Rahel education project

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The Rahel educational project was a project of the Institute for Universal Church and Mission at the Philosophical-Theological University of Sankt Georgen in Frankfurt-Sachsenhausen , which ran from 2010 to 2017 . The aim was to support disadvantaged young people - mostly young women - in Adigrat in the north of Ethiopia . During their studies or training , they received financial and non-material support from the Rahel educational project. The project was mainly carried out by current and former students of the university and largely financed through donation campaigns .

history

The idea for the educational project arose in 2010 through a research trip on AIDS that the then head of the Institute for World Church and Mission, Albert-Peter Rethmann, undertook as part of a research project of the German Bishops' Conference to Adigrat in the Tigray region in northern Ethiopia. In this region, many young people have no access to higher education due to a lack of family support , and many are AIDS orphans . Young women are particularly affected by this situation through discrimination. An initiative of the Adigrat Diocesan Catholic Secretariat (ADCS) of the Diocese of Adigrat was already supporting ten young people with micro- scholarships in obtaining their university entrance qualification and at least a bachelor's degree in their own country. The result of the considerations resulting from the trip was an international initiative by students for students.

It was named after the AIDS orphan Rahel Hailay, who was able to study biology and zoology at the universities in Aksum and Mekelle from 2009 to 2014 thanks to the funding . In November 2011, 47 young Ethiopians received scholarships, in May 2016 there were 39 scholarship holders.

At the end of 2017, the Rahel team wrote a farewell letter to the donors that they no longer had enough employees to adequately supervise the project. However, enough reserves had been set up so that the 28 young people who were still receiving funding in Ethiopia at the time can finish their studies. It is planned that funding tasks will in future be carried out by the Adigrat Diocesan Catholic Secretariat (ADCS) and former graduates in Ethiopia. In January 2018, the Rahel team announced the end of the project on Facebook and made it clear that they would no longer accept donations.

Goal setting

Through the financial support of the micro-scholarships, the project mainly supported female young people in this region who lacked equal access to education. Around 200 euros were enough to finance a year of study. The scholarship holders were accompanied during their studies or their professional training. In addition to the financial support, an important aspect was the promotion of networking among the scholarship holders. Women who were able to get a higher education through this project should in turn give others the idea of ​​also attaining a higher level of education.

This development cooperation should give the recipients the freedom to shape their lives independently and responsibly without material hardship. The motivation of those affected was particularly important for a lasting effect. The main focus was therefore on promoting the independence and initiative of the scholarship holders in line with Catholic social teaching . In addition to financial support, the promotion of independence, self-esteem, a sense of responsibility and community spirit was an important aspect of the project.

Training programs like the Rahel project are a medium to long-term contribution to combating the causes of flight due to insufficient education and the resulting poverty.

organization

financing

The educational project was financed through public donation campaigns and collections in Catholic parishes of the Limburg diocese, as well as the proceeds from festive events such as the St. Georgen University's summer festival with an Ethiopian coffee ceremony, through auctions and other income. These actions also served to make new contacts, to provide information and to exchange ideas about the project. They were supported by the “Network Frankfurt One World Groups” in Frankfurt am Main . The Rahel educational project was also supported by the Cusanuswerk and the Center for Christian Meditation and Spirituality of the Diocese of Limburg .

The project was supported by the Pontifical Mission Societies missio in all financial matters such as account management, assuming administrative costs or transferring money to Ethiopia .

public relation

Public relations work took place at stand campaigns , for example at the Frankfurt City Church Festival , but also on the Internet, for example on Facebook and the donation platform betterplace.org , and in media such as Radio Horeb .

Project work in Ethiopia

Diocese of Adigrat in Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, the project has been carried out as an OVC project since 2011 and supervised on site by the Adigrat Diocesan Catholic Secretariat (ADCS) of the Adigrat diocese . The patron was the diocesan bishop Tesfay Medhin . The OVC project was active in areas particularly affected by poverty.

The ADCS project coordinator, Woldemariam Besirat, selected the scholarship holders and was available to them as a contact person during their training. He also organized workshops on topics such as AIDS or the consequences of emigration and flight within the framework of scholarship holders' meetings.

Web links

literature

  • Judith Breunig, Madeleine Helbig, Claudia Berg, Stefanie Matulla, Magdalena Strauch, Marita Wagner, Benedikt Winkler: Rahel - An educational project for Adigrat. Festschrift of the student initiative. A look through time: 2010–2015. Institute for the Universal Church and Mission, Frankfurt am Main, June 2015

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Judith Breunig, Madeleine Helbig, Claudia Berg, Stefanie Matulla, Magdalena Strauch, Marita Wagner, Benedikt Winkler: Rahel - An educational project for Adigrat. Festschrift of the student initiative. A look through time: 2010–2015. Institute for the Universal Church and Mission, Frankfurt am Main, 2015.
  2. ↑ a b Stefanie Matulla: Actions: Where does the money actually come from? In: Judith Breunig et al .: Rahel - An educational project for Adigrat. Festschrift of the student initiative. A look through time: 2010–2015. Institute for the Universal Church and Mission, Frankfurt am Main, 2015, p. 10 f.
  3. ↑ a b c Judith Breunig: How it all began ... or: In the beginning there was a day of study. In: Judith Breunig et al .: Rahel - An educational project for Adigrat. Festschrift of the student initiative. A look through time: 2010–2015. Institute for Universal Church and Mission, Frankfurt am Main, 2015, p. 8 f.
  4. ↑ a b c d Benedikt Winkler: Student project 'Rahel' helps Ethiopian students kath.net, November 18, 2011.
  5. ↑ Rachel Hailay, Claudia Berg: Report on my life. Seen so often, heard so often, but who really is Rachel? In: Judith Breunig et al .: Rahel - An educational project for Adigrat. Festschrift of the student initiative. A look through time: 2010–2015. Institute for World Church and Mission, Frankfurt am Main, 2015, pp. 31–33.
  6. ↑ a b Marita Wagner: Telefa - The abducted brides of Ethiopia Catholic.de, May 11, 2016.
  7. ^ Rahel team: Letter to donors (undated).
  8. ^ Rahel - an educational project for Adigrat on Facebook, communication from January 28, 2018.
  9. ↑ a b Rahel - An educational project for Adigrat on betterplace.org
  10. ↑ a b Judith Breunig: How does the money get to Adigrat? - missio, our friend and helper. In: Judith Breunig et al .: Rahel - An educational project for Adigrat. Festschrift of the student initiative. A look through time: 2010–2015. Institute for World Church and Mission, Frankfurt am Main, 2015, p. 12 f.
  11. ↑ Reduction of causes of flight Website of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development , accessed on July 29, 2020.
  12. ↑ St. Georgen University opens its doors for the summer party. Frankfurter Neue Presse, June 15, 2013.
  13. ^ Doris Wiese-Gutheil: Network Frankfurt One World Groups. Catholic Stadtkirche Frankfurt of the Diocese of Limburg , archived from the original on October 25, 2016 ; Retrieved October 25, 2016 .
  14. ↑ Rahel - An educational project for Adigrat, Ethiopia Website of the Share Initiative of the Cusanuswerk, entry in the category “Former Projects”.
  15. ↑ Annual report since the start of the transfers . In: Judith Breunig et al .: Rahel - An educational project for Adigrat. Festschrift of the student initiative. A look through time: 2010–2015. Institute for World Church and Mission, Frankfurt am Main, 2015, p. 16 f.
  16. ^ Jonas Gätze: Stadtkirchenfest Frankfurt: By ship to the church service fr.de, August 28, 2016.
  17. ↑ Marita Wagner: The 3rd trip to Ethiopia. Take the second: A current fundraising film is needed. In: Judith Breunig et al .: Rahel - An educational project for Adigrat. Festschrift of the student initiative. A look through time: 2010–2015. Institute for World Church and Mission, Frankfurt am Main, 2015, pp. 34–37.

Coordinates: 50 ° 5 '54.5 "  N , 8 ° 42' 43.2"  E