The nationwide "Children help children!" ("Aktion Kinder helfen Kindern!") campaign took place for the 24th time. The campaign was initiated by the aid organisation ADRA Germany. Last year, children in Germany collected 25,546 Christmas parcels for their peers from poorer families in Eastern Europe. ADRA Germany announced that most of the parcels were handed over to the children before Christmas.
The "Children help children!" campaign was launched on September 20, World Children's Day. Once again, many children took part, together with their parents and grandparents, and packed parcels containing toys and useful items for children from poor Eastern European families. This year, 25,546 parcels were collected. "Every parcel is a sign of compassion and solidarity. We would like to thank the many volunteers who make the campaign possible in the first place. Even though around 1,000 fewer parcels were collected this year than last year, the total is a great success," says Michael Weller, head of "Aktion Kinder helfen Kindern!" at ADRA Germany.
In the period from 27 November to 7 December, lorries left the nationwide collection points for the destination countries. There, the lorries were unloaded, and the parcels were taken to the children in smaller vans.
25th anniversary this year
In 2024, "Children help children" will enter its 25th year. For a quarter of a century, ADRA and its many helpers have been able to collect over 500,000 parcels and deliver them to children in need. Anyone wishing to support children in Eastern Europe can either pack a parcel or make a donation. According to ADRA Germany, 8 euros covers the cost of materials, labour and postage for a Christmas parcel. Many companies, groups, kindergartens, schools, parishes, and individuals support the campaign with donations in kind or money.
About the "Children help children" campaign
The "Children help children" campaign has been running since 1999, starting every year on World Children's Day (20 September) and running until mid-November. Empty parcels are handed out in daycare centres, schools, and in the neighbourhood. Children and adults fill them in their families or parishes, check the contents and take the parcels to the collection points distributed throughout Germany, where they are loaded onto lorries. This time, the parcels went to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. The aid organisation, ADRA Germany (ADRA Deutschland e.V.), is coordinating the collection, transport, and distribution in the target countries. With the "Children help children" campaign, children in Germany learn more about the situation of their peers in other parts of the world. They learn to share and show charity. The campaign is, therefore, part of the development education work of ADRA Deutschland e.V. Further information can be found here.
Since 1999, children, parents and grandparents throughout Germany have been packing Christmas parcels for children from poor families in Eastern Europe. This year, children from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia are looking forward to the heartwarming Christmas presents from Germany.
ADRA Germany
ADRA Germany is part of a worldwide network with 118 independent country offices and around 7,500 full-time employees. ADRA Germany was founded in 1987 as an independent non-governmental organisation by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and it carries out projects in development cooperation and humanitarian aid. The German office, with around 50 employees, is located in Weiterstadt near Darmstadt. For further information, please go here.
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