Child's Dream

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Child's Dream is a non-profit Swiss organization and foundation founded in 2003 by Daniel Siegfried and Marc Jenni. Its aim is to support disadvantaged children, youth and communities in the Mekong sub-region which includes Myanmar , Laos , Thailand and Cambodia . They primarily pursue the following goals: reducing child mortality and improving health, increasing access to high-quality education and training managers and specialists who promote the development of their country.

History, development and organization

In 2003 the two Swiss Daniel Siegfried and Marc Jenni founded Child's Dream. Before becoming active in the non-profit sector, they worked in the financial sector. During their travels in Asia they were confronted with the economic and social problems of the continent. In 2003 they quit their jobs in order to set up their own NGO .

They focused Child's Dream's work on the Mekong sub-region. This region is known for opium cultivation, corruption and drug and human trafficking. Accordingly, the people in the region are exposed to poverty, disease, sexual exploitation and political persecution. In 2003 they rented an office in Chiang Mai and registered the Child's Dream Association as a Swiss non-profit organization in Zurich , Switzerland. Two years later, Child's Dream was also registered as a foundation in Thailand .

Jenni takes care of the financial matters and makes sure that the administration and the entire financial area of ​​Child's Dreams are cost-effective and efficient, while creating the highest possible transparency for the donors. Siegfried is responsible for planning and implementing projects. He is part of a working group (Project Evaluation Committee) that jointly examines suitable projects and sets priorities.

Mission and Strategy

Child's Dreams vision is to create better health and education for sustainable development and to empower competent people to responsibly shape their communities. Its strategy is based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals . In cooperation with partner organizations, they develop and implement measures in Myanmar , Laos , Cambodia and Thailand and concentrate on current and future needs. They pursue the following specific goals:

  • basic health care
  • relevant and high quality training
  • responsible managers and qualified specialists,
  • Values ​​of peace and justice
  • environmental sustainability

values

Child's Dream is driven by these core values:

TEAMWORK To encourage and support teamwork
DEVELOPMENT To continuously rethink and improve working methods
TRANSPARENCY AND LEGALNESS To work transparently and to be accountable
DIVERSITY Recognize and value the diversity of beneficiaries
EFFICIENCY Use resources efficiently and effectively
CHILD RIGHTS Promote and protect children's rights
BENEFICIARIES To be oriented towards the needs of the beneficiaries
INDEPENDENCE To be independent and impartial

job

health

A fifth of all donations are used to improve basic health conditions: children are dewormed , vaccinated and given vitamins. These measures help to reduce child mortality, which is particularly high in remote areas. In 2017, 5,792 children learned about health and hygiene, and 4,845 community members were reached through drug abuse awareness courses. By September 2017, 1,498 children had been helped with life-saving operations.

Basic training

With a share of more than 50 percent of the project expenses in 2017, basic training is a core part of Child's Dream. The group is building educational facilities such as schools and accommodation to provide basic education for all children. This sometimes includes the provision of facilities with drinking water systems, playgrounds, solar charging stations, and extracurricular activities. In addition, Child's Dream runs a scholarship program for underprivileged young people. 241 school buildings have already been built and Child's Dream plans to increase that number to 350 by 2020. In 2017, 581 middle school students were supported with a scholarship and 135,929 students and teachers in Myanmar were given school supplies.

Higher education

This focus group focuses on the further education of young people who have completed their basic education. It makes up 34 percent of the project budget. Vocational training centers and secondary schools that prepare young people for university are supported. In addition, university scholarships are awarded to young people from Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos. The support of Burmese students is having a great effect in the country itself, as some of the graduates now work for government agencies and, thanks to their training, know the tools to drive the democratization process forward. Child's Dream operates a Social Entrepreneurship Grant (SEG) program that enables college graduates to raise funds for social business ventures.

Media and press

newspaper

  • Bankers make children happy ( SonntagsBlick , March 2014)
  • When bankers do good ( Observer , December 2013)
  • More value than any bonus ( Migros Magazine , March 2013)
  • From banking to village development aid ( NZZ , May 2009)

Television and film

  • Aeschbacher interview with Daniel Siegfried and Marc Jenni (December 2015)
  • The film Child's Dream - Two Bankers Searching for Meaning by Urs Frey was shown on Swiss television on December 30, 2012 and January 2, 2013.
  • Child's Dream was featured in the fourth episode of a Wheel2Wheel documentary aired on National Geographic and in Cathay Pacific and SBS entertainment programs .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Aisha Binte Abdul Rahman: Organization in Focus: Child's Dream . In: Humaneity . May 2011, pp. 6-11.
  2. ↑ a b Tanja Polli: Bankers make children happy . In: Sonntagsblick Magazin . March 10, 2014, pp. 8-13.
  3. ↑ a b Christoph Wehrli: From banking to village development aid . In: NZZ . May 20, 2009, p. 17.
  4. ↑ Drugs Makes World Pain . Retrieved October 31, 2017.
  5. ↑ Jochen Faget: Tea, designer drugs and a touch of heroin . In: World Time . June 25, 2014.
  6. ^ Giving Back Association . Retrieved October 31, 2017.
  7. ↑ a b Esther Banz: More value than any bonus . In: Migros magazine . No 11, March 11, 2013, pp. 32–33.
  8. ↑ a b c Alex Haemmerli: Helping Children in Need in the Mekong Region . In: The magazine for UBS employees in Switzerland . No.4, September 2012, pp. 16-18.
  9. ↑ Tanja Polli: When bankers do good . In: Observer . No 26, December 2013.
  10. ↑ Youtube . Retrieved October 31, 2017.
  11. ↑ imdb . Retrieved October 31, 2017.
  12. ↑ Wheel2Wheel . Retrieved December 18, 2012.