Dear friends While you are hopefully enjoying the summer days, I would like to tell you about Paul, an unassuming hero who perhaps exemplifies the difference a place like Kids of Africa can make. Either way, I wish you a wonderful summer and thank you very much for your continued support. You mean the world!

Dear friends Do you know the feeling of missing your children because they have been away for a while? When the school holidays start for our protégés, they prefer to come home to their families in our small village. That’s how we felt over the last few weeks. And how happy we were! It was an intense time. Planned and coordinated by the protégés under the careful guidance of Esbern Budolfsen. I would like to send you a few snapshots and two thoughts. 

Dear friendsLet me introduce Benjamin Kizito, a secret hero of Kids of Africa. Benjamin came to Kids of Africa as a baby. Even as a little boy he stood out with many talents. At the age of 9, he wrote an amazing essay of great maturity. Today he is studying law as the best student in his semester. An internship as a lawyer earned him the highest praise.Benjamin has his head and heart in the right place. Empathetic, supportive, selfless. He recently told me “I want to change the world for the better”. And yesterday he sent the following lines. Read them for yourself. May they also...

Dear friendsTake a look at the touching video of Lilian (18). I recorded it a few days ago in Kids of Africa. Unexpectedly, she visited me to make a gesture of thanks to you, to her little family and to the big Kids of Africa family.

Dear friendsI hope you are doing well. I am in transit to Uganda, but I would like to pass on to you in advance a touching letter that has just reached me. Its author, Betty Kirabo, is an extraordinary woman. She recently came of age and writes poetry and short stories. She is involved in charitable work, fights for young women, for equal opportunities and rarely minces her words. And: she compares her life to a miracle. But it’s best to read her letter for yourself. It is not only addressed to me, but also to you and to the whole, big Kids of Africa family.

Dear friendsSometimes life goes round in circles. We are given a lot at the beginning. Love, education, family. Later, we stand on our own two feet. Then we give back – to our children, our family or to others. And often, when we pass something on, it also goes full circle.This actually also describes the story of Kids of Africa. Ronald, one of our oldest protégés, knows this. Today he is a successful designer and artist, stands on his own two feet and is an inspiration to many. The following lines and illustrations were written entirely by him. See for yourself the impact of your help....

Dear friends A new year is like a blank sheet of paper. We want to use it for many good things. So that we can look back with joy at the end. A good word every day. Maintain friendships. Be a role model. Modesty, diligence and commitment. Health. Help. It can’t hurt to start with resolutions like these. Even if many things turn out differently in the end.

Dear friendsWe wish you rest, peace and the blessing of love during the holidays and in the coming year. I would like to use a small selection of images to illustrate how your help is making a difference. How we give children confidence and later create opportunities for jobs, progress and peace. That too is like a Christmas story.

Dear friends When we help, it never just benefits individuals, but always society as a whole. We call this “turning one shilling into two”. For example, when we prevent illiteracy. Strengthening self-confidence and practical skills. Avoiding crises. We make the biggest difference when we start with the poorest of the poor. Where no one else helps. In a spirit of humility and solidarity. Because people make society. That’s obvious. Where else should social development begin?