One Year Of Aid For The People Of Ukraine
Since the start of the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine a year ago, the “Stiftung RTL – Wir helfen Kindern” foundation and the “Stiftung Stern – Hilfe für Menschen” foundation have been collecting donations in Germany for the people affected. More than €31 million have already been donated. As the two foundations take stock of their work during the past year, help is still urgently needed.
On February 24, 2022, the Russian army launched its attack on Ukraine. Since then, the “Stiftung RTL – Wir helfen Kindern” foundation and the “Stiftung Stern – Hilfe für Menschen” foundation in Germany have been collecting donations for those affected. All in all, more than €31 million have already been raised. One year on, the need is greater than ever, assistance is still urgently needed – and the foundations continue to work for the cause. On RTL Deutschland’s intranet, they have taken stock of the help provided thus far, a stocktaking which you can now read here on BENET as well. There is also a video you can watch to learn more about the background to the work of the two foundations.
“This is the biggest relief campaign in our foundation’s more than 27-year history,” says Wolfram Kons, Head of Charity at RTL Deutschland. “For the past year, we have been collecting donations for children and their families affected by the war. With the €30 million raised, we have supported more than 70 projects in Ukraine, the neighboring countries, and Germany. We have been able to help hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians in the last twelve months.” Well over 90 percent of the donations have already been distributed to the RTL Foundation’s partner organizations, reports Kons.
Supply of goods essential for survival
The “Stiftung RTL – Wir helfen Kindern” (RTL Foundation – We help children) works with numerous larger aid organizations that provide large areas with essential supplies such as food, medicine, clothing, and blankets. Partners include the German Committee for UNICEF, Malteser Hilfsdienst, Action Medeor, Caritas international, UN Refugee Aid, CARE, German Red Cross, German Agro Action, and ISAR Germany, as well as numerous smaller projects and supporting organizations such as Wings of Help, the Peter Maffay Foundation, the Henry Maske Foundation, Zwerg Nase, and Shabad Berlin. In Germany, the RTL Foundation facilitates German tutoring, excursions, and soccer training for Ukrainian refugee children, among other things, and helps with the procurement of school materials. At the end of 2022, “Stiftung RTL” also launched a winter aid campaign for the people of Ukraine, which financed the delivery of power generators, warm winter clothing, blankets, as well as children’s food and the establishment of warming centers. In the video you can see how the “Stiftung RTL – Wir helfen Kindern” was and continues to be in action on the ground.Likewise, “Stiftung Stern” looks back on a year of exceptional assistance to Ukraine itself and for neighboring countries. Thanks to the generosity of numerous donors, more than one million euros was raised. Food, hygiene products and medical supplies were distributed with the help of aid organizations such as Médecins Sans Frontières and Caritas. Care employees provided first aid, such as food, blankets and diapers for small children. “Stiftung Stern” works with large and local aid organizations that the “Stern” reporters encountered during their research. First-hand experience of the situation is a basic prerequisite for any appeal for donations, because the “Stiftung Stern” was founded by “Stern” journalists. It has been in existence for nearly 20 years.
The dangerous evacuation of people from war-torn villages was handled by Proliska, a Ukrainian organization with which Stiftung Stern has worked on several occasions. New Zealand’s Relief Aid, another Stiftung Stern partner, also specializes in missions in war zones. The organization helps war victims to rebuild their houses and apartments, among other things. In Germany, “Stiftung Stern” joined forces with the German Children’s Fund to launch a very special fundraising campaign: To give children who have been forced to flee Ukraine a little bit of normalcy and some help in getting started with life and learning in a foreign country, each child was given a school bag containing pens and pencils, notebooks, and a sports bag. Readers donated almost a quarter of a million euros to this campaign alone.
More information and donations
