CHARITY TOUR 2022: UPDATE ON DONATION AMOUNTS AND USE OF DONATIONS
On 13.08.2022, the Charity Team reached the goal of their Way of St. James almost unscathed after enormous exertions, bitter defeats and numerous challenges. Now they still have a long way to go, because the fundraising continues until 31.08.2022.
All those who may not have heard about the great charity project of grandfather Werner, father Karsten, the two sons Paul and Caspar as well as Klaus, the best friend of the family, are cordially invited to read about it in the tour diary of the 5 actors.
Our tour heroes have resolved to use the time until 31.08.2022 to collect many more donations for their heartfelt projects in West Africa and Ukraine. Here they inform us about the current donation status and give an insight into the use of donations.
31.08.2022: Donation barometer climbs to a donation level of 80,502.-Euros.
The Charity Team, the Jörg Wolff Foundation and human aktiv: Everyone – really everyone – is speechless!
A donation of 80.502,- € exceeds the wildest dreams. Enthusiasm and gratitude are doing somersaults and finding their way to all the great donors.
30.08.2022: A dream becomes reality
On 14.08.2022, one day after stage 17, the last cycle ride of the Charity Crew on their pilgrimage, the 5 actors spend a day together in Fisterra, their destination in Spain. As long as the continent of America was unknown to the people of Europe, this place was considered the end of the world.
On this day, Fisterra lies in the fog. It is strange to walk in the fog and only see blurred outlines of things, like the famous lighthouse Faro de Fisterra.
Even the mast of an antenna, which – despite a prohibition sign – serves as a carrier of things no longer needed from the long hike, such as worn-out hiking shoes, scarves, maps, a letter with memories and wishes, remains covered by the fog. Actually, this is a colourful pole with relics of the past and hope for a good future.
Footpaths lead down to the tip of the cape and here the gaze usually wanders over the endless expanse of the Atlantic. On this day, the view of the whole is lost and the search for a way out becomes the proverbial poking in the fog.
Since time immemorial, fog has inspired people’s imagination. In dream interpretation, fog is a symbol of insecurity and uncertainty, doubt and confusion. At the same time, the veils of fog can also symbolise a transitional stage, a change from one state of consciousness to another, so to speak.
Today, a good two weeks after that day, the fog has long since lifted. For Klaus, Werner, Karsten, Paul and Caspar, a dream has become reality. A crazy idea has turned into a meaningful action that does a lot of good and hopefully helps many people to look out of the fog into the clear light.
A heartfelt thank you for this!
29.08.2022: Current donations stand at 66,232.- Euros
Everyone who made, accompanied and supported the Charity Tour starts the new week with a shout of joy. The news of a donation level of 66.232,- € is overwhelming.
We cannot say and write it often enough: A huge THANK YOU to all donors for this sum, which can do so much good.
28.08.2022: Water a precious commodity – not only in West Africa
In spring 2022, the Jörg Wolff Foundation inaugurated a drinking water well in Nongoa, Guinea. Guinea is a West African country on the Atlantic coast, divided into four climatic zones: Lower Guinea along the Atlantic coast is very fertile, a temperate climate prevails in the mountainous region of Central Guinea, Upper Guinea is characterised by dry savannah, and tropical rainforest is found in the extreme southeast (Forest Guinea).
Nongoa is located in Forest Guinea a few kilometres from Gueckedou, close to the border with Sierra Leone. During the long civil war (1991-2002), many people from Sierra Leone fled to Guinea and still live there today. This put a strain on the already poor region.
For the people in Forest Guinea, one of the biggest challenges is the adequate supply of drinking water. Water points are usually far away, which is why women and young girls have to walk enormous distances. The water is often heavily contaminated, leading to the transmission of diseases such as cholera and worm infections.
The new drinking water well in Nongoa finally gives people clean water and thereby also improves their health. By involving the community members in the construction of the well, they learn to take responsibility for its maintenance themselves. This ensures the success of this project in the long term.
The drought in Germany makes us all feel what a precious commodity water is, and perhaps we can thus better understand the irrepressible joy of the people in Nongoa and the jostling of the children around the well.
26.08.2022: Message from the Charity Team
All 5 participants are still very moved days after their successfully completed Way of St. James. The impressions of this tour are so lasting, so overwhelming, that they keep talking about their experiences and while we thought we had already covered everything important in the tour diary, today we receive a video of the probably most emotional stage no. 10 to Roncesvalles. It was day 11 when the Charity Crew crossed the Spanish border and managed an insanely uphill 26 km with enormous willpower to the top of the pass. When they talk about it today, the pain and effort that was required is clearly felt. When we ask them why each and every one of them managed to do it, they all give the same reason: being involved in a good cause releases incredible strength.
And now back to the video: Our tour captain Werner impressed us incredibly with his experience and power during the entire tour. The video of Karsten talking to his father on the mountain on the way to the pilgrimage chapel makes it clear that even a professional can work up quite a sweat on the Way of St. James.
Having a goal and then reaching it – perhaps even better than expected – gives great pleasure. That’s how the cyclists felt when Klaus cheered them on from the top of the pass and the goal was within reach.
And that’s how we feel, too, when we look at the development of donations. Hooray – it’s wonderful!
24.08.2022: Half a year of the Ukraine war
Exactly half a year ago today, on 24.02.2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. Even though the war has lost importance in our news, there is still no solution in sight to stop the bloodshed.
Most Ukrainians have been living their daily lives in war for six months now. While in the east of the country the war is omnipresent and destruction, curfews, supply shortages and much more make a “normal” life impossible. In the west of the country, people are trying to maintain their infrastructure as best they can. At the same time, they are supporting people from the combat zones and preparing themselves for worse through weapons training and with courses in emergency medicine.
11.5 million people have left Ukraine since the war began. Almost one million refugees have arrived in Germany. According to the ministry, the Federal Police estimates that about 700 refugees from Ukraine currently enter Germany every day. And yet war refugees are returning to Ukraine, at least in part. The torn relationship between the desire to return home after a short time and the ongoing reality of war makes it almost impossible to find a perspective for the future.
No matter whether in Ukraine or as a refugee in Germany. All Ukrainians are struggling in their own way in and with the war of aggression and its consequences and are dependent on a wide range of help.
With its long-standing cooperation partner “humedica e.V.” in Kaufbeuren and its partner “Prison Fellowship Romania” in Cluj, Romania, the aid organisation “human aktiv” has already supported several distribution campaigns of relief supplies. The aid supplies went to the six Ukrainian cities of Kiev, Ivano Frankivsk, Odessa, Liviv, Cernauti and Bucha. Women and children are often left to fend for themselves, as many husbands and fathers have been called up for military or reserve service. But elderly people and people with physical and mental disabilities are also dependent on aid supplies. Thanks to the donations from the Charity Tour, human actively supports further distribution campaigns and thus the people on the ground.
23.08.2022: Current donation level is 49,879 Euros
A day can’t start any better than with the news that a donation level of almost € 50,000 has now been reached. We congratulate our Charity Team 2022 for this great achievement and thank all donors! Every euro counts and makes such a difference – so feel free to spread the word.
20.08.2022: News from Sierra Leone (West Africa)
The foundation stone for the Jörg Wolff Foundation was laid in Sierra Leone. Jörg Wolff volunteered in this country 30 years ago during the founding phase of the New Apostolic congregations. Confronted with the poverty and need of the people, he decided to contribute part of his business to a foundation to help.
For many years now, thanks to the Jörg Wolff Foundation and the enormous voluntary commitment of all those involved, far more projects have been realised than originally planned. It is particularly beautiful to experience how an entire centre develops from an initial construction project.
The report from Tissor near Kenema (Sierra Leone) impressively shows how much good is achieved. Tissor is home to the oldest school built by the Jörg Wolff Foundation, the Karl Kühnle Memorial School. Founded in 2008 with 47 pupils, 1200 pupils are learning there today. The foundation has already financed three extensions for the school. In the meantime, there is also an examination centre there, so that children from other schools in the area can come there to take their exams.
With this rapid development, it became more and more important to also build a large well there. We were able to convince ourselves that this was the right decision and are rewarded with much joy and gratitude.
18.08.2022: News from Kharkiv (Ukraine)
Kharkiv is located in the north-east of Ukraine and, with 1.5 million inhabitants, is the eighth largest city in Eastern Europe, the second largest city in Ukraine. With 42 universities and colleges, it is the country’s most important science and education centre after Kiev.
Kharkiv in north-eastern Ukraine is only 40 kilometres from the Russian border and has been regularly bombed since the Russian war of aggression began at the end of February. However, Russian troops did not succeed in capturing the city. According to the authorities, hundreds of civilians have been killed in the Kharkiv region since the beginning of the war.
On the night of 18 August 2022, Kharkiv was again the target of a Russian missile attack in which, according to official figures, at least eleven people were killed. All of them were civilians. Another 37 people were injured. After the attack, a large fire broke out in a residential building.
What sounds so matter-of-fact means great suffering for the people of the city. For months they have been living in fear, siren warnings have been sounding again and again, and people have been taking refuge in cellars whenever possible. Shots and impacts can be heard nearby, tremors and quakes leave people breathless. Numerous people from the big city are fleeing and every description of the individual fates is heart-wrenching and tears flow again and again.
How good the news from human aktiv is. The relief organisation of the New Apostolic Church of Southern Germany is using the donations from the Charity Tour in a joint project with the relief organisations NAK Humanitas and NAK-karitativ to support the regional clinic and the Institute for General Surgery in Kharkiv. The delivery includes urgently needed medical supplies. At present, these relief supplies are being procured and will then be transported to the city.
17.08.2022: Current donation level is 46,159 Euros
When our Charity Team reached Fisterra, the end or zero point of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, 4 days ago, the donations already amounted to € 37,334. Today we have received the news that the donation barometer has once again risen significantly. Of course, we are very excited about the donation level of € 46,159. We thank all donors from the bottom of our hearts and assure you that your donations will be received!
