By Pastor Bernd Siggelkow | Founder & Director
Dear Friends and Supporters,
This is no ordinary year for us – 2025 marks a truly special milestone: “Die Arche” celebrates its 30th anniversary.
For three decades now, we have been committed to fighting the effects of childhood poverty and giving children and families, what they need the most: encouragement, support, and a place where they feel seen, heard and valued. In that time, we have stood beside thousands of young people in their individual life situations – not just with words, but also with action.
And yet, this celebration is bittersweet. While we can look back to our achievements with pride, our pride is not without sorrow. Because the success of “Die Arche” is, in many ways, a reflection of our society´s ongoing failure. Every year in Germany, 60,000 young people leave school without a diploma. Thousands of children go to class hungry, live in overcrowded houses and grow up without a safe space to simply be a child. Their future prospects are dimmed before they even begin.
That is why the theme of our jubilee year is “Next Generation”. We want more than just to continue – it is time to take an even clearer stand to ensure that education does not become a luxury in this country, to shift the focus away from ourselves and towards those who need us most and to stop pushing families affected by poverty further to the margins of our society.
Our children deserve more than an underperforming education system. They deserve our full attention, our hearts, and above all, our support. “You saved my childhood”, a young men recently told me. “Thank you for believing in me”, an eight-year-old gird said. And everyday thousands of children leave one of our Arche centers and say goodbye in the arms of staff members who have once again reminded them: You are seen. You are valued. You are not alone.
For us, “Next Generation” also means continuing the fight: looking more closely, offering an even stronger support and promoting even more. But change does not happen on its own. Politicians must create better framework conditions for this. Children´s rights belong in the constitution, without infringing on parental rights. Funding must reach children directly, and a real improvement in equal opportunities must finally become reality.
These are the changes we demand — over and over again. Until they happen.
And while we advocate, we act. And for 30 years, we've shown what’s possible — thanks to you!
Your support, your trust, and your belief in our mission make this work possible.
“Die Arche” is 100% funded by donations.
And your contributions have proven, time and again, that together we can make a lasting impact.
Thank you for standing by our side.
Thank you for believing in the next generation.
Thank you for showing every single child:
You are seen. You are loved. You are not alone.
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By Pastor Bernd Siggelkow | Founder & Director
By Pastor Bernd Siggelkow | Founder & Director
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