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Hamburg, December 21, 2022
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In our steps facilities, the holiday mood found its way and the children and young people were said goodbye with small celebrations or excursions.
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There was no Christmas spirit, festivals like ours with lots of gifts and celebrations are not common with our steps children. And some are also a bit sad because there are no toys at home and no regular meals either.
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Some of the soup kitchens in our partner projects also take care of children during the holidays who don't get anything to eat at home. With a small amount for our soup kitchens, healthy nutrition can be supported in the long term. As a steps organization, we have to face the realities of unemployment, malnutrition and poverty.
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On behalf of all steps children, young people and employees, we would like to thank our supporters for the great amount of help and wish them happy holidays and a successful start into the new year 2023.
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When guardian angels fulfill dreams
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Many children in Namibia, who grow up on the fringes of society in informal settlements, hardly have the opportunity to explore their own country due to the living conditions. Some children have never been to the capital, Windhoek, while others have not even been to the next larger town.
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Only our numerous guardian angels from Germany and around the world make this possible for our steps guardian angel children by enabling long-term close-knit care on site, tutoring and homework help, healthy nutrition, clothing, school fees and school uniforms and providing financial support. Guardian angels thus make a very large and fundamental contribution to the future of our more than 150 guardian angel children and young people in Namibia.
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With the guardian angel program, steps for children also enables learning outside of the classroom - for example through excursions. In this way, the students discover their own country or gain age-appropriate insights into the professional world of firefighters or air traffic controllers.
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Now a one-time Christmas donation for
our guardian angel children in Namibia work with an amount of your choice.
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Graduation ceremonies in our steps facilities in Namibia
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As the year draws to a close, educators and teachers say goodbye to their protégés. The children get their certificates, are picked up by their parents and are very proud that they have mastered the years that lie behind them in kindergarten and preschool. Some of the older children also look a little wistful, because they will leave this preschool - next year they will already attend primary school. But maybe some of them will come back to lunch and afternoon classes as guardian angel children! Others are a little sad because they don't see their friends for a few weeks. But all the more we look forward to the coming year when we open the doors again and we can welcome most of them and also new children.
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Graduation ceremonies at Boomerang and in Okakarara
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Last year there was the second highest unemployment rate in Namibia according to the BIG (Basic Income Grant). The lockdowns of the corona pandemic in particular played a major role, in which all opportunities to generate income were lost. This has an impact on families, hunger and disease are spreading in the informal settlements and children in particular suffer from them. According to the BIG, malnutrition is the leading cause of death in children under the age of five in Namibia.
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As steps for children, we help to offer children healthy meals with our soup kitchens. This also includes healthy snacks in between!
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Donate now for our soup kitchens and
feed a child and two relatives for a month with 40 €.
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Our tip for a last-minute Christmas present:
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Make lasting joy at Christmas - with friends and the steps children. Click HERE you will learn step-by-step how to do it. The gift can be sent as a PDF by email or printed out and presented under the Christmas tree.
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STEPS IN ZIMBABWE
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Safe sleeping places for girls
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© International plan
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Safe sleeping place for girls: We want girls to have a safe place to sleep, which is why we are building girls' dormitories in Zimbabwe with Plan International and the Hilfe mit Plan foundation.
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That is why it is important: Many girls have to travel very long distances to get to school - they have to walk to distant villages and then sleep, in order not to walk straight back home, near the school - somewhere. Many of the girls then sleep unprotected in the open air or in shelters, some in simple but unguarded accommodation - without anyone to make sure nothing happens to them.
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In order to counteract the practice of so-called "bush boarding", we are building dormitories for girls at secondary schools. A dormitory can accommodate 45 girls. Each building has seven bedrooms with at least six beds, which are furnished with mattresses, pillows and bed linen.
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Donate now for girls dormitories.
A place to sleep = 189 € - but even a smaller amount helps!
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Support schools with winter school bazaars
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We would like to thank the Hamburger Gymnasium Christianeum for their extensive support - also this year! With a stand of our sewing products at the annual Christmas bazaar, a three-digit sum was raised for the benefit of the children and young people at steps for children in Namibia.
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We would like to thank all students and teachers as well as parents and friends who supported steps with a donation or by buying a sewing product.
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The Gymnasium Theodor-Heuss-School in Pinneberg is doing good and once again campaigned for steps for children this year. At the wintry bazaar in December, bags and cosmetic bags could be sold in favor of steps. Surely one or the other parents, grandparents and friends now have these sustainable and colorful products under the Christmas tree.
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Dear students, dear teachers, dear parents and especially - dear THS tut Gutes eV - thank you very much for your commitment.
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It's nice to have you by our side!
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Record success at Willms for steps for children
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A record was broken at the grammar school on Willmsstraße in Delmenhorst - for something good! The pre-Christmas bazaar at the school ended with a substantial four-digit donation. Classes from grades five to eleven were involved and the day was marked by community and solidarity.
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The school's organizational team put together a large program and, in addition to the sale of culinary delicacies and Christmas decorations, there was also a colorful cultural program in the auditorium and various hands-on activities. 50 percent of the income from the bazaar goes to the steps for children project in Okakarara, the other 50 percent will benefit other social projects.
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Dear student body, teachers, parents and friends at Willms, we are very pleased that you have once again decided to actively support steps and wish you a Merry Christmas! Thank you for your work!
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The steps for children foundation was founded in 2005 in Hamburg by Dr. Michael Hoppe founded. It now operates at eight locations in Namibia and Zimbabwe, where it is committed to improving educational opportunities for girls and boys from the poor neighborhoods. Over 3.000 children can take part in education and take a warm meal every day at steps and its partner projects.
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Hamburger Sparkasse, account: 1238149726, bank code: 200 505 50
IBAN: DE44 2005 0550 1238 1497 26, BIC: HASPDEHHXXX
PayPal: paypal@stepsforchildren.de
or www.stepsforchildren.de
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You can make full donations to the steps for children foundation against income tax. You will automatically receive a certificate the following month after receipt of your donation.
With kind regards
Michael Hoppe
(CEO)
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Steps for children foundation
Bramfelder Str. 77
22305 Hamburg
T +49 (0) 40 389 027 - 88
F +49 (0) 40 389 042 - 86
info@stepsforchildren.de
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Editors:
Marie Schnaidt
Responsible for contents:
dr Michael Hoppe
Photos: © steps for children, unless otherwise noted
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