Blog EN January 2022 – Aid for refugees in Austria concludedAfter a long, utterly exhausting, and life-threatening escape from their home in Syria, a family with five children finally reached save grounds in Austria. The family had lost their house and all of their wealth in the war. Together with other refugees the family was initially received in an emergency shelter in a village close to Eisenstadt. The aid organisation Burgenland covered their care. Furthermore, several of the villagers offered voluntary services and care, such as educational help and language courses. The essentials were quickly organized for the families. The network of helpers, which was established at that time is still very active today. Since then, the family was officially accepted by the town and a house was rented to them. This way it is now possible for the family to build new roots in safety and start to work on processing the trauma of their escape. When Anna and Gertraud got to know the children at a birthday party, they were moved by their story and decided straight away to offer the support of Moving Child. Since then, Moving Child has supported the children continuously by enabling special language tutoring and training. Since 2016, Moving Child has been helping the small family by financing afternoon care, helping them find apprenticeships, and various small educational offers. In the meantime, the family has settled in and developed in such a way that no further support is necessary. It is very impressive to see how, within a few years, this family has proactively and successfully found their way into a new every day and professional life. Both parents are now working. While the father works in a bakery, the mother is employed as a cleaner in the nearby hospital. The independence that comes with working gives both of them a lot of pleasure and allows them to make many new and supporting contacts. The oldest son in the family has already completed his apprenticeship as a car mechanic and continues to work in his training company with great pleasure. The second oldest son has also completed his training as a dental technician and is now moving to Bregenz to continue working as a dental technician, which he really enjoys. The middle daughter successfully passed the Abitur in the summer of 2021! Subsequently, she started studying chemistry at the University of Graz. But since her deepest wish is to become a doctor one day, she will apply for a place in a medicine program in the coming year. Her younger sister is still in middle school but would like to attend vocational school soon and train as a kindergarten teacher. The youngest son of the family is now also in the second grade of high school but would prefer only to play soccer all the time. And he has great talent! Who knows, maybe he’ll go to a soccer academy after graduating from high school? One thing is certain, the family has gained a foothold! The parents are happy to continue living in the village with their two youngest children and are often visited by the grown-ups. We are touched and moved to have been part of this development in recent years. We wish the family good luck and the children much joy in shaping their lives independently.... Read more...2021 end of term report: A delightful reviewThe year is drawing to a close, candles and colored lights illuminate the windows, and it’s time to reflect on the past year. The corona pandemic still had the world under control and although great progress was made in many places, there were projects whose work was made very difficult or even impossible this year. Nevertheless, we are happy to report that most of the projects that we supported have still managed to implement their work in a motivated and successful manner. We can also proudly report that Moving Child is supporting seven new funding projects in 2021, just like last year. In this end of term report we would like to briefly report how the situation in our various funding projects has developed and give a little insight into our work. In Munich The Netzwerk Geburt und Familie e.V. (Network Birth and Family Association) was, at least in small groups, able to resume its physical activities for long-term unemployed women and to carry these out continuously during the year. The planned dance theatre presentation by the association mitSprache e.V. could unfortunately not take place due to the pandemic restrictions during the rehearsals, but plans for next year’s presentation are already in the making. In the international Montessori school Campus di Monaco, more than 90% of the students in the 10th grade were able to successfully achieve the intermediate level of education despite the additional challenges. The Child-Life-Specialist program of the Care-for-Rare Foundation, which focuses on providing psychological and social care for inpatient children with rare diseases, could continue to be implemented this year despite considerable difficulties in view of the corona pandemic. The work of the Stiftung Ambulantes Kinderhospiz München (Munich Ambulatory Children’s Hospice Foundation) was also able to be carried out with restrictions this year. Their Crisis Intervention Service (RUF24) in particular was contacted a lot during this difficult year. This year Moving Child also started supporting the Initiative krebskranke Kinder München e.V. (Initiative for Children with Cancer in Munich), whose aim it is to help cancer-stricken children and their families with a wide range of offers – during the acute illness but also in the following years. Since the beginning of this year, we have also been supporting the AETAS Children’s Foundation, which offers professional child crisis intervention and cares for children and young people after a traumatic event. Furthermore, we have included the Bildungs- und Kulturverein e.V. (Munich-based Education and Culture Association) in our funding scheme, which very successfully offers free soccer training with an integrative approach for girls with and without a migration background. In Berlin The Quinoa Bildung gGmbH, a private school in Berlin-Wedding, was able to carry out its work successfully this year. The school operates with the important aim that all young people in Germany, regardless of their social and cultural origin, should have the chance to successfully graduate from school. The project “integrative learning therapy”, funded by Moving Child, was able do initial evaluations and create individual support plans for a number of pupils. In spite of the restrictions this year the association against sexualised violence, Wildwasser e.V., was able to go on a summer trip with the girls in their care. Moving Child supported two projects of the association Save the Children Germany this year: 1) “Save back to School” in Yemen; where the prolonged state of war, Corona, as well as the destruction of many schools lead to the permanent drop-out of school and educational training of many children. “Safe back to School” establishes contact with the children, distributes learning materials, and supports the children’s return to school. 2) “Corona Help in India” takes care of the urgently needed medical and social care for the children in India. Children were particularly affected by the consequences of the extremely high number of infections in May and June 2021 in India. Many children were orphaned and contact persons were afraid to visit or care for them. Furthermore, in Germany Unfortunately, the Migration Bildung Kinder e.V. (Migration Education Children Association) in Freising was not able to offer all of their German language courses during the lockdown, as the technical requirements for online participation could often not be met. However, as far as possible, the program was maintained throughout the year. The Frauen Gesundheit Familie Zukunft e.V. (Women Health Family Future Association) in Neunkirchen-Seelscheid had similar problems. Due to the corona pandemic and the restrictions derived from it, only a few consultations could take place this year. An exciting new project from Moving Child is the Paulihof – Kinderhilfe gGmbH (Paulihof – Child Aid) in Kühbach. The Paulihof is an educational-therapeutic living group for traumatized children, which has its approach in animal-assisted education through which it promotes physical, emotional, and social development in the children and animals. Our foreign funding Globally, Moving Child continued to support two international schools. The Kiettisack school in Luang Prabang (Laos) and the Kajonkietsuka school in Phuket (Thailand). Both schools were subject to months of lock-down due to Corona. This year, Moving Child designed a questionnaire to improve communication with the parents of the supported children, which is intended to closely follow the development of the children. The first results of the questionnaire were very gratifying. All six supported children were successful in school, satisfied with the lessons, and were looking forward to the next school year. The small, local Phoukoun school in Luang Prabang (Laos) organized a fundraising event in April 2021. As part of this event, income was generated for the procurement of school uniforms and materials, bicycles, and food for the pupils. At the Laos Friends Hospital for Children in Luang Prabang (Laos) the work was largely continued as normal. The training program for Laotian doctors, financed by Moving Child since the end of 2019, continued well despite the Corona situation. Many teaching units were carried out online and the results of the first learning evaluations were very satisfactory. The continuation of the project seems very promising in view of the positive training results and increased autonomy of the Laotian doctors in the children’s and neonatal ward. The situation in the Annapurna children’s home in Nepal, organized by Hands with Hands e.V., was still difficult this year due to the ongoing wave of corona infections. All of the children in the home were infected with the coronavirus this year, but luckily, they all recovered from it. All educational programs took place online for months. This was a great challenge; not only for the 40 children in the home, but also for the teachers. Despite the months-long lockdown, construction work on the new earthquake-proof Annapurna children’s home was progressing well. The situation in Nepal was exacerbated by a strong monsoon this year. This year, Moving Child became operatively active on a larger scale. “Feldenkrais in Schools” is a project directly initiated by Moving Child. The project is mainly inspired by and in collaboration with an Israeli project that Moving Child has supported financially for several years. The project in Israel is led by Dr Eilat Almagor (Feldenkrais teacher and neuroscientist) and has been successfully implemented there since 2015. The Feldenkrais method, named after its founder, the physicist Dr Moshé Feldenkrais, is a body-oriented learning method that helps people learn to perceive themselves more consciously. The physical access of Feldenkrais can contribute to professional and social learning. Through the mostly unfamiliar movements, children learn to perceive themselves better and to find alternatives to their usual behaviour, independently and in their own rhythm. Our idea is to realize Feldenkrais’ original vision of integration and to incorporate features of organic learning into school-based learning. Under the pandemic conditions, the start of the project was delayed, but Moving Child is happy to still have found motivated, competent, and enthusiastic Feldenkrais teachers. About the internal Moving Child developments, it can be reported that managing director Dr Ella Lattenkamp received the official foundation manager certification from the German Foundation Academy (DAS) in April of this year. The addressed topics were e.g., foundation law and tax law, accounting and balancing, investment, and general foundation management. This year, Moving Child implemented many of the suggestions from the course in a motivated and committed manner. An investment strategy was developed, a mission statement was drawn up, and guidelines for the management were stipulated. In addition, there is now an informative catalogue of funding criteria on our website and our application forms have been structured in a more impact-oriented manner and expanded to include the topic of project sustainability. It was an exciting and eventful year, and we are grateful to be in contact with such amazing people and projects. We are very pleased to be able to contribute to the exciting work of our funded projects and thank all projects for the wonderful cooperation this year. Of course, we would also like to extend our thanks to all donors for their trust and support! We wish you all a good and healthy start into the new year! Sincerly, your Moving Child Team Anna, Gertraud and Ella... Read more...September 2021 – Developments in NepalHands With Hands is an association of international and Nepalese friends who work on a voluntary basis on the vision of solidarity with one another. They support Nepalese people and organizations and initiate and finance projects that promote empowerment of the local people and communities. The self-sustaining Annapurna children’s home in Pokhara is the association’s main project at the moment. Read more about the idea and orgins of the project in our blog post from last year. The situation in Nepal and in the Annapurna children’s home continues to be difficult in the persistent corona situation. The children at the home all caught the corona virus, but thankfully also all recovered from it. In the end Sharada, who had cared for weeks for the sick children, fell ill as well. It was a long infection and she recovered only slowly over 6 weeks. Mercifully, the children and Sharada are now back on their feet. The vaccine rollout in Nepal is very slow. This is partly due to widespread misinformation, which generates scepticism in the population, and also due to the low availability as Nepal received only small supply of surplus vaccine units from America and China via the limited COVAX system. For months all education has been online. This has been a huge challenge not only for the 40 children at the home, who have to try to continue to keep their studies up under such difficult circumstances, but also for the teachers. Hands with hands has offered teacher training to help the teachers to understand and use the available online tools and forums. While this works with a lot of discipline and effort in the Annapurna children’s home, especially the very poor children in Nepal were not able to attend online classes for months. This lack of education will have dramatic long-term effects for the population. Girls in particular are unlikely to return to school, once it would be possible again. Hands with Hands is planning to generate incentives for the children, especially for girls, to go back to school when the schools reopen (which is not likely to be before April 2022). Small scholarships, school uniforms, materials, and books could be offered to motivate a return to school. Despite the month-long lock-down the construction on the new earthquake-safe Annapurna children’s home is progressing and the work is now already working on the roof of the second story. However, the 2nd Delta wave is starting to hit Nepal and it is not possible to predict how the expected new lock-down will affect the construction. Hands with Hands hopes that the construction work will be able to continue throughout the lock-down, but that depends on if the building materials can be acquired before the lock-down. The situation in Nepal is further aggravated by an extremely strong monsoon this year. Luckily the children’s home was not affected too badly by the monsoon, but a school (in the East of Nepal, Sindhupalchock district) was hit very hard by the flooding. Hands with Hands supports this school as well and it was sad to see that a river, which was re-routed by the drastic increase in volume, took out part of the school (6 classrooms!). The courageous efforts of the locals, who build a wall to re-route the water (while standing in the river themselves!), saved the rest of the school. Reconstruction of the school will need efforts and resources in the next couple of months and the monsoon is still scheduled to continue for a couple of weeks. Despite the dramatic situation, the mood of the people is surprisingly undaunted. Nepal has been hit with such disastrous events, especially in the past 10 years, that the people adopted an accepting good attitude and in the face of catastrophe maintain an optimistic view of the future. And indeed, at least the harvest in the Annapurna children’s home was good this year. The food for the children is secured and 5 new children were taken in care this year. Excess food was given to the poorest in the community. Food care packages were prepared to help especially mothers with young children. Hands with hands needs donations in order to continue their important and incredible work in Nepal. The donations are needed mainly to acquire building materials for the new children’s home, but also to rebuild the destroyed school and continue to support extremely poor families with food.... Read more...Half-year report 2021The first half of 2021 has been very busy and successful for Moving Child. Major financial decisions, intensive training, exciting project meetings and much more have determined our work. With this half-year report, we want to briefly inform about the latest developments at Moving Child. Certified foundation management In April, managing director Ella Lattenkamp received her certification as a foundation manager from the German Foundation Academy. The course covered important topics of everyday foundation work, such as foundation law and tax law, accounting, wealth management, and general foundation management. Whether basic data protection regulation or donation taxation, whether communication strategy or project management, the topics are now familiar. In recent months, Moving Child has implemented many of the impulses from the course. An investment strategy and eligibility criteria have been developed and guidelines for general business management have been drawn up. In addition, our application forms have been structured in an impact-oriented manner and expanded by a section about project sustainability. Moving Child feels equipped to face everyday foundation life with new confidence and embraces the new horizons. Sustainable investment The topic of sustainable investment is becoming more and more popular. Since a large part of a foundation’s work is financed by investment dividends and thus investment is an essential part of foundation work, Moving Child has committed itself to the sustainability of its financial activities. This issue was taken on with vigour this year. From a pre-selection of a number of banks with a sustainable concept, the two best candidates were selected, and asset management mandates were awarded. This form of investment not only allows us to tightly control in which companies we invest, but also gives a certain right of co-determination: At general meetings of the companies in which we invest, important questions can be addressed, and direct influence can be exerted on the company management. Moving Child intends to not only support projects directly, but we also want to actualise our goals indirectly through investments and thus to contribute to a sustainable and healthy life on this planet. New projects this year Already in the first half of 2021, Moving Child was very busy and got to know many new projects. We are proud to have found six new projects, which we will be supporting wholeheartedly in the coming years. These projects include the AETAS Children’s Foundation in Munich, which has set itself the goal of caring for children and adolescents after a traumatic event and provides professional child crisis intervention. Their work is unique in Germany and goes far beyond emergency care. The Munich-based “initiative for children with cancer” supportst children and their relatives in this extremly difficult circumstances and relieves their burded through a variety of offers of assistance. Our special support this year goes to the association Save the Children Deutschland. We support two projects that are particularly close to our hearts. The first is “Save back to school” in Yemen. The long-running state of war, the corona situation, as well as the destruction of many schools lead to the permanent school/education drop-out of many children in Yemen. “Safe back to school” plays a very special role here, as many parents keep their children at home because the route to school and the school themselves are too dangerous. Save the Children contacts the children, provides learning materials, and supports the return of the children to the schools. The second project is the “Corona Help” in India. Children are particularly affected by the consequences of the extremely high infection rates in May and June of this year in India. Many children are orphaned, relatives are afraid to visit and care for them. They are unprotected. The provision of food, hygiene, medication, and psychological and social assistance to children is often interrupted or not possible. Save the Children takes care of the much-needed medical and social care of children in India. Biku and Jambo Bukoba are two associations in Munich that we started to support this year. Biku e.V. organizes free girls’ football training with an integrative approach for girls with and without a migrant background under the title “Mädchen an den Ball”. Jambo Bukoba e.V. is committed to equal opportunities, health, and education in Tanzania. Through self-designed sports units and by improving the sanitary conditions, girls and boys are given the opportunity to participate regularly and equally in everyday school life. Our latest funding project is the Paulihof – Kinderhilfe gGmbH. The Paulihof is an educational-therapeutic living group for traumatized children and adolescents, which has its approach in education and experience with animals. The way the children and animals are treated and communicated with on this farm is very special and helps them to rediscover a feeling of protection, security, and trust and allows them to build relationships again. Detailed information on these new projects can be found in our blog or will be published on our website soon. Moving Child also provides active support So far, the work of Moving Child has mainly been shaped by its financial support for projects. On its 10th anniversary, Moving Child can already look back on 32 funded projects. This year Moving Child will be operationally active on a larger scale for the first time. The “Feldenkrais in Schools” project is a project initiated directly by Moving Child. This project is mainly inspired by and in collaboration with an Israeli project that Moving Child has supported financially for several years. The project in Israel is led by Dr. Eilat Almagor (Feldenkrais teacher and neuroscientist) and has been successfully implemented since 2015. The Feldenkrais method, named after its founder, the physicist Dr. Moshé Feldenkrais is a body-oriented learning method that helps people learn to perceive themselves more consciously. The physical access of Feldenkrais can contribute to professional and social learning. Through the mostly unfamiliar movements, children learn to perceive themselves better and to find alternatives to their usual behaviour independently and in their own rhythm. From getting to know this new world in your own self, it is only one step to appreciate the otherness of friends and strangers. Feeling yourself without judgment helps to treat each other with respect and tolerance. Our idea is to realize Feldenkrais ‘original vision of integration and to incorporate features of organic learning into school-based learning. We focus primarily on working with financially disadvantaged children, migrants, or children with learning difficulties. All students and teachers should become more fully present in class through the movement exercises and their learning process should be more meaningful and connected with their entire being. Due to the pandemic, the start of the project was delayed, but Moving Child is happy to have found motivated, competent, and enthusiastic Feldenkrais teachers who are happy to initiate the project and breathe life into it. We are really looking forward to the start of the project and hope to be able to report on its progress soon. We thank all projects, whether new or old, for the wonderful cooperation and all donors for their support! We send our best and wish you a good second half of 2021! Sincerely, your Moving Child Team Anna, Gertraud and Ella ... Read more...June 2021 – Corona aid for IndiaIn April and May 2021, the numbers of new corona cases in India have been devastating. The number of cases increased rapidly and within a week more than 1.5 million new infections were reported. In only one week in May, new infections in India accounted for nearly half of all cases recorded worldwide. It is assumed, however, that there was a significantly larger number of unreported cases of infections, which would be many times higher than the reported cases. This is especially assumed as the virus spread quickly from the cities to the countryside, where testing was often not possible. The health system in India was not able to handle such numbers and was on the verge of collapse. One no longer knew how to proceed with the dead. India was and still is lacking all the essentials: oxygen, vaccines, medicines, and hospital places. Children are particularly affected. Their parents and relatives are dying or sick. Contact persons are afraid to visit them. They are helpless. Supplying the children with food, hygiene products, medication, and psychological and social help is often not possible. Moving Child campaigns for India and donates the exceptional sum of € 300,000 for Corona emergency aid in India. We support the work of Save the Children Deutschland e.V., who are working on site. We hope that with enough solidary global support the situation in India and thus in the world will quickly take a turn for the better.... Read more...May 2021 – Moving Child is self-improvingA lot has happened in the last year: Moving Child turned 10 and Dr. Ella Lattenkamp joined the organization as the third managing director. In order to conduct professional and informed foundation management, Ella attended a certification course on the subject of “foundation management” at the German Foundation Academy (DSA) from January to April 2021. Since May 2021, Ella is allowed to bear the title of ‘Certified Foundation Manager (DSA)’ and Moving Child is happy about the multitude of ideas and suggestions that the course generated. The course deals with important topics of everyday foundation life, such as foundation law and tax law, accounting, asset management, and general foundation management. Ten intensive course days and futher accompanying webinars lay the foundation for attentive, qualified work in the foundation sector. Whether basic data protection regulation or taxation of donations, whether communication strategy or project management, the topics are now familiar and can be considered in our day-to-day work. A large number of experts from the foundation sector provided insights into the most important subject areas. Furthermore, the course was not only informative, but also a great social enrichment. Although the course had to take place online for the first time due to the pandemic, the exchange with the fellow participants was great. It was possible to exchange ideas about common problems, benefit from the experiences of the others, and acquaintances quickly formed, which have great potential for future collaborations. Preparing for exams together using the well-structured digital learning platform was also a pleasure. In the last few months Moving Child implemented many of the suggestions from the course in a motivated and committed manner. An investment strategy was developed, a mission statement evolved, and management guidelines were drawn up. In addition, there is now an informative catalogue of eligibility criteria on our website and our application forms have been impact-oriented restructured and expanded to include the topic of sustainability. Moving Child feels armed to face the waves of everyday life with a new level of self-confidence and is happy about the many new horizons that have opened up.... Read more...April 2021 – Save the Children in YemenThe Republic of Yemen is the scene of the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. For six years, Yemen has been a region in crisis with about 21 million people (2/3 of the total population) – of which approx. 11.3 million are children – urgently need humanitarian aid. What is the conflict about? The Republic of Yemen was established only in 1990, but for a long time has been considered the poorest country in the Arabian Peninsula. In 1990, the Yemen Arab Republic in the north and the Democratic People’s Republic of Yemen in the south (also called North Yemen and South Yemen) united. Northern Yemen is considered conservative and is strongly influenced by neighbouring Saudi Arabia. Unlike southern Yemen, northern Yemen was almost consistently an independent country. Until 1967, southern Yemen belonged to the British colonial empire. After its independence, the country joined the Soviet Union. Over decades, the countries had developed very differently. The different Muslim faiths also shape the life of the population: Shiites live predominantly in the north; in the south the majority of people are Sunnis. Therefore, the conflict in Yemen is also a religious one. Already in 2004, there were major political unrests, which led to the resignation of the president as part of the “Arab Spring” in 2012. A transitional government announced new elections and a new constitution, but these plans were never implemented. Since 2015, the Huthis (a political-military movement, formed mainly by Shiites in the north) and a military alliance (mainly Sunnis in the south) have been fighting for supremacy in Yemen. More than four years ago, the Saudi coalition of Arab states intervened, with Western support, in the struggle between the Yemeni government and the Iranian-backed Huthi militia. The war in Yemen is thus not only fuelled by internal conflicts in the poorest country in the Arab world, but also by the regional conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Thus, a violent conflict with international parties developed from the civil war. Western military support for the Saudi alliance is a major factor in the Yemeni war. The United States supplies arms and ammunition, and German companies are also involved. Several human rights organizations have therefore filed charges at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Among others, the complaint is aimed at Rheinmetall; the Düsseldorf Group’s bombs were allegedly used in Yemen. The European aircraft manufacturer Airbus was also sued as the Saudi Air Force was deploying Airbus aircraft in the conflict. The conditions in Yemen are dramatic. Since 2015, active fighting, bombing, air strikes and attacks have been a daily occurrence. 250,000 people are said to have lost their lives, according to the HNO (Humanitarian Needs Overview 2021). A political solution is not in sight. Every day, an average of 120 children under the age of five die from preventable causes. Meanwhile, there is hardly a child in Yemen who does not need urgent humanitarian assistance. As a result of the conflict, hundreds of thousands of families have neither enough to eat nor drink; the people are starving. More than 2.5 million children under the age of five are acutely malnourished; 400,000 of those children are on the brink of starvation. Many children can no longer go to school because 75% of the schools are bombed or because they have to help support their families. In addition, there are diseases such as cholera, diphtheria, and dengue fever. All of these diseases are life threatening if untreated. The proportion of children under the age of 15 that are newly infected or dying is increasing because many children are already weak due to malnutrition. Since May 2020, the number of deaths attributable to COVID-19 has increased dramatically. The situation is very critical. Several hospitals in the capital Sana’a are closed because there is not enough protective wear for employees. Many people with COVID-19 symptoms are rejected by hospitals. Meanwhile, the health care system in Yemen has collapsed – 50 percent of hospitals have been destroyed, doctors and medication are missing. Since the beginning of the global corona pandemic, a ceasefire has already been announced twice, but has not been executed. The fights prevent effective prevention against further spread of the virus. Why are we supporting Save the Children? ‘Save the Children International’ (SCI) was founded in 1919 by the teacher and social reformer Eglantyne Jebb in Great Britain. Since then, it gained 25,000 employees worldwide, who are committed to the rights and protection of children. The basis of their work is the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and they are particularly distinguished by the intensive involvement of those affected by the crisis in project development. The organization has internationally a very good reputation as a charitable institution and regularly receives high marks in foundation rankings (e.g., charity navigator or the DZI). The organization is very efficient and transparent in terms of its use of funds and participates in the Transparent Civil Society initiative. The German national organization “Save the Children Deutschland e.V.” (SCDE) was founded in 2004. Save the Children has been working in Yemen since 1963, among others in the fields of education, child protection, health, and nutrition. Since the beginning of the conflict in March 2015, they have reached more than two million children with their emergency assistance. Some 850 local and international staff and more than 2,000 volunteers are active in Yemen. Save the Children is the largest international NGO active in Yemen and involves many national partners in its work. Through their strong commitment, it is possible for Save the Children to negotiate with both parties and to work both in the North and in the South. Their many years of experience in regions of crisis are of inestimable value for their work in Yemen. Over the past year, Save the Children staff has operated 23 hospitals and 167 health centres across the country, providing clean water and solar power. The activities of Save the Children include Treatment and care of malnourished children Restoration of health facilities Providing families with food, clean drinking water, and hygiene sets Vaccination of as many children as possible against diphtheria Establishment of shelters for children in which they can play and learn Furthermore, Save the Children is campaigning for an immediate end to the war. As long as the war continues, no reconstruction work can be done. In order to end the suffering of children and other civilian victims in Yemen, a ceasefire must be implemented as soon as possible. Why does Moving Child want to help right now and especially in Yemen? Moving Child supports financially disadvantaged infants, children, and adolescents worldwide. We primarily support basic health care as well as education. These fundamental issues are particularly affected by the war in Yemen. Almost two million children under the age of five are acutely malnourished and without further support, 360,000 children might die of starvation in 2021. Malnutrition is not a short-term symptom, but leads to mental and physical developmental disorders and lifelong delays. The situation is particularly aggravated, as the destroyed port in Hodeida makes the delivery of food, medicine, and goods very difficult. To prevent a famine in Yemen, at least 3.85 billion euros in funding would be needed. However, the UN has promised only half ($ 1.7 billion). In the current context of the Corona pandemic, and the associated spending, many countries have withdrawn or severely cut their support. The UK, for example, has discontinued 60% of their previous funding. The war in Yemen is particularly damaging to the civilian population and children are particularly affected. Now, why do we feel responsible? Not only because we believe that all children have a right to health, education, and security, but also because Germany is an arms supplier to the conflict. As in previous years, Germany also approved further arms exports to countries involved in the Yemen war in 2019. The death, the mutilation and the destruction in Yemen are therefore also due to German weapons. We have a responsibility to help people and should, wherever we can, put pressure on them to end this war. Moving Child supports ‘Safe back to school’ A recently launched global initiative by SCI is called “Safe back to school“. This initiative is a response to a little-noticed consequence of the global pandemic: the persistent drop-out of school and end to the education of many children. The cessation of schools at the beginning of the pandemic affects more than 11.5 billion children worldwide and it is estimated that about 10-15 million of them will not return to school at all. ‘Safe back to school’ plays a very special role in Yemen, as many schools were destroyed by the war and even the walk to school is not safe anymore. Parents keep their children at home because the roads and schools are too dangerous. But education is essential, especially for girls and young women, who need education as a foundation to become independent and allow them alternatives to marriage and the role of housewife. Every donation helps! If you want to help or are interested in more information, please contact us or the Save the Children team! Or donate via one of the other doantion websites listed below. Sources and ressources: Website: Save The Children – Yemen SCI Safe back to school initiative How Does Save the Children Help Children in Yemen? Save The Children Video – The Children of Yemen Speak Out Aktion Deutschland hilft: Yemen Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe: Yemen Unicef pdf of the Humanitarian Needs Overview Yemen 2021 German newspaper articles Zeit – German weapon exports (11.07.2018) by Hauke Friederichs Tagesspiegel – German weapon exports (15.10.2019) by Niklas Liebetrau Tagesspiegel – Background Yemen conflict (13.12.2019) by Christian Böhme and Thomas Seibert Der Freitag – Background Yemen conflict (02.04.2019) bySabine Kebir... Read more...February 2021 – Feldenkrais in schools: A future project of Moving ChildThe Feldenkrais Method, named after its founder, the physicist Dr. Moshé Feldenkrais, is a body-oriented learning method that helps people to learn to perceive themselves more consciously. Access and experience to the Feldenkrais Method can contribute to professional and social learning processes. Through the mostly unfamiliar movements, children learn to perceive themselves better and to find alternatives to their usual behaviour in their own rhythm. It is just a small step from getting to know one’s own self, to the appreciation of the uniqueness of friends and strangers. Feeling and experiencing yourself without judgment helps to treat one another with respect and tolerance. “Learning to think in motion” creates new connections in the brain, enables sensible contact with oneself and expands understanding in contexts. Feldenkrais’ dream was that his method would be taught in schools all over the world. Our plan is to realise Feldenkrais’ original vision of integration and to incorporate features of organic learning into school learning. In doing so, we initially focus primarily on working with financially disadvantaged children, migrants, or children with learning difficulties. Through the movement exercises in the classroom, all students and teachers should become more fully present and their learning process should be more meaningful and connected with their entire being. The Feldenkrais Method is intended to initiate two important processes: First, students and teachers become more self-conscious and more attentive as a result of the Feldenkrais lesson. This will have an impact on the following subject teaching (e.g., mathematics) that will be carried out afterwards. Second, a new language, a new dynamic, gradually develops among the participants. They listen carefully to each other during exercise classes. The students learn to recognize their own progress and think in different directions in order to explore possible solutions. The subject teachers are also involved in this development, they listen to the students more attentively and are more creative in designing their lessons. The result is that teachers are gradually changing the way in which they teach their subject, leaving time for active awareness, exploration, and self-guidance of the students. Our idea of the practical implementation is inspired by and in collaboration with an Israeli pilot project that is being led by Dr. Eilat Almagor and has been successfully implemented since 2015. Dr. Eilat Almagor is leading the project to include the Feldenkrais Method in schools and is working with neuroscientists in Israel and Germany on a scientific study aimed at examining the effects of the Feldenkrais Method on brain activity. Moving Child initially wants to launch projects in Berlin and Munich in which Feldenkrais teachers come to school once or twice per week and teach Feldenkrais movement for 20-30 minutes. The subject teachers are also present. This is followed by the normal subject class, such as mathematics, in which the Feldenkrais teacher then also partakes. Each teacher therefore takes part in the other teacher’s lessons as a student. The teachers meet regularly to prepare their lessons together and to deepen their understanding of Feldenkrais and its connection to learning. Moving Child helps to establish contact and mediation between teachers and schools, to develop the concept and, last but not least, to provide financial support. We look forward to reporting our progress in the future. Sources and references Feldenkrais Association Germany English Interview: Report of the Feldenkrais projekt in Israel (Dr. Eilat Almagor) Scientific publication: Verrel J, Almagor E, Schumann F, Lindenberger U, and Kühn S (2015) Changes in neural resting state activity in primary and higher-order motor areas induced by a short sensorimotor intervention based on the Feldenkrais method. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 9: 232. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00232... Read more...2020 end of term report: Moving Child started supporting 7 new projects2020 was not an easy year. Constant fear, insecurity, and an abundance of financial, health and mental challenges have made life difficult for everyone. The effects of the pandemic are being perceived strongly in Germany, and yet on a global scale our situation is almost comfortable. Nevertheless, there was a drastic shortage for important funding in Germany in the past year. In order to counteract the consequences of the corona pandemic, Moving Child has increased its support for several projects this year. An urgent supply gap had to be closed this year, particularly in schools and in the health sector. In addition, we have included seven new projects in our funding this year and will support them with a total of more than € 180,000. We were very happy to get in touch with such great projects during this difficult time and to support them in their work. These exciting new projects are to be briefly presented here. In the area of health promotion, Moving Child now supports the Institute Trauma and Pedagogy led by Hedi Gies, which aims to help shape the development of trauma pedagogy socially and institutionally, pedagogically and individually. The basic idea of the institute is the creative process of further developing and passing on trauma-pedagogical attitudes, methods and concepts. Moving Child supports the institute in financing specialist trauma counseling for children and adolescents. The children receive advice on stressful everyday issues that are characterized by their often destructive coping strategies due to trauma. In addition, the association Women Health Family Future is sponsored, the purpose of which is to prevent mental illnesses that can occur around childbirth. The work of the association includes individual and personal support during pregnancy, childbirth, and early parental leave. With the help of the association’s initiatives, women, and especially women with psychosocial stress, children, and their families should be given timely access to pre-existing aid measures. These approaches should help to minimize the rate of new cases of peripartum (around birth) mental illnesses. The most recent project in the “health” area ist the Munich Ambulant Children’s Hospice Foundation, which has been caring for families with critically and terminally ill children in Bavaria since 2004. The full-time and voluntary staff look after and accompany patients from diagnosis, through treatments, and beyond. They relieve families in these extremely trying psychological and physical situations and support them via a professional team of doctors, psychologists, social pedagogues, midwives, and nurses. Moving Child especially supports three projects of the foundation: 1) RUF24 (crisis intervention service), 2) therapy costs, and 3) costs for funerals appropriate for children. Wildwasser e.V. is an association against sexual violence in Berlin. Their offers are aimed at girls and women who were exposed to sexual violence as girls or adolescents, and their relatives and supporters. DonyA is a transcultural residential group of the Wildwasser association, which currently comprises nine girls between 12 and 18 years. The young women come to the residential group because they have experienced (sexualized) violence or neglect in their families, are in conflict situations that they cannot resolve on their own, or because their home does not offer the necessary stability. The main goal of the work at DonyA is the empowerment of these girls in all areas of life. In 2020, Moving Child financed a summer holiday for the nine girls, which was the first vacation of their lives for some of the girls and at the same time an important component of the paedagogical work. This year, Moving Child got to know two very special projects in the field of “education”. The first project is the Quinoa School and its provider, Quinoa Education. The Quinoa School is a private school in the social hotspot of Berlin-Wedding with a special goal: all young people in Germany should have the chance to graduate from school regardless of their social and cultural background. Through individual and linguistic support, relationship and family work, career orientation, intercultural learning and behavior management, the students of the Quinoa School will provide the most important skills to lead a successful and fulfilling life. Moving Child finances the project “integrative learning therapy”, which is intended for the development of an individual learning plan and thus to strengthen the self-reflection, motivation and self-efficacy of the students. Furthermore, this year Moving Child has also started supporting the MiBiKids association, which offers German language classes for kindergarten children and schoolchildren with a migration background in the Freising district. The goal of the MiBiKids is to support the children in their school career and thus to increase the chances of a successful professional future. The only admission criteria are a migration background and the willingness to participate regularly. This year, Moving Child also included environmental protection in its statutes and funding program. The first project in this field was carried out by BUND Nature conservation Bavaria. The project was concerned with the suppression of the mass spread of the glandular balsam, an introduced species that displaces native flora and fauna and disrupts the natural water balance. In an area of the alluvial forest near Waldkraiburg, which was completely dominated by balsam, grazing with cattle was initiated, which was hoped to promote the natural meadow vegetation as well as species that need sunny open habitats such as sand lizards, yellow-bellied toads and grass snakes. After just two weeks of grazing, the cattle had almost completely eliminated the balsam. How the vegetation develops longterm will be observed over the next few years. We are very happy to have found such wonderful new projects this year and to see positive developments in the projects that we have sponsored for a long time. It is amazing how much energy, time and love people are ready to gift to their fellow human beings and it makes us happy to be able to support them in their work. Our thanks also go to our donors who helped finance the Moving Child projects this year. We wish you all peaceful and healthy holidays and look forward to the developments in the new year! Anna, Gertraud and Ella ... Read more...November 2020 – Munich Ambulant Children’s Hospice FoundationThe Munich Ambulant Children’s Hospice Foundation (AKM) is the most recent new project supported by Moving Child. The AKM Foundation was founded by Christine and Florian Bronner and has been caring for families with critically and terminally ill unborn babies, new-borns, children, adolescents, and adults as well as critically ill parents living with their children since 2004. The full-time and voluntary staff look after and accompany patients from diagnosis, through treatments, and beyond. They relieve families in these extremely trying psychological and physical situations and support them via a professional team of doctors, psychologists, social pedagogues, midwives, and nurses. Moving Child especially supports three projects of the foundation: 1) RUF24 (crisis intervention service), 2) therapy costs, and 3) children funerals. RUF24 is a free, 24/7 offer from the AKM Foundation. Those affected can get advice over the phone in exceptional crisis situations and the RUF24 staff will meet patients at home or at the clinic within 1-2 hours. This project offers people support and stability in stressful situations. Like the other projects of the AKM Foundation, RUF24 is financed by donations. Moving Child is so positive about the work being done by the AKM Foundation that we will finance the baseline offer of RUF24 for the next three years. Furthermore, the AKM Foundation offers various forms of therapy for those affected and their families. However, trauma therapy, riding therapy, painting therapy, and other forms of therapy are costly, but essential for dealing with trauma and crises. The AKM Foundation pays therapy costs for patients, their siblings, and parents. Here, too, Moving Child supports the AKM Foundation’s offer and finances over 150 therapy hours annually. The third approach that Moving Child funds is the AKM offer of child-friendly funerals. When a child dies, parents and relatives have to organize a funeral at the most difficult time of their life, which is subject to very special requirements. In order to support the families during this time, the AKM Foundation helps organizationally and financially to cope with this task. In addition, the AKM Foundation offers other helpful and supportive projects, such as outpatient hospice work, aftercare projects (e.g. meetings with those affected, creative offers and mourning groups) and advice for relatives. But also “heart’s wishes” (a project that fulfils special wishes), sibling days, and holidays for the whole family are supported by the AKM Foundation. Further projects and donation opportunities can also be found on the AKM homepage. All of these offers allow critically ill children, adolescents, young adults and their families moments of emotional security, comfort, and at least a short return to normalcy.... Read more...September 2020 – The earthquake-proof Annapurna children’s home (Nepal)Hands With Hands is an association of international and Nepalese friends who work on a voluntary basis on the vision of solidarity with one another. They support Nepalese people and organizations and initiate and finance projects that promote empowerment of the local people and communities. Be it in the engagement for children, the establishment of microcredits, or the promotion of renewable energies: Hands With Hands relies on long-term commitment and helping people to help themselves. Their mission statement is “Give the net and not the fish”. In 2013 Moving Child was last in Nepal to visit and observe the work of Hands with Hands directly. A lot has happened since then. The self-sustaining Annapurna children’s home in Pokhara is the association’s main project at the moment. The Annapurna eco-village project is a joint concept of Hand With Hands together with the eco-architecture office “Abari”. The planned children’s home is a very special one: it is adapted to the local conditions, because every year there are several earthquakes in this region with a magnitude of 4.2 – 5.2 on the Richter scale. It is therefore important to build sustainably and, above all, earthquake-proof. The children’s home is located at an altitude of around 1050 m, but due to the terraced structure of the country, it seems to be idyllically situated in the mountains. After several years of preparations, construction work has now started this year. In fact, despite the country’s corona-related lockdown, all four foundations were ready in time for the onset of the monsoon! The construction project will also act as a role model when it comes to environmentally friendly, sustainable construction in an earthquake region. Most of the building materials are from local sources. Treated, weather and insect resistant bamboo is used as the main cladding material and will also be used for the furniture. Bricks made from dried and pressed mud are light, easy to work with and robust; good building material for the earthquake-ridden region. Other building materials that had to be imported, such as cement and iron, were mainly used for the foundation. Here, too, Hands with Hands was lucky: Most of the imported materials have already been used and do not have to be bought at the greatly increased prices that are expected after the lockdown. The road that leads to the children’s home is also being expanded so that in the future the school bus can access the home directly. The construction work will take about three years. During this time, the (currently) 39 children are still housed in temporary accommodation within a 20-minute walk of the new site. When the buildings are completed, the Annapurna children’s home will have a capacity for 55 children; with an extra area for babies and toddlers. The employees are already growing vegetables and cereals on the land that belongs to the site, thus covering 80-90% of the needed food for the children’s home. Self-sufficiency was particularly important during the country’s lockdown, and food could even be shared with the particularly poor from the neighbouring villages. The construction workers, who were not allowed to leave the property during the lockdown, could also be well looked after. During the difficult times in the last few months, the children were also involved in the harvest work. It gave them the opportunity to move during the lockdown and allowed them to learn important skills that will be useful to them later in life. Although of course there were difficulties to overcome, schoolwork was not neglected in past months; despite the pandemic. Tutors even came up from the next village and the children helped and supported each other. The older children in particular helped the younger one’s to study and to do their homework. This year, some of the children have grown up and taken up a profession. One young woman joined the military, a profession that is highly respected among the population. Another started an apprenticeship in a bakery, and another has been hired to be trained as an accountant in a bank. None of this would be possible without Sharada. She is the director of the children’s home and the good soul of the project. She works with the children, some of whom are severely traumatized. She strengthens team spirit and arouses motivation where there has been none for a long time. Many of the children have had traumatic experiences in the past and have been mistreated. Sharada manages to give the children a feeling of togetherness and to create a new family. Annual “brother-sister” celebrations are organized and mutual care and responsibility for one another are required of the children. The children are shown that they have a place in this world, a home and that they are loved. A priceless treasure. It is July 2020, we from Moving Child are sitting in the living room of Kira Kay, one of the founders of Hands With Hands, and enjoy her calm, warm presence. For Kira, working with the children in Nepal is a calling and you can feel it. At some point the term “moving hands” comes up – a slip of the tongue that hits the mark. We feel connected and enjoy the synergetic relationship that we have had with Kira for years. Her deep connection with the country and its people is practically tangible. After Kira finishes her report, we are speechless, moved. We are happy that we can contribute to the progress and development of such a project with Moving Child. But above all, we are glad that we know people who dedicate their energy, their work, and their lives to such an extent to the well-being of others and who make this world a better place.... Read more...August 2020 – Campus di Monaco: enabling learning in times of Corona“Education is the key to the future. As a result of the Corona measures and the school closings, disadvantaged children and young people are currently falling far behind in their educational opportunities. Whole generations of students are left behind!” Antonia Veramendi, principal The Campus di Monaco international Montessori school is an inclusive middle school that opened in September 2019 near Munich Central Station. The pupils here learn together and from one another, regardless of whether German is their mother tongue or a second language. The school integrates a concept of cultural education at all levels of everyday school life: music, art, theater, and dance and thus promotes key skills such as creativity, independence, the joy of discovery, and the spirit of innovation. More than half of the schoolchildren between the ages of 10 and 20 are disadvantaged in the form of migration experiences, health restrictions, or generally a high need for psychosocial support. The school offers services such as tutoring in small groups and creative offers such as wood and art workshops that help to generate a creative balance. They help to overcome trauma and stress caused by flight, war, and separation. Due to the corona-related school closings that have been ordered in Germany since mid-March 2020, the already disadvantaged students suffered particularly. There was a lack of support and stability, the young people were isolated, suffered from the noise in the collective accommodations and the lack of opportunities to retreat. The social services were withdrawn because of the risk of infection and protective masks were lacking. The security and well-being of the young people, as well as their development opportunities, were threatened in many ways. The Campus di Monaco team has achieved remarkable things in the last few months: the teachers kept in contact with the students via borrowed phones, sent tasks by post, or visited the young people directly in the accommodations. The conditions they found were shocking: the rooms were occupied by up to six people, cooking facilities and sanitary rooms were only available on some floors, there were no retreats and quiet learning locations without smaller siblings / roommates around. Sometimes entire families have lost their daily structure. The young people were left alone with their fears. For many of them the teachers were the only remaining contact to the outside world. But the Corona protective measures also have dramatic consequences elsewhere: promised funds have not been received. The information events to attract new students had to be cancelled and therefore the income generated by school fees and parental loans was also lacking. In view of the uncertain situation on the financial market and the economic development, programs of individual foundations were also closed. But here, too, the Campus di Monaco team has shown fighting spirit and made great efforts. They applied for shorter working hours, negotiated with the landlord, organized online seminars instead of parents’ evenings, and promoted the school intensly via social media. “Thanks to all these efforts, we are currently confident and, not least thanks to the great help from Moving Child, reasonably optimistic that we will get through this difficult time.” Brigitte Reichl, Campus di Monaco And things are looking up: Almost all of the students have been back to face-to-face classes since May. Of course, there is still a mask requirement (outside of the well-ventilated classrooms) and thanks to hard-working seamstresses, the students got them free of charge at the school. The best news is that, despite the difficult Corona situation, the senior class started their qualifying exams. Read more about the impressive achievements of the senior class in this school year report (in German)! However, it is uncertain how the situation will progress from here and help is still needed: For example, laptops that can be loaned to the students are urgently needed. These would allow the participation of the pupils in distance learning via video conference, access to online materials, and exchange via email. In addition to the annual support of the Campus di Monaco, Moving Child has set up a special Corona support, which particularly supports the trauma-pedagogical learning workshop (for children: 10-15 years) and the special learning support in the Campus di Monaco Future Workshop (for young people: 15-20 years old). In addition to psychosocial support, the focus of the Future Workshop is on aquiring school-leaving qualifications, career orientation, and job application writing support. The Future Workshop was recently recognized by the Ministry of Education as a vocational training facility. This means that from now on, full-time students who are required to attend vocational school can also be prepared for the secondary school certificate. In addition, in the Future Workshop, former students will continue to be accompanied and supported even after graduation. The last few months have been difficult for all of us, but the Campus di Monaco team continued to work tirelessly during the time the school was closed and with a lot of personal commitment made it through this time well. We are impressed and look forward to the developments over the next few years!... Read more...Moving Child half-year report 2020Moving Child turned 10 this year! The growth and development of Moving Child is a matter very close to our hearts. Over the last decade Moving Child has grown, several new projects were supported, and more and more funds were made available. We are proud and grateful that Moving Child now has such an extensive and impressive list of supported projects. Each of the projects impressed us with its individual approach and concept and it is our personal concern to maintain close contact and exchange with these projects. In this half-year report, we want to give an insight into the projects we are currently funding. Especially considering the difficult situation in the past months, it is important to us to present the state of and developments in the different projects. You can also download this report here. ~ EDUCATION ~ International Schools in Laos and Thailand The two international schools Kiettisack (Luang Prabang, Laos) and Kajonkiet (Phuket, Thailand) naturally had to follow many safety regulations due to the pandemic and both schools were closed in March. However, the students were given virtual lessons at home and the schools did their best to keep in touch with the students. It has to be said that the virtual lessons and, above all, the switch to this form of teaching were absolutely exemplary. The teachers were set up to teach remotely within a few days and were able to provide material and assistance to the pupils. The presented challenges were overcome immediately and exemplary and care was taken to ensure that no child was neglected. Even pre-schoolers were provided with tasks that helped them stay motivated, excited, and challenged during this difficult time. Both schools were opened again in July. Hands With Hands Hands with Hands has been supporting projects concerning social education, health, and the environment in Nepal for years. Hands with Hand focuses on building and managing self-sufficient children’s homes. In view of the pandemic, the children in the children’s homes were of course also in lockdown. Fortunately, there were well-established hygiene standards already in place and the children were able to help each other continue to work on the school assignments despite the lockdown. The self-sufficiency aspect of the children’s homes has been of particular value in recent months: during the lockdown the children still had access to fresh vegetables, cereals, and milk. Moreover, the construction work on the new “Eco Village” project was not completely paralyzed by the pandemic and only now had to be stopped due to the onset of the monsoon. Campus di Monaco – Montessori School Munich The educational success of children and young people is strongly influenced by their social background and the current crisis further highlights existing differences. This was a special challenge for the Campus di Monaco Montessori School in Munich, because more than half of the students have a refugee or migration background. They suffered particularly from the school closures in mid-March: the young people were isolated, they suffered from the noise in the collective accommodation and the lack of opportunities to retreat. The social service workers were withdrawn because of the risk of infection, and protective masks are lacking. The Campus di Monaco team worked tirelessly during school closure and, with a lot of personal commitment, tried to maintain contact with the pupils. Since May things were slowly improving: almost all pupils were back in face-to-face classes and since Pentecost the sixth and seventh grades were also back at school. Of course, there was still a requirement to wear a mask (outside the well-ventilated classrooms) and thanks to diligent seamstresses, students could also get these free of charge at school. The best news is that, despite the difficult corona situation, the senior class finished their final exams. A really impressive achievement! Aid for Refugees in Austria The Syrian family, which Moving Child supports in Austria, was influenced in many ways by the difficult situation in the past months. Fortunately, the older sons were able to continue their education and apprenticeship, but of course the younger children had to drop out of school. Nevertheless, the family of 7 is doing relatively well. They are healthy and help each other: the older siblings help the younger ones with their schoolwork. Even the English summer course for the oldest daughter in Malta can take place. While the oldest daughter is preparing for the final year now, the youngest son will also be starting high school after the summer holidays. ~ HEALTH ~ Network Birth and Family The sewing workshop and the café of the Network Birth and Family in Munich are social initiatives to promote the professional integration of long-term unemployed women. While usually funny, non-toxic toys and clothes for children are sewn in the sewing workshop, there has been a change in the last few months and many colourful masks have found their way into and out of the workshop. The café has also reopened in mid-May and freshly prepared lunches are offered daily following recipes from around the world. The movement classes for the women working in the network, which Moving Child has supported for years, have been resumed on a small scale after the Corona break and will hopefully fully take place again soon. Care for Rare – Child Life Specialists When sick children have to leave their family’s security to be treated in a clinic, their vulnerability becomes particularly apparent. In order for these children to receive the best possible child-friendly and holistic support, in addition to doctors and nurses, social pedagogues and psychologists are also needed who respond to the specific needs of children in the hospital. Moving Child funded the Child Life Specialist program at the Dr. von Haunerschen Children’s Hospital, which focuses specifically on this point: The needs of children in this uncertain situation are perceived and taken seriously. Despite the challenging times, the Child Life Specialist program was launched in May 2020! Lao Friends Hospital for Children (LFHC) Although no COVID-19 infected patients were treated directly in the LFHC, the situation in recent months has had a dramatic impact on the work at the hospital. The national borders have been closed and the voluntary, international doctors and helpers have returned to their home countries. Transport options between the villages were also only allowed to a limited extent and often not at all. As a result, the number of outpatients was reduced to about 50 per day, who were often in a very advanced stage of the disease or even in critical condition when they arrived at the hospital. Despite the country’s lockdown, teaching at the hospital continued. Distance learning programs have been set up that have enabled Laotian doctors and nurses to work on selected topics from home. The lockdown has been lifted since May, the doctors are back in the hospital and the number of cases is normalising slowly. ~ CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT ~ mitSprache e.V. This year’s theatre project of the mitSprache association was already in the middle of preparations when the performance had to be cancelled due to the pandemic. However, the organisation for the next project in 2021 is already in full swing! The 10th edition of dance theatre will be performed on May 13 and 14, 2021. This time in cooperation with another one of our funding projects: students of the International Montessori School – Campus di Monaco! The venue will be the Theater HochX in Munich Au, which offers perfect conditions for this event. This year Moving Child started supporting five additional projects: The Women Health Family Future association, the Institute Trauma and Pedagogy, the MiBi Kids, the Quinoa School, and the Wildwasser association in Berlin. We will soon provide more information on these projects on our website. We thank all projects for the wonderful cooperation and all donors for their support! All the best from us and may there be better days waiting for all of us in the second half of 2020! Warmly, your Moving Child Team Anna, Gertraud & Ella... Read more...June 2020 – News from the Lao Friends Hospital for ChildrenThe Lao Friends Hospital for Children (LFHC), opened in 2015, is the first of its kind in Laos; a hospital operated by and for the people of Laos. It was and is financed entirely from foundation and donation funds and is independent of, but in constant communication with, the Luang Prabang State Hospital. In the beginning of May, Friends Without A Border received a 4-star rating from an independent charity testing company (Charity Navigator) for the fifth time in a row, demonstrating its exemplary work. We have already told you about the impressive developments of the neonatal station (see here) and their Department for the treatment of thalassemia (see here). During our visit in February of this year, we were thrilled with the progress of the Lao physician teaching program, that Moving Child initiated and is the sole sponsor. The teaching program at the LFHC consists of two essential pillars: patient education and the training of specialist staff. In particular, the sustainable concept of in-house teaching and training events has fascinated us from the start. The main aim of the LFHC’s educational program is to strengthen the independence and autonomy of the Laotian doctors, but also of the nursing staff. “We were enthusiastic about the motivation and commitment of everyone involved in this project. The independence that is being trained here and the sustainability of this project are exemplary and have deeply impressed us.” Anna, Gertraud, Ella (Moving Child Team) The teaching program is comprehensive and includes daily topic-related lectures and discussion groups, structured English lessons, and exchange with international experts. But what is most important is the emphasis on ‘training for trainers’: The medical staff is trained not only to practically apply the knowledge they have acquired, but above all to pass it on to a new generation of future doctors. The influence, and thus the dependence on international experts, is slowly diminishing and the independence of the Laotian staff is being promoted. The current situation in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic So far there have been 19 confirmed corona cases in Laos, three of them in Luang Prabang. Although the LFHC does not treat infected patients directly, the situation has a dramatic impact on the daily life in the hospital. The country borders were closed, and the international doctors and volunteers returned to their home countries. Since then, the work at the LFHC has been mastered with a lot of energy and dedication by the local Laotian doctors and nurses, who have been working around the clock for weeks. Of course, all fundraisers also had to be cancelled, which further worsened the difficult financial situation of Friends Without A Border and the LFHC. Transportation between villages is only possible to a very limited extent. This has reduced the number of outpatients to around 50 a day, who usually arrive at the hospital in very advanced stages of the illness or even in critical condition. It is expected that poverty-related illnesses, such as malnutrition and infections, will occur even more frequently in the next few months. This makes the free treatments offered at the LFHC more important than ever. But there is also good news! The country’s lockdown has complicated the work at the LFHC, but the teaching courses continue. Distance learning programs have been set up that allow Laotian doctors and nurses to work on selected topics from home. All doctors continue to receive two full days of training per month: one with a focus on evidence-based medicine (a virtual journal club) and the other with interactive case studies. The doctors are in constant, lively exchange with each other and, despite the adverse circumstances, continue their training to be able to offer the best possible treatments in the future. We are impressed by the work and motivation of the LFHC team under such difficult and challenging conditions and are happy to report on the positive developments of the teaching program funded by Moving Child. We hope that it will get easier for them and all of us again soon, and thank all donors for their support. Every little bit helps the babies and children who receive treatment in this hospital that they could not get anywhere else. Thank you so much! Your Moving Child Team... Read more...February 2019 – New developments in Luang Prabang, LaosCHARITY EVENT, 26. – 27.01.2019, IN LUANG PRABANG In November 2018, we travelled to Luang Prabang for the fifth time. We felt – despite our 9 months absence – immediately back home. Since we started supporting the children’s hospital, we have been deeply impressed again and again with the speed and dynamic with which it is developing. This fills us with deep gratitude, which we gladly share with all donors and supporters. The longer we were in contact with the children’s hospital, the more concrete became Anna Schulz-Dornburg’s idea and desire to support children and adults in their healing process after sickness, trauma, or surgery. Her plan was to offer holistic medicine in form of Biodynamic CranioSacral Therapy to interested people and also for children after their treatment at the hospital. The idea to organize a charity event for the children’s hospital took shape and the Ock Pop Tok Living Crafts Center kindly offered its premises. EAST MEETS WEST – was the translation of Ock Pop Tok, and that was the spirit we integrated in our project and in our work. The atmosphere was very fitting for the charity event and created a welcoming inter- and transcultural context. With flyers in English and Laotian, we reached out to people who were interested in charity events and wanted to experience Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy. Additionally, a monk, and close friend of ours, supported the charity event as well, interesting many people from the Buddhist community. We formed a competent and motivated team: Anna Schulz-Dornburg, alternative medicine practitioner, physiotherapist, and cranio-sacral therapist, initiated, shaped, and supported the charity event through the power of her vision and her long-term professional experience. Korn Sriwan, Spa manager and biodynamic cranio-sacral therapist, was and is an important co-organiser and acted as a bridge between cultures – both organisationally, therapeutically, and linguistically directly with the participants of the event. Gertraud Leimstättner, alternative medicine practitioner, conducted the local organisation, gathered the anamnesis questionnaires, and, with the help of a translator, investigated the concerns and ambitions of each participant. On the two days of the charity event, 22 adults and two children got into contact with Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy. The interest was encouragingly much greater than we expected. We were happy to find that in addition to the registered participants, a number of other interested people attended, whose curiosity about CranioSacral Therapy had been sparked by hearsay. From the start, it was important to us to create an atmosphere of trust and orientation. Information, education, and the possibility for participants to freely decide how far they wanted to get involved, helped to make the charity event a full success. According to feedback, the participants got a taste of the possibilities available to them – how this method can help and lead them to improve their own holistic feeling with their structural, physical and energetic sensations, and to sense their autonomy and self-efficacy. “I can feel my heart again” “I feel internally upright and permeable” “I have regained confidence in my leg and can strain it normally – 10 years after my accident” The participants donated according to their resources. The entire revenues were immediately and directly handed over to the children’s hospital in Luang Prabang. “We want to thank you very much for organizing the fundraising event in Luang Prabang. We received your donation and we wanted you to know that we truly value all the efforts you did and also the very nice involvement of the community you had in your event.” Anabella Coria Zavala, Director of External Relations Lao Friends Hospital for Children & Friends Gallery, Healing Children. Healing Laos. In any case, these two days were a gift and truly fulfilling pioneering. Inter- and transcultural encounters took place in different contexts and it was a touching and enriching experience for everyone involved. For next year, a whole week of Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy is going to be offered in the course of a second charity event. OPENING OF THE NEONATAL STATION AT FRIENDS WITHOUT A BORDER (FWAB) CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL IN LUANG PRABANG, LAOS Very soon after our arrival, we visited the children’s hospital – curious about the progress and expansion of the neonatal station. It is now possible to medically treat and support 23 premature infants there simultaneously. An only 7-months-old baby was born during our visit at the hospital. We were able to witness how it powerfully expressed its strong will to live. This experience was deeply touching. Thanks to the medical care at the neonatal station, the chances of survival for these children are now very high. Just 3 months ago, this baby would not have had a chance of life. Today, even children born with an abdominal cleft (gastroschisis) can receive life-saving medical treatment here. In “western” hospitals, a diagnosis such as this can be made already prenatally with ultrasound and if necessary be operated on immediately, but to date the medical care in Luang Prabang is far from that state of preventive care. A heartfelt thank you to all donors, who supported and enabled the opening of the neonatal station with their generous donations. Anna Schulz-Dornburg, founder and managing director Gertraud Leimstättner, managing director of Moving Child gGmbH ... Read more...December 2017 – Fundraising for Lao Friends Hospital for ChildrenDepartment for the treatment of thalassemia With annual donations, Moving Child supports a department specialized on the treatment of thalassemia. This anemia, which is caused by malformation and depletion of red blood cells, is a hereditary disease prevalent especially in northern Laos. Untreated, it leads to developmental disorders, damages the heart and lungs, and causes enlargement of the spleen. This can have life-threatening consequences for children. Further information can be found in the following video: By loading the video you agree with vimeo privacy policy.More information Loading video Always unlock vimeo Lao Friends Hospital for Children Fights Blood Disorder from Friends Without A Border on Vimeo. We are very grateful to all donors who have contributed so generously to the Laos Friends Hospital for Children in Luang Prabang. The first fundraising event was an informative and also very touching experience. Nicole Pagoursis (first director) from New York told us about the fascinating history of the Children’s Hospital and the many children whose lives have been saved or greatly improved by medical help provided by the hospital. In order to continue improving the life of Laotian children also in the future, Lao Friends Hospital for Children needs continual financial support. “It is my heartfelt wish to introduce you to the Laotian Children’s Hospital, which I got to know on my journey through Laos.” Anna Schulz-Dornburg Neonatal and infant station In 2016, when the Lao Friends Hospital for Children opened the Neonatal and Infant station in Luang Prabang, 6 beds still seemed enough. However, as the Children’s Hospital is the sole place in Luang Prabang where premature babies receive free medical treatment, the number of infants brought in right after birth is steadily increasing.The current plan is to double the number of beds. For this purpose, a part of the General Hospital in Luang Prabang, which is directly adjacent to the Children’s Hospital, needs to be rebuilt. Your donation will directly help to supply the station with the necessary medication and medical equipment. Thank you very much!... Read more...August 2017 – Health education at the Jigiya Bon CenterFrom October to June, Dr. Oumou Traoré, a Malian doctor, gives two hours’ health education a week at the Center for Girls, addressing all the issues concerning girls from puberty to adulthood: personal hygiene, dental hygiene, protection against infectious diseases (such as malaria, diarrhea, HIV infection), puberty, the menstrual cycle, fertility, sexuality, wanted and unwanted pregnancy, contraception, menstrual hygiene, female genital mutilation. The lessons are age-appropriate and the topics are discussed carefully and sensitively. Cultural, traditional and religious beliefs are also considered alongside a scientific medical approach. In the course of these lessons, the girls also learn important skills. These include reading French out loud and confidently, group work, working out their own contributions, and researching into individual fields. The classes are attended with enthusiasm and curiosity by girls from the Center as well as external schoolgirls. Because the girls have so many questions and such need for conversation, an additional consultation hour has recently been introduced, held once a month. The girls are thus given safety in two respects: They learn to act confidently and are well informed. With their knowledge about the facts of life and their motivation, they can also act as influencers in their personal and school environment. Click here to watch an Arte video: Mali: The protracted struggle against female genital mutilation... Read more...August 2017 – Malibelle Shea Body ButterTreat yourself to something special and support education projects in Mali at the same time! In the Häuser der Hoffnung e.V. online shop you can order Malibelle Shea Body Butter with different scents and also in a gift bag. The rich shea body butter by Malibelle is suitable for normal to dry skin and is quickly absorbed thanks to its delicate texture. It can be used as a body or hand cream, has a naturally soothing and smoothing effect, particularly on sensitive and irritated skin, and makes the skin feel soft and supple. In addition to the subtle, cool “Aqua” classic, it is now also available with a refreshingly spicy “lemon grass” fragrance. Fair trade The shea butter used as an ingredient for Malibelle Body Butter is produced at the Häuser der Hoffnung manufactory in Siokoro. The manufactory is operated by the Jigiya Bon Siokoro cooperative founded by Häuser der Hoffnung together with three Malian associations. The sales proceeds are utilized to promote education and training projects in Mali. In November 2012, Häuser der Hoffnung e.V. and the natural cosmetics manufacturer Börlind GmbH were jointly awarded the Innovation Award for Political Education in Developing Countries for this project by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation. Organically produced The shea butter from Siokoro is certified to Ecocert criteria for certified organic production. It is produced to the highest socio-ecological standards by natural cosmetics manufacturer Börlind GmbH.... Read more...
