Annual Report 2007
In the past year, DAHW has contributed a total sum of 13.651.682,16 Euros to 295 projects. Twelve cross-country projects can be added to the 283 projects listed here, comprising, for example, training and advanced training programmes in leprosy.
Our vision: One world!
The aim of the German Leprosy and Tuberculosis Relief Association (DAHW) is a world without “diseases of the poor” like leprosy, tuberculosis or “neglected diseases” such as Buruli ulcer, Leishmaniasis, Elephantiasis or Chagas disease. All people should have equality of opportunity to receive adequate medical treatment. No one person should suffer from any one of these diseases, simply because they cannot afford a doctor.
Our commitment to this aim has met with success in “Third World” countries since 1957. It is each individual human being, who is at the heart of the support we offer in co-operation with our partners in the field – irrespective of religion, gender, nationality or colour of skin.
We enable individuals to be cured in a holistic and sustainable manner through medical treatment and measures for social rehabilitation such as training or small credit programmes. Combatting social exclusion and discrimination on the grounds of a disease forms an integral part of our medical and social project activities. We support research into the fight against “diseases of the poor”, making our medical programmes more effective. The most important research aims are to establish better methods of making diagnoses, improving medicines as well as discovering ways to break the chain of infection.
In Germany we inform people about the risks of these diseases, thereby ensuring that diseases like leprosy or tuberculosis are not forgotten completely. It is only because so many people in Germany are aware of the necessity to help that we can treat patients in the developing countries effectively.
Education for the future
Education is the key to a better future. Only with a good education do children later have a chance to escape the vicious circle of poverty and illness.
Many parents however cannot afford schooling for their children: even if there are no school fees, money is still needed for school uniforms, books, booklets and pencils. In addition, in many African countries schooldays are all day, often from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. This means the extra cost of a meal at noon.
Children whose parents are affected by leprosy and whose impairments make it extremely difficult to work if at all, must do more than just help – often they are fulltime workers and therefore do not attend school.
For this reason the social issue is given prominence in many pro-jects supported by the German Leprosy and Tuberculosis Relief Association (DAHW): for it takes modest support for the majority of cured patients to be able to lead a self-determined life and to be able to send their children to school.
A new project does not emerge from the drawing board
The German Leprosy and Tuberculosis Relief Association (DAHW) supported 295 projects in 2007 and each of them had to pass stringent examination: DAHW thoroughly checks, whether it can support and foster a project. Important conditions have to be fulfilled:
-
Is there a demand for the project? Is it necessary? Does it fill a gap in care? Does it care especially for the disadvantaged?
-
Can DAHW help in this special case and is there any overlap with relief activities of other agencies?
- Are the applicant and the project trustworthy and do they have the necessary expertise?
-
Does DAHW and its partner have financial resources available?
Theoretically these questions could be answered by a very quick “yes” or “no”, but in practice many other questions result from the examination. In any case, one of the most important questions is related to the applicant. A person or an institution applying for the support of DAHW for an important and necessary project, must be experienced, legally registered and absolutely trustworthy. The workers of DAHW investigate the background of the applicant and of other relief agencies, too.
The focal points of a project clearly show whether DAHW is its right partner; their work must comply with the statutes of DAHW: their medical interventions must be for leprosy, tuberculosis, neglected diseases or diseases, which often occur in combination with these diseases. Their social interventions should deal with socio-economic and community-based rehabilitation, education and information as well as the fight against discrimination due to the aforementioned diseases, or be dealing with a research project in one of these fields.
Each check is done according to individual criteria, which are adapted to the respective regions and their specific problems. Persons in charge at DAHW – whether as medical advisors or as project officers – contribute a great deal to this process drawing on their own, mostly very extensive, experience in development co-operation.
If and when an application complies with the criteria, the next step is for DAHW to decide on the level of support it can give. Once again, the experience of the DAHW team plays a major role, because the costs of personnel, vehicles or training can vary considerably, even within a country.
Finally the last hurdle has to be considered and crossed before approval can be given: will DAHW receive enough donations to support this new project too or must DAHW withdraw its support from another project? This decision is made by the Honorary Board after intensive consultations with the colleagues of the respective departments.
