NEWS
from our projects and grants
November 2024 - OTH Regensburg builds water treatment plant
A team from OTH Regensburg has built a water treatment plant for the IMLS school in Masaka (Uganda) as part of a project. The school's service water will once again be used primarily for watering the garden and later also for the sanitary facilities at IMLS. In view of the omnipresent water shortage, resources are conserved and, of course, water costs are saved.
Sophia Schaaf, Chairwoman of the Friends of IMLS Uganda-Germany (FMK), the sponsoring organisation of IMLS Uganda, and WEF West Africa would like to thank OTH University Germany and IMLS for the excellent cooperation.
October 2024 - Grand opening of the ODEC in Swakopmund, Namibia
After laying the foundation stone two years ago, we have now once again visited our joint project with TSN, the Open Doors Education Centre ODEC. The occasion was the grand opening with 100 invited guests including numerous celebrities from politics, business and administration. It was a very emotional and warm event with various show acts as well as many excited and enthusiastic children who, coming from the neighbouring township of DRC, will benefit from a wide range of educational opportunities here. We have rarely experienced such a warm event with such great enthusiasm from all participants.
October 2024 - Sponsorship of a major netball and football tournament
We are delighted to welcome 18 children's sports clubs and young men and women from all over Uganda to Masaka for the big youth tournament. This sporting event was organised and funded by the Werner Erkes Foundation East Africa in collaboration with our new partner organisation YES (Youth Empowerment Society).
At WEF East Africa, we believe in nurturing talent to provide the young generation with long-term opportunities for personal growth. We see sport and culture as powerful tools to provide access to education and career opportunities for the poor, vulnerable and talented.
October 2024 - Primary School, Kasese
The Nyamwamba and Kirembe divisions in the Kasese district in western Uganda are an area of poverty. The majority of the inhabitants live from agriculture, and many families have to get by on less than €1 a day. In rural areas of Uganda, most communities have no schools, and the few government schools that do exist are very far away, in poor condition and perform very poorly in national examinations. The high school fees are too much for most families.
For this reason, the construction of the new Horizon Primary School is being worked on at full speed. After one and a half years, the first two-storey building is now nearing completion. We would like to thank Reach The Poor for their successful work.
September 2024 - Flood aid for Cudalbi
The picture shows a situation from Cudalbi in eastern Romania, a village that was one of the worst affected by the floods. In some places, the water was up to two meters high in the living rooms. People have lost all their possessions and houses have been destroyed. Other houses will probably continue to collapse over the course of the winter, as the walls are made of earth and are no longer stable due to all the water.
A delegation from our partner association Lahai-Roi from Niederkrüchten and Victoria (Romania) is on the ground with vans full of food, clothing for all ages, furniture, blankets and toys. In this way, many of the poor families affected can be helped. We are supporting this campaign with €10,000. Anyone who would like to help beyond this is welcome to make a donation to our donation account Werner Erkes Stiftung DE65 3005 0110 1006 7997 77. Keyword: “Cudalbi flood relief”
September 2024 - New school opens in Ghana
Together with our partner associations “Zusammen für Ghana” (Hanover) and “Kinder Zentrum International” (Hobor), WEF West Africa is building an elementary school with a kindergarten in the rural area of Hobor (Ghana). The first floor with three classrooms and toilet facilities has already been completed and put into operation. The upper floor of the same size is currently under construction.
The children and parents were delighted with the new educational facilities. Without this school, the journey to school would be far too long or attending school would not be possible at all.
September 2024 - Up to 100 external children are at the boarding school every day
Up to 100 external children are at the boarding school every day
Our boarding school is now also open to external pupils during the day.
External pupils receive comprehensive and competent support not only with everyday problems, but also with their homework after school.
There is also plenty of fun and games on the playground and football pitch (with artificial turf) and in the school's own multifunctional sports hall.
September 2024 - WEF East Africa on Ugandan television
Joseph Wasswa (WEF) and Sophia Schaaf from the partner association FMK in Regensburg present WEF East Africa on Ugandan TV.
The interview, which is broadcast nationwide, attracts the attention of potential partners such as NGOs, CBOs and companies from the construction industry as well as future teachers and students. Many thanks to Sophia and Joseph for their commitment.
And once again, many thanks to FMK for their many years of intensive support.
August 2024 - Visit from Germany
This week, Joseph Wasswa, Managing Director of the Werner Erkes Foundation East Africa (WEF) hosted guests from Germany under the guidance of tour guide Thorsten Jansen at the IMLS music school in Masaka. It was a special event that will remain unforgettable for both the guests and the hosts.
The traditional, classical and contemporary music performed by the IMLS delighted all those present and created a wonderful atmosphere. Guests were impressed by the variety of performances and educational offerings that highlighted the skill and creativity of our children/students. The music created not only entertainment but also an emotional connection between cultures.
June 2024 - First graduation ceremony at the IMLS in Masaka (Uganda)
We rejoice with the 79 students who were the first ever to successfully graduate from the School of Music, Languages and Polytechnic Studies (IMLS) on June 14, 2024.
They were awarded national diplomas, certificates, DIT certificates and elementary certificates in various disciplines, including music production, accounting, information technology, computer engineering, fashion and design, journalism and media studies, hospitality and catering, automotive mechanics, electrical installation, cosmetology and body therapy, etc. Congratulations!
June 2024 - Parts of the old DRC school project are dismantled and given away
TSN's old DRC school project in Swakopmund has now been finally dismantled after many years of loyal service. The old containers, furniture and play equipment have been transported and given away to other aid organizations. So much for the sad news. On the same site - and this is the good news - a new state-of-the-art educational facility with a kindergarten, pre-school and elementary school is being built.
May 2024 - Opening of our Elhadj Diouf school complex
At the end of the month, the new Elhadj Diouf school complex including the “Werner Erkes Foundation Sports and Playground” was opened in Kaolack (Senegal). In scorching heat above 40°C, the facility was immediately and enthusiastically conquered by the children from the neighborhood. We will see many of them again when school starts at the beginning of September.
April 2024 - First trip on behalf of the WE Foundation
Our dear colleague Joseph Wasswa is currently on a six-week trip to Uganda, which has already given him a full program in the first half. There have been many discussions with mayors, district heads, architects, engineers, organization and school heads as well as other personalities in the field of educational institutions. Joseph completed the establishment of the WE Foundation East Africa, started the further construction of the IMLS in Masaka and checked the progress of our Horizon School in Kasese. He also establishes further contacts with potential partners (CBOs and NGOs) in western and northern Uganda. And he is probably also a little proud of his new car ;-)
April 2024 - Opening of the sports hall in Romania
The special day was celebrated with a small party in the boarding school, a BBQ outside on the playground and the ceremonial handover of the sports hall to the children with lots of "firecrackers" and small sporting competitions. We would like to thank our partners and friends from Lahoi-Roi for the implementation of the project and the wonderful days in Victoria.
April 2024 - The educational complex IMLS is being expanded
WES is building a special school in Masaka. This project will be unique in Uganda, focussing on both musical and polytechnic education. Half of the basement has been completed and is already being used for school operations. The educational project is also supported by the FMK Förderverein für Musik und Kultur Uganda e.V.. The organisation is committed to the musical and linguistic education of disadvantaged children in Uganda.
March 2024 - Music school in Masaka
WES is building a special school in Masaka. This project will be unique in Uganda, focussing on both musical and polytechnic education. Half of the basement has been completed and is already being used for school operations. The educational project is also supported by the FMK Förderverein für Musik und Kultur Uganda e.V.. The organisation is committed to the musical and linguistic education of disadvantaged children in Uganda.
January 2024 - Life comes to the ODEC
What a great sight. The new building of our Open Doors Education Centre in Swakopmund, Namibia, has been completed in a record time of just one year and the school for the little ones has started. We think the architecture, the construction and above all the overall concept are simply unique. We would like to thank everyone involved for their outstanding work.
December 2023 - Successful end to the year in Uganda
Holidays at last! In the "Kyangwali Refugee Settlement Camp", Uganda, not far from the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the successful school year was celebrated in style. The parents and teachers are at least as proud as the children. Many thanks to YOBAC for their excellent work.
November 2023 - The foundation stone for the sports and games complex in Senegal is laid.
The time has finally come. After the many structural preparations and the preparation of the subsoil, the foundation stone of the sports and games complex in Kaolack (Senegal) has been laid in the form of surrounding kerbstones. Next, the area will be paved with concrete blocks, creating the ideal surface for the professional sports surface.
September 2023 - Our new kindergarten in Nkamba (Rwanda) has opened.
Since 26 September, the time has finally come. Our new kindergarten for the little ones in Nkamba (Rwanda) has opened. After three years in the kindergarten, they will move to the neighbouring primary school, which is run by the same association. By the way, all 14 pupils of the last graduating class passed the state examination. The importance of this educational project becomes clear when one considers that not a single pupil from the state primary schools in the same district was able to successfully complete it.
September 2023 - School life at the boarding school has started again
After the summer camp for children from our boarding school in Victoria, all the children have returned to the boarding school in good health. After many weeks with their families, the children have returned to their normal school routine and there were many new things to discover on the boarding school grounds. Good progress is also being made on the new sports hall. The interior work is in full swing.
July 2023 - Visiting Osterode am Harz
To get to know each other better, we took a weekend trip to visit our new friends and project partners at the Elhadj Diouf Foundation (EDF). There was plenty to talk about and learn over coffee and cake and on a short hike. The focus was of course on the joint project to build a multifunctional sports facility, a playground and changing rooms and sanitary facilities in Kaolack, Senegal. We also took the opportunity to dust off an original painting by a Senegalese artist, which depicts the cultural bridge between the schools in Kaolack and Osterode.
July 2023 - Support for a primary school in Uganda
In addition to building the school in Kasese, we are also supporting another school project in Uganda in the refugee camp in Kyangwali on the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We are delighted that we were able to help keep the school running with our support. The NGO YOBAC was founded in 2016 by young people from various countries such as Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Uganda and South Sudan, who are currently living in the Kyangwali Refunge Camp. The organization aims to transform African communities. YOBAC is interested in the education of war orphans and youth and is dedicated to working with youth in the refugee settlements and host communities to empower the vulnerable and address the root causes of poverty.
May 2023 - Playgrounds and sports fields in Kaolack, Senegal
WES is building a sports complex with the BRS, EDF and AKS foundations on the grounds of the pre-school and primary school under construction in Kaolack, Senegal. This includes a multifunctional sports field and a playground as well as a changing room and sanitary building. We are pleased that the new cooperation was concluded so quickly and smoothly and look forward to the intensive collaboration. (The graphic shows a non-binding preliminary draft)
May 2023 - Start of construction in Kasese
WES und REP (Reach the Poor) bauen eine Exzellenzschule, die es den Kindern ermöglicht, vom Kindergarten (Early Childhood Education) über die Primarstufe bis zum Ende ihrer Ausbildung zu gelangen. Die Schule soll nicht nur die Bildungsbedürfnisse der Kinder befriedigen, sondern auch Alphabetisierungskurse, IKT-Schulungen und Vorlesungen über praktische Lebensfertigkeiten anbieten, um die Kompetenzen der Schüler so zu verbessern, dass sie mit Gleichaltrigen in anderen entwickelten Städten des Landes, die bereits über bessere schulische Einrichtungen verfügen, mithalten können und so das wirtschaftliche Gefälle verringern.
April 2023 - The iMacs have arrived in Romania
The 12 iMacs donated by TASKOM have been installed. Several children can now learn, play and surf on the computer at the same time. The children of different age groups are thus introduced to the media under supervision. 4 computers are used in the administration.
April 2023 - The kindergarten was completed
The construction of the kindergarten in Nkamba (Rwanda) was completed in just a few months. All the rooms have been furnished so that the little ones can enjoy a playful education and a hot meal every day from the summer.
December 2022 - iMacs for the boarding school
12 iMacs decommissioned by the TASKOM advertising agency and 10 additional monitors are on their way to our boarding school in Victoria (Romania).
November 2022 - New school project in Kasese (Uganda)
We are very pleased to have found an experienced partner in "Reach the Poor" for the construction of the Horizon Primary School. The project comprises a kindergarten and an elementary school for a total of 800 boys and girls as well as a boarding school for up to 240 children.
October 2022 - Start of construction of the ODEC in Swakopmund
During our trip to Namibia, we were very impressed by the people and the landscape. The living conditions in the townships once again impressively confirmed our decision to build the ODEC education project in Swakopmund. The foundations have already been dug. The opening is planned for January 2024.
September 2022 - Visit to the Stamm Foundation in Burundi
On our trip to Africa, we gladly accepted the invitation from Fondation Stamm to familiarise ourselves with their numerous projects (kindergartens, schools, hospitals, etc.). We were overwhelmed by what Fondation Stamm has built up in partnership with Burundikids e. V. and other charitable organisations over the last few decades.
September 2022 - NOBE and WES plan educational projects in Nkamba (Rwanda).
The Executive Board of the Werner Erkes Foundation visits a primary school project in a rural area near the capital Kigali (Rwanda). NOBE and WES are working closely together to expand the primary school by adding more classrooms and constructing an administration building. A kindergarten and a secondary school are planned for the medium term.
August 2022 - The ODEC - Open Door Education Centre - is built
The cooperation agreement between the Werner Erkes Foundation and Tangeni Shilongo Namibia e. V. on the construction and operation of an education centre in Namibia has been signed. A visit by the organisation to Namibia is planned for October.
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Postanschrift: Werner Erkes Stiftung, Marc-Chagall-Straße 146, 40477 Düsseldorf, Germany: Werner Erkes, E-Mail: erkes@erkes.de
Büroadresse: Toulouser Allee 4, 40211 Düsseldorf
Werner Erkes Foundation East Africa: Dr. Joseph Wasswa, E-Mail: wasswa@erkes.de
Werner Erkes Foundation Southwest Africa: Volkan Sazli, E-Mail: sazli@erkes.de
Werner Erkes Foundation West Africa: Dr. Djiby Diouf: E-Mail: diouf@erkes.de
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