Article from the “Zeitschrift für Steuern & Recht | Z_Steu-Beiträge | 5th year Magazine 24 | 17. Dez. 2008 | Page 445-446
Call for Christmas charity: The “School of Nations” in Puerto Galera in the Philippines needs your help
Dear Friends,
Dear Readers,
Christmas is already upon us, the feast of children, of hearts, of gifts and bountiful offerings. We all give gifts to each other, even though we know that we all really already have everything we need. With the gifts we want to give joy and prove our affection to the people we like. This is also a good thing. Unfortunately, many gifts disappear after the feast in the tray or even in the trash. Thus, it would often make more sense to reduce spending on Christmas gifts and donate the savings to a charitable cause. We would therefore like to suggest that you contribute to the costs of our school project in the Philippines. This is a Christmas charity project initiated by us, where every euro really reaches the people in need.
We have been supporting the “School of Nations” in Puerto Galera in the Philippines for years. This project involves the maintenance and construction of a school for the children of the poorest of the poor. The school is located in a small town on the edge of the jungle. The island is about a 3-hour car and boat ride from the capital city of Manila. The people do not have enough money to continue building their school. We are in the process of collecting money for this. For the poor people in the Philippines, poverty means something different than it does here: they don’t have enough to eat, not even clean water to drink, and no roof over their heads! Every day is a fight for “bare” survival, struggle for existence 365 days a year. There is the real poverty! In contrast, we live in our beautiful country like in paradise! We would be very happy if we could win you for this charity project as well.
It is really about participating in a good cause. We know that you all have a big heart for the poor children of this world and therefore have already done a lot of good. To carry out such a project together also connects us on a human level. Surely you know the following Chinese wisdom: “Happiness is the only thing that doubles when it is shared!”
We want to help our friends double or multiply their happiness. This is actually the deeper meaning of our activities in the Philippines. Once you have looked into the honest, sincere eyes of these poor children, shining like stars, you will forever feel the need to help them. We would like to share this beautiful feeling with all our friends as a community experience. It is our big goal to collect 100 000 US $ or if we can, even more. If we lose money on the stock market, as is happening many times at the moment, it is gone, no ifs, ands or buts. If in our Philippines school project a few thousand Euros are gone, we have at least a good conscience and we don’t have to be sorry because it serves the best purpose to help other people in need.
We are convinced that the best way to help these people is to teach them to help themselves: but this can only be done by building schools in rural and remote areas. A good school education for children is the most important basis for improving their living conditions in the medium and long term. Only with a proper school education can these poor people take their lives into their own hands, so that they too can at some point fulfill their right to a dignified existence. “It is more important, to teach them how to catch the fish, than to give them money, to buy the fish”, is the philosophy of the school owners Cheryl & John Nepomuceno-Kim.
We know that you are one of those open-minded, understanding and fair-minded people who do not close their eyes or simply look away when they see the cruel poverty and terrible injustices in this world. With your contribution you show that the bitter poverty of these people does not leave you cold and that you have a really big heart. Your personal happiness comes, among other things, because you let your fellow men share in your happiness.
We would be very pleased if we could persuade you to “join in”. All your contributions will be collected in the “special account” we have set up especially for this purpose: Dresdner Bank Konstanz account no. 580983600/ sort code 69280035 / recipient: Wengert AG / subject “School of the Nations/ Philippines”.
As auditors, tax consultants and lawyers we have taken a professional oath: We personally guarantee that every Euro received in the account will be immediately and directly transferred to the school.
We thank you in advance and from the bottom of our hearts in the name of these poor people on the ground in the Philippines: A heartfelt “Vergelt’s Gott”.
Best Christmas greetings,
Your Georg Wengert
