Concept of three colums
One important part of our concept is our range of intensive NVC workshops which are taking place in Germany. The participants come from different countries all over the world (Africa, Philippines, India). They work with children who live on the streets, some even have been grown up as street children themselves. After they have applied for participation they are invited to Germany for the time of the seminar.
During the workshop they are given the possibility to discover and explore NVC by intense studies and practices. Back in their home countries they will be multipliers of NVC by passing on this method and attitude to their team colleagues and the children in the streets.
In October 2022, we held our seventh workshop. Some of the participants came repeatedly. This approach makes a lot of sense to us. The experienced participants reflect their own knowledge of NVC and deepen it, and at the same time they can support the beginners in talking about their own real-life experiences with NVC.
Yet even more important for me is the trust, which has developed between the participants and the trainer in the continuity of these workshops. So we were invited to the Philippines in April 2015 for 19 days of NVC workshops, again in 2017 in the context of a conference against human trafficking, and again in 2021; to Tanzania in 2019 for a 3-days NVC training and more following ones in different organisations; in India 2015 we “infected” 100 teachers with the “NVC Virus”; in Ghana 2018 we were working with 70 people of different professions.
After the workshops the participants get the opportunity to be part of the worldwide NVC-Network via internet. In this way they keep in touch by exchanging their new experiences and give feedback to each other. Furthermore, we make sure to find an experienced NVC-coach for each country group of participants who will support their further development of NVC abilities in their own country. This can happen at the best by accompanying the group into their home country, or via internet.
The remaining part of our concept is built on the following three columns:
1 Immediate aid
The first necessary action is to build and maintain a center, where affected people are received and given immediate support.
In cooperation with different foundations and organizations (Karl Kübel Foundation, Father Heinz Kulüke from Steyer Mission) we already built a center in the Philippines: the “Drop-in Center” in Ceby City.
Children prostitutes and young girls get medical treatment and humane support in this center. They often are pregnant without knowing who the father of their baby is because they had many different sexual contacts each night, some are infected with venereal diseases or even HIV.
2 Education
It happens in the Philippines that young girls from poor families are lured to move from the countryside into the big cities by being offered a job as domestic workers. Neither the parents who “sell” their children trustfully nor the children know, that they will be forced into prostitution.
One important part of our program is to extend the education of people in the villages by offering school projects, lectures and documentary films. According to the idea of Katrin Rohde in Bourkina Faso, Africa, where it was co-organized for the first time, we organized a “Cinemobil” for the Philippines: This is a car equipped with screen and beamer, driving from village to village, educating families about topics such as women’s rights, sexual education, AIDS and prophylactic protection, circumcision, care of health, etc. The project was highly approved. In various villages a large attendance was registered. Some of the parents listening were shocked to come to know what happens to their children in the big cities. These three yearlong projects are running already for the 4. time, even in different provinces in the Philippines.
Another example for providing educational help are internet cafés. Some children on the Philippines have parents who earn their living by sorting garbage on dumpsites. Many are illiterate and not at home most of the day. These children get the chance in an internet café to be accompanied for their school work. It is “supervised” by a para-teacher who helps them in basic items.
3 Autonomy
Parents who sell their children do this out of poverty. They hope for financial security for themselves and their remaining children or want to escape the traps of the moneylenders. So, it is not only necessary to inform and educate the people, but also to approach their problem of poverty.
Following the example of Yunus in Bangladesh, we support people by granting micro-credits which allow the parents to set up their own independent business.
For instance, we supported the NGO “Home care” in Ethiopia in a pilot project with 37 women.
Micro-credits are tools to appreciate and support own skills and abilities. They speak the language of NVC: they refer to specific needs, lead to autonomy and sustain the dignity of human beings.