The possibility of making regular and targeted donations to a project without much effort and at the same time being kept informed about its development is something our sponsorship holders enjoy. Some have been doing so for many years. We asked our sponsor Rita Müller from Therwil why they are so committed and why they stay with us.
Sascha Tankerville, Information and Media
For five years Rita Müller (62) has been sponsoring the project "Protecting and strengthening working children in Nicaragua". Prior to that, the music teacher from Therwil supported the CAMM project for street children in Brazil for 23 years. She explains why she is involved with the sponsorship and why she will stay with it for so long in our "Inquiries" section:
What motivated you to become a sponsor at terre des hommes schweiz?
My mother was very socially committed and taught us to share from an early age. When I started to earn money myself, it was clear to me that I wanted to give something to those who have less. In the 70s I visited a nun who was involved in Thailand away from the tourist places for children and families. I experienced how people live in extreme poverty. Back in Switzerland, I found it difficult to find my inner balance in the face of abundance. So it was only through the church community that I began to support development projects with the approach of helping people to help themselves. This is how I came to terre des hommes switzerland.
Why do you support the project Protecting and strengthening working children?
I especially wanted to support the weakest members of society. These are actually always the children and young people. In the project Working Children Protect and Strengthen they get help to start their lives, so that they can shape them independently and with dignity.
What does sponsorship give you?
The project reports that I regularly receive are always interesting. They give me the opportunity to follow the development of the project and the children. It becomes somehow personal, gets a face. They also strengthen my trust in terre des hommes schweiz. There is so much publicity from other aid organisations. It's good to see that terre des hommes schweiz is reticent and doesn't brag about its work. That is why I am convinced that terre des hommes schweiz uses my money where it is needed.
With a sponsorship, godparents regularly support a project over a longer period of time. They can choose from a wide range of different projects: From the support of projects for girls, to projects for the prevention of violence, to the support of AIDS orphans. Sponsorships enable us to plan and secure these projects for the long term.
You can find more information about sponsorships on our sponsorship page or call us: Tel. 061 338 91 38.
