terre des hommes switzerland works with local partners in the project countries. We support small, well-established organizations. In six countries we have national coordinators, who are partly supported by specialists in accounting. The coordinators are in close contact with the partner organizations due to their geographical proximity. The people who work for us abroad are exclusively local staff.

Learning from good examples

For our partner organisations, we are not only a donor, but also support professional and institutional development and strengthening (capacity building). Regular discussions about strengths, weaknesses, problems and solutions are part of the cooperation. The exchange between the partner organisations is also important, and we encourage it. The organisations report on their experiences and exchange knowledge on joint platforms initiated by us. Because what is successful in one place could also work in another.

Change through participation

We are convinced that in order to achieve sustainable change, the needs of those directly affected must be included and civil society in general strengthened. This is the only way to ensure that positive developments are truly anchored in the population and last. Our commitment is always long-term. However, we also withdraw from projects when the work no longer matches the issues on which our competencies lie or when we are no longer convinced of the quality.

Why young people in the centre?

Although our actual target group is young people, we always involve the whole community. Why young people? While much has been done for children in the last 20 years, young people are a forgotten group in development cooperation. Young people are the decision-makers of tomorrow and have great potential, which is often under-utilised and under-promoted. We are convinced that sustainable development depends crucially on them.