DAHW was able to help many people in the year 2008. Through the combined efforts of numerous donors, volunteers and salaried employees more than 40,000 people worldwide received treatment for leprosy, thus, the majority of newly detected patients could be treated. Furthermore, through various rehabilitation measures we supported more than 100,000 people with disabilities in becoming self-sufficient. We were able to provide access to a life-saving TB treatment to approximately 370,000 people. For all this we are grateful.
In our public relations and our education activities we show again and again how poverty and need favour those diseases which hardly figure in our societies these days. And we advocate doing more in the fight against worldwide poverty together with other organisations.
In the year 2008 the income from donations (including legacies) and grants exceeded those for the year 2007 by 4.65 per cent. This shows that we are successful in targeting people and in using our data base in an ever more sophisticated way. It also shows that our donors place their trust in us to find the right answers to diseases of poverty.
We are delighted with this good result. How-ever, we must not allow this joy to mask the decline in number of active individual donors. We were able to minimise the effects, because we succeeded in increasing the average amount of each donation. In the year 2009 we will continue our efforts to find new donors who will support our work. We will assume this challenge with great energy.
Over the last ten years we have been forced to draw 1.5 million Euros annually on average from our savings in order to be able to fulfil our obligations. In 2008 we had to withdraw almost 4 million Euros. But in the short or mid-term we aim to keep a balanced budget. That means that we have to reduce our expenses. Appropriate adaptations will have to be made balancing the need to meet our obligations in Germany and abroad. We will check carefully where our help is needed and where we probably can reduce it or leave it to other financiers to take care of.
Just now, when the economic and financial crisis threatens to reduce the willingness to donate, we feel especially obliged to assist the poor in the developing countries – because they are hit much harder by this crisis. We are confident that we can keep our promises.
In the year 2008 the members of the Honorary Board have met several times besides the regular four meetings in February, April, June and November. All the meetings were prepared by the Managing Director and personnel of DAHW and included evaluations and reports. Besides controlling the use of donations, the meetings focussed on safeguarding income.
Jürgen Hammelehle, the first employed Managing Director of our association, had left DAHW by 28th February 2009. He had run the business of DAHW for almost eight years. The Honorary Board expresses its thanks to Jürgen Hammelehle and has employed Burkard Kömm as his successor since 1st May 2009.
On behalf of the Honorary Board we thank all the members of our association, the donors who have trusted DAHW for decades as well as the numerous volunteers. We also want to express our cordial thanks to all our employees who have achieved so much in the year 2008.
Alois Pöschmann
Honorary President
(President of DAHW up to 20.6.2009)
Gudrun Freifrau von Wiedersperg
President
back to the Annual Report 2008
