{"id":8250,"date":"2023-10-04T11:11:13","date_gmt":"2023-10-04T09:11:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kids-of-africa.com\/organisation\/geschichte\/"},"modified":"2023-11-18T14:30:25","modified_gmt":"2023-11-18T13:30:25","slug":"history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.kids-of-africa.com\/en\/organisation\/history\/","title":{"rendered":"History"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>Our history<\/div>\n<h2>It all started in 1999 with a letter<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/geschichte_01.jpg\" alt=\"\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/geschichte_02.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/geschichte_02.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/geschichte_01.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>\n<p>When Burkhard Varnholt, the founder of Kids of Africa, received a begging letter from Uganda in 1999, he replied with a small cheque to alleviate the plight described in the letter.<\/p>\n<p>This unexpected contact developed into a pen pal relationship. In order to better understand the situation, Burkhard travelled to Uganda, visited the sender of the letter, his school and learnt a lot about the country, its history and its future prospects.<\/p>\n<p>When the sender of the first letter was unable to find work despite having completed his training as a civil engineer, Burkhard decided to buy land outside the Ugandan capital Kampala. On this land, he enabled the young man he was supporting to build a few simple, functional family homes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Burkhard Varnholt tells the story of the children&#8217;s village<\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Twenty years ago, Burkhard Varnholt received a begging letter from Uganda. The rest is history. The letter turned into an entire children&#8217;s village which today provides a home for around one hundred children on the shores of Lake Victoria.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n    <a href=\"\/koa\/en\/donate-now\/#formular\">Donate now<\/a>\n<\/p>\n<p><video src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/231115_Burkhard_Varnholt_History_Kids_of_Africa-en-1.mp4\" poster=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/video-still_06.jpg\"><\/video><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.<\/p>\n<footer>\n<p>                <cite>Margaret Mead, U.S. Anthropologist<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div>A vision becomes reality:<\/div>\n<h2>Kids of Africa and the power of commitment<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/geschichte_04.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/geschichte_03.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>\n<p>While the construction work was progressing well, Burkhard founded the non-profit organisation &#8220;Kids of Africa&#8221; in Switzerland and Uganda and shortly afterwards brought in the land and the houses. A short time later, the children&#8217;s village was opened with dedicated foster mothers and a great deal of idealism and commitment.<\/p>\n<p>The special story of how Kids of Africa came into being shows us that every person can throw a pebble into the water and it will travel in circles. We can never fully estimate where these circles will go. But it&#8217;s worth throwing the pebble, giving it a try and making the world a little bit better!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/geschichte_06.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><strong>His reasoning was simple:<\/strong> the construction project would enable several people to find meaningful employment. Ideally, it would also serve as a reference project that would help people become self-employed later on (which it actually did).<\/p>\n<p>In addition, he planned to transfer the land and the houses as soon as possible to a charitable organisation yet to be founded, which would also support future generations of Ugandan children in need.<\/p>\n<p>While the construction work was progressing well, Burkhard founded the non-profit organisation &#8220;Kids of Africa&#8221; in Switzerland and Uganda and shortly afterwards brought in the land and the houses. A short time later, the children&#8217;s village was opened with dedicated foster mothers and a great deal of idealism and commitment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--more--><br \/>\n<!-- {\"type\":\"layout\",\"children\":[{\"type\":\"section\",\"props\":{\"image\":\"wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/09\\\/hilfsprojekte-afrika_uganda-min.svg\",\"image_position\":\"top-center\",\"padding\":\"large\",\"padding_remove_top\":false,\"style\":\"default\",\"title_breakpoint\":\"xl\",\"title_position\":\"top-left\",\"title_rotation\":\"left\",\"vertical_align\":\"middle\",\"width\":\"large\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"row\",\"props\":{\"column_gap\":\"large\",\"layout\":\"1-2,1-2\",\"row_gap\":\"large\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"position_sticky_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"width_medium\":\"1-2\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"headline\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"Our history\",\"margin\":\"small\",\"title_element\":\"div\",\"title_font_family\":\"tertiary\",\"title_style\":\"h3\"}},{\"type\":\"headline\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"It all started in 1999 with a letter\",\"margin\":\"remove-vertical\",\"margin_remove_bottom\":false,\"margin_remove_top\":false,\"maxwidth\":\"large\",\"title_element\":\"h2\",\"title_style\":\"heading-small\"}},{\"type\":\"image\",\"props\":{\"animation\":\"parallax\",\"block_align_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"block_align_fallback\":\"center\",\"image\":\"wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/geschichte_01.jpg\",\"image_box_decoration_inverse\":true,\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"image_width\":\"900\",\"margin\":\"default\",\"maxwidth\":\"xlarge\",\"parallax_easing\":\"1\",\"parallax_y\":\"10vh,5vh\",\"visibility\":\"m\"}}]},{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"order_first\":\"m\",\"position_sticky_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"width_medium\":\"1-2\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"image\",\"props\":{\"animation\":\"parallax\",\"image\":\"wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/geschichte_02.jpg\",\"image_box_decoration_inverse\":true,\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"image_width\":\"900\",\"margin\":\"default\",\"parallax_easing\":\"1\",\"parallax_y\":\"-2vh,-6vh\",\"visibility\":\"m\"}},{\"type\":\"grid\",\"props\":{\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"filter_align\":\"left\",\"filter_all\":true,\"filter_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"filter_grid_width\":\"auto\",\"filter_position\":\"top\",\"filter_style\":\"tab\",\"grid_default\":\"1\",\"grid_medium\":\"\",\"grid_small\":\"2\",\"icon_width\":80,\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_box_decoration_inverse\":true,\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"item_animation\":true,\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"parallax_easing\":\"1\",\"show_content\":true,\"show_image\":true,\"show_link\":true,\"show_meta\":true,\"show_title\":true,\"title_align\":\"top\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\",\"visibility\":\"hidden-m\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"grid_item\",\"props\":{\"image\":\"wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/geschichte_02.jpg\"}},{\"type\":\"grid_item\",\"props\":{\"image\":\"wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/geschichte_01.jpg\"}}]},{\"type\":\"text\",\"props\":{\"block_align\":\"center\",\"column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"content\":\"\n\n<p>When Burkhard Varnholt, the founder of Kids of Africa, received a begging letter from Uganda in 1999, he replied with a small cheque to alleviate the plight described in the letter.<\\\/p>\\n\n\n<p>This unexpected contact developed into a pen pal relationship. In order to better understand the situation, Burkhard travelled to Uganda, visited the sender of the letter, his school and learnt a lot about the country, its history and its future prospects.<\\\/p>\\n\n\n<p>When the sender of the first letter was unable to find work despite having completed his training as a civil engineer, Burkhard decided to buy land outside the Ugandan capital Kampala. On this land, he enabled the young man he was supporting to build a few simple, functional family homes.<\\\/p>\",\"margin\":\"large\",\"maxwidth\":\"xlarge\"}}]}]}],\"name\":\"About\"},{\"type\":\"section\",\"props\":{\"animation\":\"slide-bottom-small\",\"animation_delay\":\"50\",\"css\":\".el-section {\\n   \\tborder-top:4px solid #d79c1e;\\n   \\tborder-bottom:4px solid #d79c1e;\\n}\",\"header_transparent\":\"dark\",\"header_transparent_noplaceholder\":false,\"id\":\"video\",\"image_position\":\"bottom-center\",\"image_size\":\"cover\",\"padding\":\"large\",\"padding_remove_bottom\":false,\"style\":\"secondary\",\"title_breakpoint\":\"xl\",\"title_position\":\"top-left\",\"title_rotation\":\"left\",\"vertical_align\":\"middle\",\"width\":\"large\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"row\",\"children\":[{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"position_sticky_breakpoint\":\"m\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"headline\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"Burkhard Varnholt tells the story of the children's village\",\"id\":\"familien\",\"margin\":\"small\",\"margin_remove_top\":false,\"title_element\":\"h2\",\"title_style\":\"h1\"}}]}]},{\"type\":\"row\",\"children\":[{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"position_sticky_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"width_medium\":\"1-3\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"text\",\"props\":{\"column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"content\":\"\n\n<p>Twenty years ago, Burkhard Varnholt received a begging letter from Uganda. The rest is history. 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