Rödl Employee Fund for Children’s Aid

The Rödl Employee Foundation for Children’s Aid has presented a donation of 3,000 Euro to the Seeberger Treff, operated by Diakonie Michaelshoven, the open child and youth center in the Cologne district of Chorweiler.

The donation will be used specifically to fund educational programs that provide children and young people in the neighborhood with guidance, encouragement, and reliable care. These include creative projects, social‑pedagogical group activities, learning support, as well as sports‑based and experiential educational activities.

“This support enables us to further expand our educational programs and create valuable spaces for young people to grow and develop,” emphasizes Dominik List, Head of the Center.

For many years, the Seeberger Treff has stood for low‑threshold support, reliable relationship‑based work, and a wide range of leisure activities in the north of Cologne.

Founded in 1986, Schlupfwinkel e.V. has been providing protection, support, and future prospects in the Nuremberg metropolitan region for nearly four decades. With more than 120 employees, the association has developed into a recognized provider of child, youth, and family welfare services. Its work includes outpatient, semi‑residential, and residential care, as well as specialized counseling services.

A key part of the current funding supports the therapeutic day care center for children aged 6 to 14. The donation makes it possible to offer a holiday program that gives children new experiences, shared activities, and opportunities to strengthen their personal resources – an especially important contribution for children with difficult life histories.

Adolescents and young adults in supported living arrangements also benefit from the donation. They receive assistance with schooling, vocational training, and personal development, through both practical everyday support and close guidance in educational and professional matters. The goal is to prepare them for an independent and responsible life.

In addition, the funding supports a new trauma‑sensitive emergency residential group for girls. For the young people admitted there – many of whom have experienced severe hardship – measures are financed that provide safety, build trust, and contribute to emotional stabilization.

Overall, the renewed support helps expand concrete assistance services and opens up new perspectives for young people. Through this engagement, the foundation sends a clear signal for sustainable social commitment, while Schlupfwinkel e.V. can continue its vital work and provide targeted help where it is most needed.

Some miracles are especially small. They come into the world far too early, bravely fighting their way into life – or they are only allowed to stay with us for a brief moment. For these little fighters and their families, there is a very special organization in Beilngries: Nähen für Frühchen und Sternenkinder Beilngries e.V. With great love and dedication, its members sew clothing, swaddling cloths, blankets, and other items for premature babies, as well as helpful supplies for hospitals.

A Project Close to the Heart with Great Meaning

The birth of a premature baby or the loss of a child is one of the most emotionally challenging experiences parents and families can face. The association stands by these families in difficult times – offering practical support, but also comfort and compassion.

The founder, Marina Rupp, knows this situation from personal experience. When her little daughter was born far too early in 2015, she realized how difficult it was to find suitable clothing for premature babies. In gratitude for the care she received, she began sewing clothes herself and donating them. What started as a personal gesture quickly grew into a community: more and more people joined, donated money or fabrics, or began sewing themselves. The association was founded in 2018 and today has around 300 members.

Why Our Support Matters

The association’s work is invaluable, yet it relies on donations. We did not hesitate for a moment and immediately got in touch with the organization, which expressed great gratitude and, in particular, pointed out the rising costs of snap fasteners. These are used as practical closures for rompers, bodysuits, and other garments for premature babies and star children. The Rödl Employee Foundation for Children’s Aid was happy to provide these. As a small surprise, the foundation also added high‑quality fabrics with beautiful, child‑friendly designs from “Krümelchen & Kuchen” to the support package, which we handed over to Ms. Sorgenfrei as a representative of the association.

Giving Hope Together

The work of “Nähen für Frühchen und Sternenkinder Beilngries e.V.” shows how much compassion and solidarity can achieve. Our personal conversation with Ms. Sorgenfrei once again highlighted how important togetherness is – both through dialogue and through tangible support. Every garment, every hat, every blanket is more than just fabric; they are symbols of love, dignity, and remembrance. Let us help together. For the smallest among us. For the families. For the love that remains.

The donation from the Rödl Employee Foundation for Children’s Aid supports a project run by One‑for‑One e.V., enabling children in the slums of Korogocho and Mathare Valley in Nairobi to gain access to school education and school meals.

Why Is Support Needed?

Education is the foundation for successful development in many areas of life. Although school education in Kenya has officially been free since 2003, the reality is unfortunately quite different. First, especially in the slums, there are far too few public schools. Second, even where schools exist, families are still required to pay fees – for example for school uniforms. As a result, many children either do not attend school at all or are unable to do so on a long‑term basis.

Attending school in Kenya does not only mean education and the associated opportunity for social participation and upward mobility; it also means two meals a day (porridge in the morning and ugali/rice/beans in the afternoon).

How Is the Donation From the Rödl Employee Foundation Used?

Thanks to the donation, the library in Korogocho can be supported and the school attendance of children and adolescents can be made possible. In particular, the funding covers enrollment and school fees, examination fees, school uniforms, books, school meals, and any outstanding school debts where applicable. (Many schools show great goodwill and waive a significant portion of accumulated debts for “our” children.) The local team is able to identify and specifically reach those families whose children are most urgently in need of support to attend school.

To give an idea of the scale: through the donation from the Rödl Employee Foundation for Children’s Aid, the schooling and school meals of around 25 children for one year can be secured.

Visit on Site

Often, a true understanding can only be gained by visiting in person – this is especially true for Korogocho and Mathare Valley. During my vacation in November, I had the opportunity to visit the project in Kenya and meet the local team. The daily commitment of everyone involved to give a future to the most vulnerable members of our global society deeply impressed me. The joy of the children – despite difficult personal circumstances and precarious living conditions – at being able to attend school clearly highlights the value and importance of this engagement.