Education Germany Project #26725

Die Arche - Frankfurt

by Die Arche Kinderstiftung Christliches Kinder- und Jugendwerk

Project Report | Sep 25, 2020
Summer Vacation at the Arche

By Bernd Siggelkow | founder and chairman

Bounce Houses, pedal cars and feeding times with turtles and rabbits - the Arche Kinder-Ranch offered a best-possible contrast to the current Covid situation that many kids face today.

Faces, filled with joy, excitement and relief – this is how our Kids usually welcome the Summer vacation. Resting and relaxing, fun and games – this is what children think of when they hear that Summer vacation is on the way. That is precisely how it should be. However, this year, everything was different.

Due to Covid-19, many children could not look forward to having vacation. Enjoying the Arche Summer programs or experiencing the various camps during the warmer seasons of the year were, in light of a restricting pandemic, no longer possible. How does that affect a child? Forced to stay at home, away from friends and a healthy daily structure, how can children process such massive structural changes that come with a pandemic? Many kids ask question after question, are angry, annoyed and, often, helplessly react, not able to process the unfolding of recent events.

In order to offer the children a safe-place to simply be and play, we were able to offer small camps and various activities that were in adherence to the regulations from the state of Brandenburg. Through these activities and events, an oasis was made available for many kids in the midst of the everday „Corona-life“. Several small groups stemming from various Arches spent a few nights at the Kinder-Ranch, while other Arche groups experienced day trips.

On the way to the Kinder-Ranch, many Kids ask filled with excitement: „What kind of animals do you have?“, „Can I feed the animals?“, „Can I ride a horse?“ They are, however, not the only questions that we receive. „Is the Coronavirus also at the Kinder-Ranch?“, „Do I have to wear a mask?“ , „Can horses also get Covid?“ These questions alone make clear how the topic of „Covid“ plays a role in all of our lives.

Fears and worries are obvious challenges for many children. Schools were closed, many Arches went either virtual or opened partly. It was no longer possible to hang out with friends like many once knew. The normality of „together“, the nearness that’s found in familiar contact persons has been, unfortunately, starkly restricted. Some children have experienced Covid on a more personal level, as family members and loved ones were directly affected by the virus.

However, these children could be a „normal kid“ again at our camps. That means: contact with other children, fun and playing, forgetting daily life, riding horses, feeding animals, jumping in a jump house, riding on pedal cars, or playing soccer. They were no longer visiting a virtual Arche, but had returned to real life. They could play and laugh with friends and workers.

This Summer went by way too fast. For many kids, it was hard to say goodbye. They would give one final hug to their favorite animal before they went home. It was common that many left the Kinder-Ranch with tears, hoping to visit again soon.Every child left with a fun-packed Summer, filled with memories that they will carry and embrace as the next school year begins.

Dear readers, we again want to thank you for your great support for our work. We are so thankful for being able to support many kids.This year, we celebrate our 25^th anniversary. A quarter-century later, we are convinced that our work is as important as ever. We would be glad if “Die Arche” remains close to your heart in the future!

Links:

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May 27, 2020
The "Arche" at an extraordinary time #Coronavirus

By Bernd Siggelkow | founder and chairman

Dear friend of the “Arche“,

we would like to thank you from the depths of our heart.

Thank you for your enormous support at an extraordinary time like this. We are awed by your sympathy at our children´s situations, as well as by the huge wave of willingness to help. But only with your help we could have been able to provide the aids in need for our children and their families recently.

After closing our doors in the middle of March, we served more than 1600 families with food parcels and sanitary products.

Not only the supply of aid packages - we also kept one eye on the consequences of living together permanently in the smallest spaces. The “Arche” accompanied children through their new everyday life.

To stay in touch and be there for the children and teenagers we arranged a virtual Arche at the very beginning. By means of groups on messengers, children and parents are able to text and call us. In case of problems encountered we gave advice. Besides, our employees tried their best to help with homework, they played, danced and sang together – everything online of course.

A focal and essential message to the families which was delivered through aid packages as well as virtual support reads: You are not alone!

Thank you for participating in it!

And even though some of our locations are able to reopen due to strict hygiene regulations for a limited number of children, we are far apart yet from our varied daily routine. It is still not possible to open the doors for everybody and serve with usual offers such as lunch for free, which is actually so important. All the more we are looking forward to the moment we may welcome all our children and their families.

Until then we will support needy families with aid packages, encourage them for this curious situation and offer to help.

We will stay on it – motivating and caring, we are there! Whereas we are not systemically relevant in terms of COVID-19, all the more we are extremely relevant for relationship!

Once again, thank you very much for facilitating this situation with your donation!

Links:

https://www.kinderprojekt-arche.de/

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Feb 7, 2020
On the origins of self esteem

By Bernd Siggelkow | founder and chairman

This day, none of the jeans that our clothing store offers would fit 17-year old Nora. Almost every time our voluntary workers set the hall up to present and distribute the donated clothing, Nora would come around to find something for herself or indeed her two-year-old son. The young family lives together in a state-funded residential care home with barely enough money to get along. Resignedly, Nora said “The monthly amount of transfer benefits for clothing is simply not enough for me and a growing child.” Thus, we are glad that we are at least able to produce a bit of relief for people like Nora. However, watching her searching through the clothes other people didn’t want anymore didn’t really satisfy us, as we could easily see that Nora didn’t feel great.

Later, she told the head of the Arche house, Chris, that she would be expelled from school if she wasn’t able to present an internship until the beginning of next week. At “Die Arche”, we think that both stories are indeed connected: Self esteem is the key to a self-determined life. We don’t want that our children somehow battle their way through life but to enable every one to decide what path they want to follow. Hence, Chris replied: “Nora, our intern Birgül will go shopping with you now.” And they indeed bought her some essentials for a decent outfit, new jeans as well as a blouse and a jacket. Birgül told us that she acted like a pragmatic and money-saving mother. Two days later, we were able – thanks to our network – to set up an appointment for Nora with a local company that offered her an internship. We've heard that Nora made a great impression: They’ve immediately signed the contracts. And we are very sure that her new outfit played its part in it. But in the end, it was Nora who took the step through the open door.

Dear readers, we again want to thank you for your great support for our work. We are so thankful for being able to support Nora and all the others. This year, we celebrate our 25^th anniversary. A quarter-century later, we are convinced that our work is as important as ever. We would be glad if “Die Arche” remains close to your heart in the future!

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