beyond to demonstrate demand to publishers. To date, ZULA and Black Dads Germany have donated over 1,000 books and launched a beta app to make these stories accessible to young readers. With partnerships from organisations like Audible and the EU’s Social Innovation Fund, Missala is focused on securing funding and building a diverse team for ZULA.?

Each new development in Missala’s journey brings anticipation for what’s next.?

For more information about Black Dads Germany, click here. For more information about the Ashoka Fellowship, click here.?