The Support Group at Swiss TPH

The Basel-based association DarsiLaMano supports the École d'Unité in Botembo in North Kivu, which, unlike most schools, is open to all religions and accepts children who cannot pay school fees. The school building had major deficiencies, which were remedied last year with the financial help of the Support Group. The leaking roof was repaired, walls in danger of collapsing were renovated and plastered, and missing doors and windows were installed. In addition, the water connection was renewed and new signs were put up.

The Sky is the Limit - Integrated Children's Center in Fort Portal in western Uganda provides basic medical care, food, shelter and social welfare for numerous children from the region who are affected by poverty, as well as a basic education in the school founded for this purpose. The primary school enables about 300 children to attend school; about 30 children live permanently in the facility. To ensure the water supply, the Support Group financed the construction of two water tanks, which were completed last year despite difficulties caused by the pandemic.

In order to combat illiteracy among young people in Batha and contribute to their education, the NGO Femme Avenir aims to teach young people over a period of 10 months. The Support Group financed the purchase of school desks, teaching materials and the construction of toilets. Due to the pandemic, there were delays here as well, but at the beginning of March this year, the first courses were finally able to start.

The Myiatta Arr Marn association aims to make a sustainable contribution to improving the socio-economic status of people affected by leprosy and to promote their self-reliance and standing. The Support Group supported the project by financing 60 male and female young pigs.  These were distributed to 30 families in three former leprosy colonies in order to provide them with a basis for pig breeding and thus combat poverty. The families have to pay back the contribution after one year, either in the form of two young pigs or the equivalent in cash, so that more families can benefit from the support the following year.

The self-help project Msumarini, founded 20 years ago in a small village on the north coast of Kenya, aims to improve the quality of life of the inhabitants and to stop the increasing rural exodus. In the newly founded environmental centre Moyo Wangu, people are learning how to build solar lamps, cook, bake and disinfect drinking water with solar energy, avoid waste, up-cycling and traditional farming methods. The Support Group funded the material for the construction of solar cookers and dryers, tools and seeds for the raised beds and a solar system for mobile power supply.

In the Philippines, about 40% of primary school students in public schools cannot read and only 20% of 3-4 year olds attend kindergarten. The Worldwide Familia Mission in Bohol developed STEPS (Specialised Training and Education for Preschool Students), a learning programme to prepare preschool students for public school. STEPS offers 10-month courses in which 40 to 50 children learn daily in two to three groups using combinations of various modern teaching methods and audio-visual resources. STEPS has already been established in several locations and is now extended to other islands. The Support Group provided the financial means for the purchase of materials for the schools.

Chairman: Peter Steinmann, Cashier: Helena Greter

Project Management: Christian Auer, Helena Greter, Michael Käser, Tanja Barth-Jaeggi, Fabian Schär, Leon Stieger, Anna Stürmann

Auditors: Till Voss